Re: When to take the Patent Bar?

Subject: Re: Re: When to take the Patent Bar?

Comments:
: : Is it better to take it during law school? : There's certainly no harm in prepping for the exam during law school. The better question is Would prepping for the exam keep you from doing something more productive with your limited time and resources? If you're deciding between either a patent-related summer internship or spending the summer at home prepping for the exam, I'd go for the internship for its experience, connections and resume value. Similarly, if you need to decide between a shot at Law Review during 2L and the exam, I'd lean toward Law Review. (If it were Moot Court, I'd lean toward the exam, just because Moot Court skills aren't as critical in patent prosecution). : :I was thinking that it may open up doors from employment opportunities. : I've been asking fellow employers for years whether taking the exam makes a difference when reviewing a resume. Unfortunately, it's evenly split between (1) makes no difference and (2) shows committment to patents. All seem to agree that someone who's passed the exam still needs to be trained from scratch. The main factors for consideration are still the familiar ones: technical background, law school grades, law school name. : That said, there's little you can do now to change your technical background and the name of your law school. You're probably doing all you can to keep your grades up. So why not consider ways (like the exam) to brighten up your resume? But it's not a sure-thing job-getter. : :Do I wait until after graduation? : My impression is that most attorneys take the exam after a few years of experience, not fresh after hiring. (There are pros and cons to this). They usually give you a few weeks of half-time off to prepare, but it's a mighty demanding schedule to juggle work AND exam prep. : My feeling is that you have more unstructured time during law school (and summers) than while working, so you're better off taking the exam with more time on-hand to prep and less (firm) pressure to pass. : :Will firms typically help pay for the test/prep class? : Most firms will, once you're hired. Some even give a modest boost in pay when you pass.

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