Loyola PLIP 2014 Thread - Strategies? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Interviewers: do you really ask which markets we bid?

Possibly. What's wrong with asking that?

I just feel like saying a lot of markets will hurt my chances

[Anonymous User]

Should we use the writing sample on Symplicity or would it be alright ot use another one

[bamasplitter]

Interviewers: do you really ask which markets we bid?

Possibly. What's wrong with asking that?

I just feel like saying a lot of markets will hurt my chances

It will. Only say you're interested in 1 maybe 2 markets.

[Anonymous User]

Interviewers: do you really ask which markets we bid?

Possibly. What's wrong with asking that?

I just feel like saying a lot of markets will hurt my chances

It will. Only say you're interested in 1 maybe 2 markets.

Did you just advise he lie during an interview? Yeah, dude, don't lie during an interview.

[bamasplitter]

Did you just advise he lie during an interview? Yeah, dude, don't lie during an interview.

I'm not saying that you should lie, but unless point blank asked to list all markets/firms you are applying to, I do think it is better to positively list out the top 1 or 2 markets that you are interested in when asked "so what markets are you targeting?" rather than listing all 6 cities you may have interviews in.

[Anonymous User]

Did you just advise he lie during an interview? Yeah, dude, don't lie during an interview.

I'm not saying that you should lie, but unless point blank asked to list all markets/firms you are applying to, I do think it is better to positively list out the top 1 or 2 markets that you are interested in when asked "so what markets are you targeting?" rather than listing all 6 cities you may have interviews in.

Just be careful with this. Don't play games with your interviewer; if she learns later that you misrepresented something, it's going to tank you. We do figure a lot of these things out along the way. Don't assume that your resume/transcript/writing sample is the only information your interviewer has or will have about you.

edit: Let me put it this way. If I ask you "What markets are you targeting," you tell me NYC and CH, but then I subsequently learn that you're doing interviews with SF, LA, and DC, I'm going to be pissed. And of course I will learn that. This is a small space, and you'll notice at lunch that the attorney who interviewed you from x,y & z llc is having lunch with the attorney from a & b llc and they're getting on famously. We talk.

I won't know why you misrepresented something to me (though I will chalk it up to some silly 1L insecurity over something stupid) but I will be annoyed at how you handled it.

[Anonymous User]

If someone says they are only interested in pros, but they are going to LS, and not just doing the patent agent thing, what are some good reasons to justify that. I guess, asked another way, why don't firms rely more heavily on people with STEM grad degrees to draft and prosecute the patents, and then leave the lit and trans stuff for the barred people?

From the firm perspective, I suspect it has to do with higher billing rates for people with JDs, but I honestly have no idea.

From your perspective, if the firm is hiring JDs with STEMs to write patents, then I don't think you have to worry. But this is outside of my expertise, so I'm only speculating.

Lots of work is fixed or capped fee, so the higher billing rates are sometimes a negative. You have less time to do the same work.

Some people think that non-JDs are just poor patent writers. Not sure if I subscribe to it though.

[tbird]

Have any of you that have attended gotten any real value by visiting the complimentary suites? By real value I mean it leading to an interview or further job offer etc. I know a guy at my school that struck up a conversation in the breakfast like which lead to an interview and offer at a v50 in California, but I wonder how rare that is?

[Anonymous User]

Have any of you that have attended gotten any real value by visiting the complimentary suites? By real value I mean it leading to an interview or further job offer etc. I know a guy at my school that struck up a conversation in the breakfast like which lead to an interview and offer at a v50 in California, but I wonder how rare that is?

As an interviewer/recruiting atty, I've definitely heard stories of it being successful. I provided some thoughts above, scroll up.

[Nammertat]

Have any of you that have attended gotten any real value by visiting the complimentary suites? By real value I mean it leading to an interview or further job offer etc. I know a guy at my school that struck up a conversation in the breakfast like which lead to an interview and offer at a v50 in California, but I wonder how rare that is?

FWIW, I got two screeners (and subsequent CBs and Offers) from hospitality suites last year.

[Anonymous User]

Any SFIPLA CBs yet?

[Anonymous User]

Any SFIPLA CBs yet?

I know McDermott has sent out rejections.

[Anonymous User]

McDermott CB yesterday

[Anonymous User]

I want to work in tech transactions.

A lot of the interviewers are from patent lit or pros. Would it be bad to express my desire to work in tech transactions (besides Latham, which specifically states they're looking for that) at other places if they have an established group? Or is PLIP only for patent lit/pros?

[Anonymous User]

I want to work in tech transactions.

A lot of the interviewers are from patent lit or pros. Would it be bad to express my desire to work in tech transactions (besides Latham, which specifically states they're looking for that) at other places if they have an established group? Or is PLIP only for patent lit/pros?

If you don't want to do patent lit/pros, you should probably mention it. We can introduce you to the right people if we do it, although we probably have to check with them to see if they're looking for summers. It's not really ideal, but it's also silly for you to take a pros/lit callback if you have no interest in those fields. Might as well be honest.

[Anonymous User]

If they ask for UG transcript, is it safe to assume they're looking for prosecution?
Does it hurt my chances to say I don't have a preference to either lit or pros?

[Anonymous User]

If they ask for UG transcript, is it safe to assume they're looking for prosecution?
Does it hurt my chances to say I don't have a preference to either lit or pros?

I don't know why you'd assume that. If you have a technical background, that's going to be relevant in IP lit as well.

It only hurts your chances if you're saying you don't have a preference to somebody who is only interviewing for one field...

[Anonymous User]

If they ask for UG transcript, is it safe to assume they're looking for prosecution?
Does it hurt my chances to say I don't have a preference to either lit or pros?

I don't know why you'd assume that. If you have a technical background, that's going to be relevant in IP lit as well.

It only hurts your chances if you're saying you don't have a preference to somebody who is only interviewing for one field...

Thanks for responding. Will it hurt my chances a lot if my UG grades are < 3.0?

[Anonymous User]

If they ask for UG transcript, is it safe to assume they're looking for prosecution?
Does it hurt my chances to say I don't have a preference to either lit or pros?

I don't know why you'd assume that. If you have a technical background, that's going to be relevant in IP lit as well.

It only hurts your chances if you're saying you don't have a preference to somebody who is only interviewing for one field...

Thanks for responding. Will it hurt my chances a lot if my UG grades are < 3.0?

You know the answer to that question.

The real way you should think about it is "how do I pitch myself with that fact"? Push work experience, publications, elapsed time, etc., stuff that tends to imply the UG grade isn't relevant. High LS grades will help too.

[Anonymous User]

Kilpatrick CB

[Yardbird]

Pack an umbrella if you're still able to. It'll likely rain today through the weekend.

[Anonymous User]

Kilpatrick CB

SFIPLA or SIPJF?

[bulinus]

HYPO: Two confirmed cases of Ebola announced today in Chicago. One foreigner who just flew in, one American who contracted after landing. Both in quarantine. You still come to PLIP?

[Anonymous User]

Kilpatrick CB

SFIPLA or SIPJF?

SFIPLA

[Anonymous User]

Anyone heard back from Perkins Coie or Kenyon in SFIPLA?