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Topic: Advice please! (Read 837 times) |
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mmohs2
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Posts: 2
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Advice please!
« on: Aug 21st, 2006, 9:33am » |
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Hello,
Hopefully someone can offer me some advice.
I am a 4th year PhD student in Pharmacology at the University of Illinois, and I hope to be graduating by the end of my 5th year. I am preparing myself for a career in Patent law, but being in an academic environment there isn’t that much support or advice I can get.
A brief history: I have my BS in Biological Sciences and a BA in Sociology from the University of California-Irvine. I graduated with a 3.45 GPA, but my last 2-3 years I had practically straight A’s (3.87)…same story of “I screwed up my first year”. Anyways, now I am in grad school getting my PhD. I was planning on entering R&D at a pharmaceutical firm, so I wasn’t really concerned about getting straight A’s in my classes…of course I still passed, but my GPA is a 3.0. Well after going to some seminars and talking with some people, I opted out of that career path, and have decided that patent law is by far more of something that I am geared to do.
My current goal is to go to law school and become a patent attorney.
Anyways, a few questions:
1. Does my Grad GPA hinder my acceptance to a good law school (im not talking Harvard, more like top 100)? I have tons of leadership activities, volunteer work, as well as awards, papers and society memberships….
2. What kind of scores should I be aiming for on my LSAT? Considering my UGrad and Grad GPAs.
3. Should I take the patent bar before I apply to law school? I am thinking this would show that I have a keen interest in the field, and also during the summer before I start school I can get some work as a patent agent.
4. Are there law firms or companies that hire you as a patent agent, and then later help pay for your law degree - as in night school?
Hope I haven’t bombarded you too much! Your response will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
~ Mori
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Isaac
Senior Member
Posts: 3472
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Re: Advice please!
« Reply #1 on: Aug 21st, 2006, 10:13am » |
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on Aug 21st, 2006, 9:33am, mmohs2 wrote:| 1. Does my Grad GPA hinder my acceptance to a good law school (im not talking Harvard, more like top 100)? I have tons of leadership activities, volunteer work, as well as awards, papers and society memberships…. |
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Many law schools rank candidates primarily on undergraduate GPA and LSAT score. If your goal is strictly to attend a top 100 school, you'll find plenty that care very little about your post graduate grades.
Quote:| 2. What kind of scores should I be aiming for on my LSAT? Considering my UGrad and Grad GPAs. |
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Esteem highly. You should aim to get as high an LSAT as possible. If you take the test more than once, many schools will average your scores. I don't see any advantage in not attempting to get the highest LSAT score possible on a single taking of the exam.
Quote:| 3. Should I take the patent bar before I apply to law school? I am thinking this would show that I have a keen interest in the field, and also during the summer before I start school I can get some work as a patent agent. |
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You should take the exam.
Quote:| 4. Are there law firms or companies that hire you as a patent agent, and then later help pay for your law degree - as in night school? |
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Yes. Some of those employers might care about your grades.
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Isaac
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