IP Law with low UGPA from MIT and J.D. from American? Forum

[84651846190]

I admire what you've done, and give you all the props in the world. But this may be the worst time in human history to be going into patent lit with an EE/CS background.

I would be interested in hearing more about this. What makes it so bad?

1. Record low lateral openings.
2. Saturated market.
3. The Alice case.
4. Patent reform mulled in Congress.
5. The Fed. Cir. on a campaign to invalidate EE/CS patents and/or vacate all damages awards.

[orangered]

I just want to update my situation for anyone who might be in my "old" shoes and trying to decide whether law school is worth it.

So I got that PTO job back in 2012. I worked as a patent examiner for about a year and then went to law school. While I was a patent examiner, I reapplied to law schools. Magically, I got into Boston University School of Law -- and they gave me a pretty awesome scholarship (3/4 tuition). I am not sure if the result was due to the respect inherent to MIT in the Boston area, the USPTO experience (they probably saw my potential of boosting their employment numbers), or my URM status... or the combination of all those factors.

At any rate, I am about to graduate from BU with a GPA that is about middle of the pack - 3.3 GPA (pretty much median).
When I applied for law jobs at the end of my 1L year (summer of 2014), my law GPA was pretty much the same as now. I had a TON of interest from firms. I saw early interviews from firms, I had early offers that happened even before OCI, and I had like 12 call-backs from the Loyola Patent Law Interview Program (like an OCI dedicated to IP). I had to turn down all call-backs since I had already accepted an offer from a Vault 100 firm. I cannot remember whether any firms that saw my low UG GPA gave me a call-back, but I am sure there was at least one firm (and probably more), that saw my UG GPA and was still interested in learning more about me.

Anyways, I worked at the Vault 100 firm last summer and did well. I will be joining the IP litigation group of said firm this fall.
I will try to also get involved with patent prosecution at said firm, but we'll see what happens.

In a few words, you can overcome a low GPA. It was not easy for me and I had to cry and sweat blood. As they say, if you do the crime, you gotta do the time... however, once you get out, you can succeed.

The responses I received above were actually great inspiration and the light at the tunnel for me. Even though it's a few years since the responses, I still want to thank the positive and insightful members who made a difference in my career.

Cheers!

Thanks for the update! Glad things worked out for you.

[Abbie Doobie]

this thread is strange. you have a bunch of people telling OP that for pros your ugpa will probably sink you but you'll be fine for ip lit. then OP comes back a few years later to tell everyone he beat the odds by landing an ip lit gig?

[Freebot]

this thread is strange. you have a bunch of people telling OP that for pros your ugpa will probably sink you but you'll be fine for ip lit. then OP comes back a few years later to tell everyone he beat the odds by landing an ip lit gig?

The part where he had offers before PLIP/OCI and then got 12 CBs from PLIP hardly sounds like he was crying and sweating blood like he alleges.

[Jchance]

1. Record low lateral openings.
2. Saturated market.

Do you think the market for IP lit would bounce back in a few years, especially the lateral market?

[84651846190]

1. Record low lateral openings.
2. Saturated market.

Do you think the market for IP lit would bounce back in a few years, especially the lateral market?

Impossible to predict. It doesn't look to be heading in a good direction for IP litigators.