Take a leave of absence to take the patent bar?

[Anonymous User]

I'm a 2L at T6. I think I got struck out at OCI. My grades are bad, and my interviewing skills suck. Had few callbacks but got dinged, and waiting from the last remaining one, but not expecting a good news. I've started mass-mailing but afraid that biglaw boat has already sailed away at this point.

I'm very interested in doing life-science patent litigation, but don't have a science degree. I was pre-med in college so I have some life science background, and I'm few credits short of patent bar eligibility. I've been targetting a mix of IP firms (both boutiques and big firms with IP department) and general corporate firms, but the yield hasn't been good. I did the Loyola Patent Fair but didn't get many screeners because many firms require patent bar eligibility.

Right now I am debating whether to stick out 2L year and target mid/small-sized law firms/gov/ whatever to get any job OR to take a leave of absence for a year to bolster my patent law credentials: get more patent-related legal experience, take science classes, take the patent bar, and then re-do Loyola and OCI next year as a 2L. My career service advisor thinks it might worth a shot, but other people've told me that it's not worth it because taking the patent bar won't give me much of a boost given that I don't have a science degree. I have to make a decision soon, and I'm not sure what to do. Does anyone have an advice?

[Anonymous User]

If you want to do litigation it is irrelevant.

[Anonymous User]

TL;DR. But you don't need a leave of absence to take the patent bar. Test is not that hard.

[Anonymous User]

Except that patent bar is required to get in to a lot of patent boutiques (even if you do mostly lit). With that said, a life science bachelors isn't exactly in demand so I can't really approve this plan. I would mass mail hardcore.

[bk1]

TL;DR. But you don't need a leave of absence to take the patent bar. Test is not that hard.

OP doesn't need to take a leave to take the test, OP needs to take a leave to take the classes that would qualify him/her to take the test.

[Anonymous User]

TL;DR. But you don't need a leave of absence to take the patent bar. Test is not that hard.

OP doesn't need to take a leave to take the test, OP needs to take a leave to take the classes that would qualify him/her to take the test.

OP here- I only need to take two more science classes so I can take them during 2L year and take the patent bar next summer. But I guess my main concern lies in applying for SA positions as a 2L v. 3L. I'm already in an up-hill battle due to my lack of technical degree, and I'm afraid that applying to IP firms as a 3L will be even more challenging. My subpar performance at OCI really affected my confidence and I'm not sure my mass-mailing from now on will be successful. I'm willing to spend an extra year if that will give me a significantly higher chance of getting a job that I want.

[Anonymous User]

If you want to do litigation it is irrelevant.

utter nonsense. the patent bar eligibility is not formally required for lit, but it's a de facto requirement.

yeah, every ip student can think of a person who does lit and isn't patent eligible. (1) there are exceptions to most everything (2) chances are that person didn't start in patent lit but somehow migrated there.