Emory People Generally Talking Amongst Ourselves

[dennycrane]

Let me take stab at JeNeSaisLaw's question regarding IP law and the job market. I am a 3L at Emory who will be working at a big law firm in Atlanta upon graduation doing patent prosecution, well at least I have accepted a job offer working at a big law firm doing patent prosecution, with this market who knows what's going to happen.

Note: all my advice applies to the Atlanta big firm job market. I have no knowledge of any other markets aside from what my friends have told me,

I agree with the previous poster that your inability to sit for the patent bar will significantly reduce your chances of landing an IP job. I believe in this market, any firm in Atlanta is going to want someone in their IP practice that can sit for the patent bar. A patent prosecutor can do IP litigation, but an IP litigator cannot do patent prosecution. However (as with most things in law school) if you get good grades, then you most likely can get into an IP practice at a big firm in Atlanta. Moreover, if you can somehow market yourself to firms that your programming background gives you some sort of advantage in the IP field then do so and do it vigorously. It is all about the bottom line for big firms, what is it about you that is going to make them money, find something that makes you better suited then your classmates to make the firm money and hammer that home as often as you can.

Also, I think it is important to note, that there is a difference between people who want to practice IP law and patent prosecutors. You need to be able to sit for the patent bar to be a patent prosecutor, to practice IP law you do not. Not suprisingly, there is a strong demand for patent prosecutors and not for IP law practitioners. I mention this because I do not know anyone in the 3L class who wants to be a patent prosecutor and are qualified to do so that does not have a job (and a good job at that). However I do know people who would love to practice IP law, but do not have a job. It may seem like a trivial distinction, but it is quite significant.

I do agree with the previous poster that it is an advantage that you have work experience. Once again, it is up to you to take this advantage and make sure the firms know it and make it distinguish you from the hundreds of other law students they interview.   

Finally, Atlanta firms are notoriously adverse to non-Atlantians. If you have any connection to the area, make it known.

Good luck!

[,.,.,.;.,.,.]

Let me take stab at JeNeSaisLaw's question regarding IP law and the job market. I am a 3L at Emory who will be working at a big law firm in Atlanta upon graduation doing patent prosecution, well at least I have accepted a job offer working at a big law firm doing patent prosecution, with this market who knows what's going to happen.

Note: all my advice applies to the Atlanta big firm job market. I have no knowledge of any other markets aside from what my friends have told me,

I agree with the previous poster that your inability to sit for the patent bar will significantly reduce your chances of landing an IP job. I believe in this market, any firm in Atlanta is going to want someone in their IP practice that can sit for the patent bar. A patent prosecutor can do IP litigation, but an IP litigator cannot do patent prosecution. However (as with most things in law school) if you get good grades, then you most likely can get into an IP practice at a big firm in Atlanta. Moreover, if you can somehow market yourself to firms that your programming background gives you some sort of advantage in the IP field then do so and do it vigorously. It is all about the bottom line for big firms, what is it about you that is going to make them money, find something that makes you better suited then your classmates to make the firm money and hammer that home as often as you can.

Also, I think it is important to note, that there is a difference between people who want to practice IP law and patent prosecutors. You need to be able to sit for the patent bar to be a patent prosecutor, to practice IP law you do not. Not suprisingly, there is a strong demand for patent prosecutors and not for IP law practitioners. I mention this because I do not know anyone in the 3L class who wants to be a patent prosecutor and are qualified to do so that does not have a job (and a good job at that). However I do know people who would love to practice IP law, but do not have a job. It may seem like a trivial distinction, but it is quite significant.

I do agree with the previous poster that it is an advantage that you have work experience. Once again, it is up to you to take this advantage and make sure the firms know it and make it distinguish you from the hundreds of other law students they interview.   

Finally, Atlanta firms are notoriously adverse to non-Atlantians. If you have any connection to the area, make it known.

Good luck!

Really?  If that's the case, why are they so fixated on grades/school as opposed to networking and rainmaking potential?  Or do I misunderstand how the system works?

[dennycrane]

If you can find a way to determine a law student's networking and rainmaking potential from a resume, then by all means share it with them. Grades/School are their best means of taking 200+ resumes and selecting 20 for interviews. I was suggesting how to get one of the 1-3 callbacks that they'll give out of those 20 interviews. 

[JohnGalt]

Just applied...

 

[,.,.,.;.,.,.]

How deep do you think the Falcons will go in the playoffs?  Super Bowl?  Conference Championships?  Abrupt wild card loss?

And will a case of the sophomore slump hit Matt Ryan, or is he 4 real?

[Captain]

How deep do you think the Falcons will go in the playoffs?  Super Bowl?  Conference Championships?  Abrupt wild card loss?

And will a case of the sophomore slump hit Matt Ryan, or is he 4 real?

They suck. They'll lose in the first round.

Ryan will only get better next year, because he'll have better teammates to work with.

[Number81]

The Falcons are probably going to end up playing the Cardinals, right?

They'll win that game.  Then they'll probably get stomped by the Giants.

[Imperial Russian Stout!]

I'm in @ Emory, any idea if they are offering scholarships with initial acceptance packages this year or at a later date?  Someone posted earlier in this thread that they were going to offer schollies with acceptance packages, but no one on LSN has reported an offer and I didn't receive one in my packet.  Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[Number81]

Last year they offered everyone a scholarship at the same time in March.

[Captain]

I'm in @ Emory, any idea if they are offering scholarships with initial acceptance packages this year or at a later date?  Someone posted earlier in this thread that they were going to offer schollies with acceptance packages, but no one on LSN has reported an offer and I didn't receive one in my packet.  Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Mine came later on, via email. They come at some point after the application deadline has passed and all of the admitted students are done being admitted.