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[JTripodo]

Happy New Year All!

I start law school tomorrow with the intent on getting into IP specializing in Software.

My question may appear silly, but every law firm that I have checked on the Internet and contacted is only looking for experienced IP professionals. This appears to be the chicken or the egg problem and I am not sure how I can work my way into the IP field if all of them require initial experience.

Thanks for your opinions,
John

[patent_type]

Yours is an important question, and not unique.

The answer to your question is not going to be found on the website of a law firm.  No firm that I know of lists entry-level positions on their website.  

You will need to talk to the right people to find out if they will let you volunteer or work for pay.  Start by picking up the phone and talking to an attorney in your area who has a patent practice that includes software clients.  Try talking to software companies (maybe you used to work for one) that have an in-house attorney. In either case, tell 'em you'd like to ask a few questions about em's practice and the profession in general.  Tell 'em you really want experience, even to the point of working for free.  Ask: who would be a good person in city X to talk to? Don't ask em for a job.  If you're lucky and not a complete social idiot, after a few of these conversations, you will find someone who is willing to give you some experience.

Even then, most attorneys will be quite reluctant to spend the time and $$ to train you to write patents (I'm assuming you want to write patents).  It's extremely costly to spend time teaching a newbie to write and prosecute patents.  They know you will not be profitable (even if you are working for free) for many months -- even a year.  Then, you will probably say "adios" and work somewhere else.

Lastly, what school are you going to?  I've never heard of a reputable school that lets you start in January.

PT

[JTripodo]

Well this was the next topic I was going to bring up but since you mentioned it...

I am taking my program through Concord Law School online. They are owned by the Washington Post and have had an almost unbelievable track record in getting students to pass the California Bar.

The reason that I decided to go with them is that I currently am working on a contract in the Cleveland Ohio area and plan to relocate back to California within a couple years. Taking the courses online gives me the freedom to move back to California and to keep on working towards my degree.

The only negative is that they are not currently ABA Approved due to the classes being online (although they are working on it and they are accredited). I realize that this is not a preferred approach but I hope that it will not be a show stopper for me down the line.

[Joe Edminister,J.D.,P.E.]

I recommend that you take the patent bar exam as soon as possible.  Your chance of obtaining a summer internship will be greatly improved.  Upon passing the exam you will be a Patent Agent qualified to work on patent applications before the US Patent and Trademark Office.  A patent law firm that has a heavy work load will give you a close look because you can "hit the ground running'.

[patent_type]

I disagree with some of the above statements.  It appears that the original poster will not be following the traditional law school program.  How do you have a "summer internship" if your law school is online, and you start in January?  

Also, while I agree that the original poster should study for and take the USPTO registration exam, this is by no means a guarantee for a job.  

Based on my experience, people who have passed the registration exam are NOT ready to "hit the ground running".  Nobody learns how to write a response to an office action, etc. by passing the registration exam.

PT

[JTripodo]

You very well may be correct.

Correct me if I'm off base here, but if I pass the USPTO exam and find work in the field, won't this give me the experience that I need?

Then after four years of online school and passing both the First Year Law Exam and the Final Bar Exam for California shouldn’t that be enough for me to get established in the field?

I realize that this is not the usual path that many individuals take but in the end if I pass the Bar and have the experience as a Patent Agent and have my 12+ years experience, isn’t that enough?

[Guest]

John, I'm going to be brutally honest here - your biggest problem isn't lack of experience - it's the law school you are attending.

When a law firm looks at hiring new lawyers, one of the first things they look at is the name of the law school.

I'm sure you can learn plenty from the classes you are taking, but the unfortunate reality is that firms want to hire from well-know schools.

The fact that yours is not even ABA approved only makes things worse for you.  Sure, you'll be able to take the CA bar.  Actually, you could take it now - anyone can take the CA bar.  No law school required (and the CA bar exam passage rate reflects this fact - it's extremely low).  Do you plan to practice solely in CA?

If you really want to improve your chances of getting a good job, you should seriously consider transferring to a better, fully ABA accredited law school.

As far as experience goes, the traditional course is to do summer internships to gain that experience.  Again, you will have an extremely difficult time getting an internship because of the law school you are attending.

[Hzhane]

            How is your school day? Have you incurred any problems in software?



_________________
California Orange County Lawyer

[Mr. Nobody]

To get a job you need experience.  To get experience you need a job.  That is a common problem to which there is no easy solution.

[Mr. Nobody]

Well this was the next topic I was going to bring up but since you mentioned it...

I am taking my program through Concord Law School online. They are owned by the Washington Post and have had an almost unbelievable track record in getting students to pass the California Bar.

The reason that I decided to go with them is that I currently am working on a contract in the Cleveland Ohio area and plan to relocate back to California within a couple years. Taking the courses online gives me the freedom to move back to California and to keep on working towards my degree.

The only negative is that they are not currently ABA Approved due to the classes being online (although they are working on it and they are accredited). I realize that this is not a preferred approach but I hope that it will not be a show stopper for me down the line.

That is a huge issue.  Its a bit like saying "I just bought my commuter car, the only problem is that is doesn't have an engine, a transmission, or wheels."

To put it bluntly, I'd stop wasting your time with internet law school.  I went to an ABA accredited school that was just outside of the top tier, I passed the patent bar during law school, and I had law firm experience as a law clerk, and I still had a very tough time breaking into the market.

[miltonian]

            How is your school day? Have you incurred any problems in software?

California Orange County Lawyer (website of Steven Bloom, criminal defense attorney)

I see these nonsense posts on here from time to time.  Does Bloom have a robot create IDs and post random phrases?

It's annoying.

The original post was made in January 2005.  I bet he's done with law school by now, and we can all stop posting in this thread.

[Mr. Nobody]

Ha!  I didn't notice that.