CLDP recently hosted a group of distinguished law professors and retired judges on Intellectual Property from August 11 to 26, 2011, on a program titled “Mastering Intellectual Property: A Cornerstone for Iraq’s Economic Development”.  The program was developed in cooperation with the Chair of the Conference of Iraq’s Law School Deans and the Dean of Baghdad University, College of Law, Dr. Ali Al-Rufaie, through support of the United States Embassy, Baghdad, and the Department of State.  The delegation participated in advanced seminars at USPTO’s Global Intellectual Property Academy and met with distinguished Judges, including Chief Judge Randall R. Rader, of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller and Magistrate Judge Gregory G. Hollows of the United States District Court, Eastern District of California.  The participants also traveled to Sacramento and San Francisco, California, where they visited the University of the Pacific, McGeorge, School of Law and the University of California, Davis School of Law.  Venture capitalists from Silicon Valley also met with the delegation and discussed the important role that IP plays in selecting profitable business ventures.  The program also engaged the delegation in a week-long interactive negotiation exercise, where they negotiated an IP license for new technology with US legal experts.   Now, CLDP and the delegation are developing an IP handbook for legal professionals that would provide practical tools and resources for practicing attorneys, academics, and judges on IP.  Through CLDP’s continued support of Iraq’s legal academic institutions, the delegation hopes to introduce the study of Intellectual Property Law into Iraq’s general law school curriculum.