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Wanted to see what you guys thought about joining the Navy NUPOC program as a backup to the USPTO not having an examiner spot open for ChemE's when I graduate.

I don't want to go into industry. That's sort of a last resort.

Going to go to law school eventually. No doubt about that.

Typically, I would go to the IntelPropLaw forum about this, but for some reason I cannot login.

It really depends on your interests and what community you want. Coming from a Navy Nuclear Engineer, I can tell you it's a very difficult job and very different from the USPTO office, so be sure you want to be in the military and you're ready for a very personally demanding and at times very rewarding job. If you have any specific questions about it, you can feel free to PM me.

Thanks. I will PM you.

For others, am I right in this assumption:

The USPTO would help my career mainly if I became a patent lawyer, but the Navy would help my career if I became any type of lawyer?

I'm trying to analyze which option would be best for my legal career.

I wouldn't do it unless you want to be in the military anyway. Enlisting in the Navy just because you're hoping for a small bump in your law school admissions chances down the road seems silly. I don't mean to sound patronizing, but you realize the military is a whole new lifestyle, right? Like for a few years you're completely at the whim of the government in a lot of ways.

If you're interested in doing a few years in the military anyway, then sure, it'll benefit your law school applications. I just wouldn't do it solely for that reason.

Yes, I am interested in more than the resume bump, but that is not what I am here to discuss.

as someone who did NUPOC and later took the patent bar, i can tell you that you are looking into two entirely different worlds. don't do NUPOC because you want to be an attorney. being a nuclear-trained officer is an incredible accomplishment, one which will be much more impressive in areas outside of law school. for me personally, having NUPOC on my resume gave me virtually no boost in my law school applications beyond my LSAT/GPA. good luck

NavyLaw wrote:as someone who did NUPOC and later took the patent bar, i can tell you that you are looking into two entirely different worlds. don't do NUPOC because you want to be an attorney. being a nuclear-trained officer is an incredible accomplishment, one which will be much more impressive in areas outside of law school. for me personally, having NUPOC on my resume gave me virtually no boost in my law school applications beyond my LSAT/GPA. good luck

I actually was thinking not in terms of law-school-entrance success, but in terms of career success, as in having the resume boost, as well as the mentality ingrained in you by the NUPOC program, to help you successfully obtain and maintain legal employment.