anyone here studying for patent bar?

[biolawgirl]

on chapter 2100 and also not feeling confident.. and the course is almost done (PLI). I have the exam Aug 9.  yikes.

[BME_Law]

For those of you that have studied for or are studying for the patent bar, how many currently have a summer job? 

I'll be a 1L this fall, but would like to figure some of this stuff out before I start.  With what has been said about the time commitment I was curious how much time you would have for a job; or vice-versa, how much time you would have to study if you had a job.

[T. Durden]

i've been working 35 hours a week as a summer law clerk

add the PLI review course on top of that and my summer has sucked... i won't lie... my tank is on E right now (just in time to take the patent bar and start 2L year!)

it's a bit overwhelming

[BME_Law]

I would like to get a job during after 1L and would also like to take the patent bar exam.  Would you suggest to maybe start studying for the patent bar during winter break, then do some refreshers over the summer, and then take the patent bar at the beginning of August? 

That way I could get a job over the summer and only need to review during the summer, which would hopefully lighten the amount of studying while working; I could work during the week and then review/study during the weekend.  It seems like a plausible idea on paper, but not sure how that would translate into the real world scenario.

[T. Durden]

1L is a busy time. i suggest that you use your winter break for relaxation. you can do all of the patent bar prep that you need to do during the summer.

[DreamUnique]

Hi all. I didn't find out about patent law until my 1L spring and I'm still gathering information. I'm still considering various options (I have various interests), but I think I'm ready to take the plunge and buy the PLI materials and study throughout the fall (2L). If I'm ready by Nov, I'll send in the app, but if not I'll send it in April. I just hope this is something that I will enjoy doing (assuming I end up in that direction.)

Q - Has anyone here studied for the patent bar during the semester then taken the exam (and passed) during winter break, spring break, or early summer?

Thanks

~Shanelle

[jacy85]

If you plan on taking the patent bar summer after 1L, at least look for a part time legal job (maybe researching for a professor or something for 20/hrs a week.  It's vital (according to everything I've heard) to get some sort of legal employment before heading into OCI. 

[DreamUnique]

Thanks for the advice, Jacy. I'll look into some kind of legal job to gain some experience.

~Shanelle

[T. Durden]

yeah - i would try to keep your summer hours to around 20 max - the 35-40 hours a week thing + PLI review course has been absolutely brutal on me.

[SplitFinger]

Holy sh*t, the Patent Bar is indeed vicious.  I took it the day before 1L orientation started and missed passing by 3 points.  I'm not surprised, as most of the time I intended to use preparing for it this summer got sucked up with moving, childcare, etc etc etc.  My tentative plan is to retake it over winter break - I wasn't *that* far away from passing, and I seriously felt if I'd taken it the next day I probably would have passed it.  Two more weeks of heavy-duty preparing out to have me in good shape to improve by a few points.

The only problem is if the changes with the new revision are extensive, that could trip me up.  Sigh.