Working for IP firm with no background? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Somehow got SA with smaller firm focusing on IP. I have no technical background - will this be a hindrance? The firm didn't ask for any undergraduate transcripts (and my resume makes it clear that I have no hard science experience). Just interested to see whether anyone had been put in an area they didn't know much about for the summer, and whether I'd learn on the job, or if I need to start prepping now.
It's not in my ideal market (or specialty), so I'm thinking about interviewing elsewhere after this summer, but I think it will be good experience.

[patogordo]

not really necessary for litigation

[anonymuos]

what kind of IP? patent lit / patent prosecution / trademark / copyright / false ad are all different forms of IP, and im sure im missing a few. without a hard science background, you will have the most difficulty doing patent prosecution (but i seriously doubt they hired you if thats what they do), then patent lit (possible, but unlikely they'd hire you for this without a hard science background), and then trademark / copyright / false ad (highly likely this is the area they hired you for, in which case you'll have little to no difficulty without a hard science background).

[androstan]

Safe to assume the firm knows what they're doing.

[L’Étranger]

If you'll be doing IP lit and you haven't taken an IP course, would recommend reading up on Patent Law before your summer.

[Anonymous User]

I'm working part of the summer at a good patent lit shop despite no tech background. The firm explicitly told me that they hire a good proportion of non-tech people on purpose because a) you can learn enough to be useful if you really need to be staffed on a liability question, and b) it helps keep the case teams working in plain english rather than engineer-echo-chambering everything. This firm likely hired you for similar reasons. You probably won't be put on whatever portion of the case involves proving up the facts for an infringement, but that's fine because they'll just stick you on damages (or the crazy civ-pro stuff you wind up with in patent cases, or whatever else).

[patogordo]

there are a million things for a summer to do on patent litigation matters that require no knowledge of patent law whatsoever. don't worry about it.