Joint Windsor Law and Detroit Mercy Law Clinic Launches in January 2017.
The International Intellectual Property Law Clinic is a truly unique, clinical education initiative. Building upon many years of successful collaboration between Windsor Law and Detroit Mercy Law, the International Intellectual Property Law Clinic is one of only a few international clinical education programs in the world, and arguably the first international intellectual property clinical program. While the Windsor-Detroit border has been one of the busiest international gateways for the flow of goods and services, this clinical collaboration is one part of the revitalization of our local economy, turning the Windsor-Detroit connection into a gateway for ideas and innovation."
The Clinic has been Certified by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and benefits from a tremendous working relationship with the Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Office here in Detroit. Students regularly attend training sessions with representatives from the Regional Office, and together, we have partnered on a number of nationally recognized collaborative initiatives, including the annual Patent Drafting competition, which brings schools from across North America to the Regional Office.
The TransAtlantic Patent Project has also launched in collaboration with colleagues from Queen Mary University in the U.K. This pilot project incorporates a European clinical component to the IP Clinic program, which is already gaining recognition. Clinic Director Wissam Aoun has been invited to the European Patent Office (EPO) as well as the Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies (CEIPI) to showcase the work of the International IP Clinic and to build further international collaborations with these leading IP institutions.
This is an exciting opportunity to continue our longstanding relationship with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). We have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with CIPO, setting out a plan for continued collaboration and development of training and educational programs for our students. We are looking forward to rolling out a number of these CIPO initiatives in 2017.
Most importantly, the International Intellectual Property Law Clinic provides our students with a comprehensive education rooted in a commitment to access to justice and transnationalism. We are providing our students with the education and experience to become leaders in global setting.