Science In The Court

It was gratifying to see Franklin Hoke's article on the interaction of the scientific and legal communities, published in the June 27, 1994, issue of The Scientist [page 1].

There is a great need to build bridges between the two cultures so we can understand each other's goals, methodologies, and expectations.

I am pleased to inform your readers that this need was recognized some years ago in the graduate division of biochemistry at Rush University in Chicago. As a result, we initiated a course, "Science and the Law," as an elective for our graduate (Ph.D.) students. It is now a two-hour, one-quarter course (22 contact hours), covering the areas of negligence (including malpractice and product liability); scientific evidence; intellectual property (including trade secrets, copyrights, and patents); and food, drug, and medical device cases.

Our experience with this course has been published (A. Bezkorovainy, Biochemical Education, 20:228-9, 1992). The course...