Does Patent Bar Eligibility Affect Big Law Chances? Forum

[sjp200]

I am IP eligible and as of right now expect to sit for the patent bar upon graduation. If I go to Notre Dame, or Boston U, does this fact help my chances of biglaw seeing that only a small fraction of the graduate from these schools end up in big law? I have 3 years relevant work experience as an engineer in manufacturing if that plays a role as well. Retaking is no longer an option, and I am going this cycle to either ND or BU if everything stood as it is right now and my pending apps are all denied. I understand that this question is heavily dependent on my rank upon graduation, but lets say top third at worst.

I'm still waiting on quite a few apps ranked higher than ND, but with my GPA being lower than 25% and LSAT right at the 50, I don't want to bank on anything that unlikely.

[Clearly]

I'm not an expert on IP so I'll let someone who is address that, my understanding is that a lot of IP work is drying up and it's not hot like it used to be.

My main question is why are you assuming you'll be top third lol? That's a reckless way of planning your future...

[trmckenz]

The short answer is yes, patent bar eligibility does affect big law chances in a positive way, but only if you want to be hired into an Intellectual Property (IP) group of a law firm. Compared to the entire pool of law school graduates, very few people are eligible to sit for the patent bar, and some of those that are patent eligible do not even sit for or pass it. Thus, those who do pass the patent bar are competing with a much smaller pool of applicants for patent-related jobs, which are still in high demand.

My mentors have repeatedly stressed that while going to the best law school one is admitted is important, a JD from a T1 (top 50) law school should suffice for employment. Notre Dame and BC are great schools, and I think you'll do just fine at either one if you end up around the median and want to do patent work. Going to BC might be a little bit easier because Boston is a hub for IP work, and so you could gain experience by working as a Patent Agent/Tech Spec for a law firm while in school. In addition to law school OCI, every year there are IP-only job fairs in Chicago and Atlanta that are great places to interview with firms. Be aware that most firms look for the complete package (e.g., technical proficiency, personality fit, work ethic, etc.).

An important thing to understand is that your area of specialty (e.g., undergrad/grad degrees) matters a lot. Opportunities in IP are different for engineering graduates than hard science graduates. For example, if you have an electrical engineering degree, a BS is probably sufficient for an entry-level Associate position, whereas if you have a degree in a life science such as chemistry or biology, you probably will need a PhD to be hired (sometimes a MS is sufficient). Typically your specialty will decide which types of clients you work on, but there is a lot of crossover too.

Happy to answer any more questions. Good luck and congrats on getting into law school.

[totesTheGoat]

I am IP eligible and as of right now expect to sit for the patent bar upon graduation.

Study for and sit for the patent bar ASAP. (If you mean graduation of UG, great! Don't wait until you graduate law school... there are advantages to having your Reg. Number while in school.)

If I go to Notre Dame, or Boston U, does this fact help my chances of biglaw seeing that only a small fraction of the graduate from these schools end up in big law? I have 3 years relevant work experience as an engineer in manufacturing if that plays a role as well.

ND is fine. I'm sure BU is as well. In general, you should go to the best school that will pay you a decent amount of money in scholarships.

I understand that this question is heavily dependent on my rank upon graduation, but lets say top third at worst.

Don't count on that... law school ranking is much more chaotic than engineering school. It's a very subjective grading system. However, even if you assume you're median at ND or BU, with 3 years experience and a Reg Number, you'll be competitive for biglaw. If you want some more details about how competitive you'll be, PM me.