Loyola PLIP thread for 2011 Forum

[weee]

I'm still just baffled people would pass up opportunities. The cost is obviously a big factor, but

-what if that firm decides not to go to your OCI?
-what if your school does a lottery and you don't get an interview?
-what if they send a non-IP interviewer who has no idea if you're a good candidate or not?
-what if the firms have x number of callbacks to give out for the whole fall, and they decide to give the majority at Loyola?

These may not apply or may sound overly worrywart, but I'm telling you this as someone who did well at Loyola last year and not as well at school OCI. They're just different ballgames. These firms are rolling out the red carpet saying "Hey, we're interviewing IP folks at Loyola." Callbacks and offers will be much easier to come by from this than from OCI.

Seriously. Why not take every chance you have? You may be 99% sure that you'll find something later, but why gamble that 1% on your entire future? Just spend the $400, go to the interviews, get a few offers, and turn them down if you want to. That way, 5-10 years from now, you're sure you won't be thinking "why did I care so much about that $400?"

Or... Don't go and increase my odds of getting an offer. Tyia.

It is about more than money, and it would cost me 1500 to go not 400. I generally agree that people should go, but I am taking that risk. I have had good interview practice, and I networked hard in the spring.

Prob no one cares about details but if you do I prefer pm.

[hurldes]

Ignorant question: When do people go to interview at Loyola? During their 1L year? I'd just like to know a timeline so I can figure out when I should take the patent bar. Obviously I should take it before I start law school, but I won't have that much time to study for it.

If this has been discussed already, I apologize.

[englawyer]

Ignorant question: When do people go to interview at Loyola? During their 1L year? I'd just like to know a timeline so I can figure out when I should take the patent bar. Obviously I should take it before I start law school, but I won't have that much time to study for it.

If this has been discussed already, I apologize.

you go to PLIP the summer after you complete your first year (although you can also go after 2L, but hopefully you won't have to). it happens before your school's own OCI. it is not necessary to take the patent bar but it would probably be helpful.

[dood]

3L who did PLIP last year here. to answer some Qs I saw:

- alternate (2) means you are #2 in line. if 2 spots open up due to cancellations, u get an interview. last year i had two alternates at #1 and #2, both opened up before loyola and i got email notification of such. i was also like #14 for wilmerhale and picked up that interview the morning of, when the other alternates before me did not show.

- for the most part ur grades dont matter anymore after u get an interview. they have already decided u are good enough on paper, and if u'r a good fit, u'll be invited back for a CB, and eventually an offer.

good luck patent bros!

PROTIP: be ur self, dont be cocky or arrogant, play up ur hobbies, sports, cooking, whatever. universally true is that interviewers are just looking for people who they wouldn't mind working 16 hours/day with.

[flcath]

After looking up flight costs and considering hotel price too I am now 99% not going. I am sitting on 16 ps and three longshot alts. I probably seem a little crazy but for me my reasons are good enough.

TBF, with that many PS's you'll get something from real OCI anyway.

If I had that many, I prob wouldn't go either, and save myself the cost knowing that I'll be in demand at OCI. I think you should go though if you're at all worried about your interview skillz b/c that many will obviously give you great practice.

Is this serious?

[drdolittle]

After looking up flight costs and considering hotel price too I am now 99% not going. I am sitting on 16 ps and three longshot alts. I probably seem a little crazy but for me my reasons are good enough.

TBF, with that many PS's you'll get something from real OCI anyway.

If I had that many, I prob wouldn't go either, and save myself the cost knowing that I'll be in demand at OCI. I think you should go though if you're at all worried about your interview skillz b/c that many will obviously give you great practice.

Is this serious?

Yep. As others have posted, I think it makes sense that a low number of preselects suggests PLIP might be one's best bet to find a job. Conversely, a large number (i.e. 16 or thereabouts) forecasts great demand. It'd be a tough decision for me though for the convincing reasons wiseowl posted. Possible conflict with a summer job, etc, and total cost, which from where I am on the west coast would be around a grand or more, would play a role in the decision as well. Fortunately I don't have to think about this whatsoever b/c I don't have that many preselects.

But I wouldn't be surprised if, especially in this market, firms will wait until after OCI to make their final decisions. If you happen to go to school in an area with many target firms that will surely come to your school's OCI and have already made contacts to be on their radar and def want to stay in that market, there's no reason to think you'll lose "your" spot by skipping out on PLIP. I'd think firms want to hire the best applicants whether through PLIP or OCI or whatever, unless a firm only does PLIP, which seems to be fairly rare as best I can tell.

[Anonymous User]

Forgive my ignorance, but is PLIP basically a supplement to OCI? i.e., do students who land interview/callbacks at PLIP interview this summer (before OCI begins)? If one is a student at a T6 interested in IP litigation, would it be worth the time/effort/money to fly out during the summer? Any advice would be appreciated!

[Anonymous User]

Forgive my ignorance, but is PLIP basically a supplement to OCI? i.e., do students who land interview/callbacks at PLIP interview this summer (before OCI begins)? If one is a student at a T6 interested in IP litigation, would it be worth the time/effort/money to fly out during the summer? Any advice would be appreciated!

As someone in this situation last year, I think it's worth it. I did both PLIP and OCI. It was great, especially because I was able to interview at a ton of small IP boutiques that would never come to my school's OCI. And you can interview at some top vault firms: Covington, Skadden, Kirkland--which frees up more space and time at OCI.

I ended up getting callbacks from both OCI and PLIP. In the end, I decided I wanted to go to a vault firm (since I think the firm in general and me in particular would be more engaged and more immune from market changes by diversifying practice). But I was glad to have interviewed at the patent boutiques, and I learned a ton about the field.

In the end of the process, I was deciding between a V5 in NYC that I interviewed with at OCI and a V10 in D.C. that I interviewed with at Loyola (both with strong IP lit). I ended up choosing the V10 firm that I interviewed with at Loyola, and have been super happy with my choice so far.

[Anonymous User]

Forgive my ignorance, but is PLIP basically a supplement to OCI? i.e., do students who land interview/callbacks at PLIP interview this summer (before OCI begins)? If one is a student at a T6 interested in IP litigation, would it be worth the time/effort/money to fly out during the summer? Any advice would be appreciated!

I'm curious about this as well. How early/how late do you hear back from Loyola if you receive a callback?

[LawSchoolWannaBe]

Forgive my ignorance, but is PLIP basically a supplement to OCI? i.e., do students who land interview/callbacks at PLIP interview this summer (before OCI begins)? If one is a student at a T6 interested in IP litigation, would it be worth the time/effort/money to fly out during the summer? Any advice would be appreciated!

I'm curious about this as well. How early/how late do you hear back from Loyola if you receive a callback?

Depends on the firm. I did PLIP two years ago and had CBs extended during the interview (only one of these, though), a day or two later, and weeks later. Every firm works differently.

However, it did seem like some firms were holding back offers until they had done CBs with non-PLIP people as well.

[ajmax8]

3L who did PLIP last year here. to answer some Qs I saw:

- alternate (2) means you are #2 in line. if 2 spots open up due to cancellations, u get an interview. last year i had two alternates at #1 and #2, both opened up before loyola and i got email notification of such. i was also like #14 for wilmerhale and picked up that interview the morning of, when the other alternates before me did not show.

- for the most part ur grades dont matter anymore after u get an interview. they have already decided u are good enough on paper, and if u'r a good fit, u'll be invited back for a CB, and eventually an offer.

good luck patent bros!

PROTIP: be ur self, dont be cocky or arrogant, play up ur hobbies, sports, cooking, whatever. universally true is that interviewers are just looking for people who they wouldn't mind working 16 hours/day with.

do you remember how close to loyola those two #1 and #2 alternates opened up for you? More towards a few days after you got your list of interviewers or more towards the end of july, right before the interviews?

I guess I wasn't aware, but it seems like 14 people to be a no-show ahead of you is a lot. But I guess things happen and people don't show up for one reason or another.

[Anonymous User]

3L here. I got 3 preselects and 2 alternates. I'm going, even though I know I have probably a 10-20% chance at best of getting a CB.

[Anonymous User]

Any 3L's get preselects?

[rodewan]

anybody's status change today? im still 0/32, looking for some sunshine...

[BarCliff]

anybody's status change today? im still 0/32, looking for some sunshine...

I haven't had any change since Thursday.

What are your general stats and did you focus entirely on competitive markets?

[rodewan]

hmm generally i have a 2.8 (subpar i know) and a background in cheme from a pretty good undergrad. even though my law school is bc i applied mainly to california firms because i want to work there. i guess the 3.0 and top 30% requirements are more rigid than i thought they were...

[drdolittle]

3L here. I got 3 preselects and 2 alternates. I'm going, even though I know I have probably a 10-20% chance at best of getting a CB.

How do you "know" this? Seems you got a decent number of preselects for a 3L...

[flcath]

FYI: if you get preselected (or, I assume, made an alternate) by one of the the resume drop firms they added late ("additional opportunities"), they add it to your Patent Program tab. You'll recognize it because at the top in green it'll say 33 out of 32 bids used.

At the very least, Mayer Brown has done theirs.

[hurldes]

i guess the 3.0 and top 30% requirements are more rigid than i thought they were...

Is this 3.0 for your undergrad gpa?? Major or cumulative ugrad?

[roofles]

anybody's status change today? im still 0/32, looking for some sunshine...

I had two "not invited" change to alternates, there may still be hope.

[Anonymous User]

3L - 3 preselects
I am going as well. Just waiting until the 20th to buy the tickets

[Anonymous User]

Almost positive I picked up another preselect sometime in the past 24 hours (or maybe 48 hours, but definitely didn't notice till now) - hope's still alive, folks!

[Anonymous User]

Almost positive I picked up another preselect sometime in the past 24 hours (or maybe 48 hours, but definitely didn't notice till now) - hope's still alive, folks!

ya i definitely picked up an alternate in the last couple of days as well. there is definitely movement.

[flcath]

This is very promising to hear.

[mebeSajid]

No change in the past week or so, I'm still at 9 preselects, 3 alternates.