Advice - Laid off patent attorney can't find job

[guysmiley]

I need advice from fellow patent attorneys.

I graduated from law school in 2007 (regionally well known school) and a BSEE in 2002, and had an offer for a patent prosecution job in DC with a large boutique firm. I deferred the offer till 2008 because of family circumstances. I joined in August of 2008 and was shitcanned by June 2009 - leaving me with effectively 0 experience. Ten months basically equates to nothing. I believe this was specifically done to sabotage my new career but that's a different story. I have been applying since June of 2009 to different positions all over the country with no luck.

Luckily I had a fallback career in software/tech making similar money, but I really want to get back into patents and make that my career. I have been contacting alot of partners who graduated from my law school to no avail.
I have a budding transactional practice, but the volume is not very significant. I am thinking I might go the solo route as I might be able to appeal to a specific community, so I am exlporing that angle.

Should I just forget about getting another firm job and focus on solo, or keep forging ahead and hope the economy gets better and people don't draw bad conclusions from 10 months of work? I thought it was unwritten law that you don't lay someone off before a year is up?

Any advice appreciated!

[bleedingpen]

Should I just forget about getting another firm job and focus on solo, or keep forging ahead and hope the economy gets better and people don't draw bad conclusions from 10 months of work? I thought it was unwritten law that you don't lay someone off before a year is up?

Any advice appreciated!

There was no unwritten law during this economic downturn. 

I can't get my head around the fact that a Double E is looking for work.  Are you geographically isolated to the DC area?

IMO, you don't have enough experience to go solo.  Furthermore, unless you are a non traditional law student, you aren't old enough for most clients to trust you and you are going to have one helluva time landing malpractice coverage with so little experience. 

A lot of people have gaps in their resumes from this economic downturn.  I don't think that hurts you like it may once have. 

FWIW, I would much rather hire a person with ~1 yr experience and justifiable reasons for being let go over a fresh law student with no experience. 

[guysmiley]

I'm not restrited to the DC Area. After I got lad off I moved back to the NYC area, but I am literally looking for jobs everywhere. My old firm laid off half of the class above me, and 1/4rth of our class. I didn't really keep in touch, so not sure how everyone else faired. I am thinking of going o other markets, like Houston/CA just to see how it is over there. But I think law firms don't like people applying from across the country - not sure how that would work out. Do i need to move and just try my luck?

[bleedingpen]

Do i need to move and just try my luck?

Don't move until you land a job.  Keep your head up, things will turn around. 

[blakesq]

Whatever you do, do not tell an interviewer: "I believe this was specifically done to sabotage my new career but that's a different story." You got to be positive when interviewing, the interviewer does not want to work with someone who believes people are are out to get him.  I understand you are frustrated, and probably just ranting a bit on an anonymous forum, just don't let it carry over into real life!  As an EE patent attorney, you should be able to find work easily, as long as you are willing to move.  check out indeed.com, Intellectual Property Today, JPTOS.  Good luck!

I need advice from fellow patent attorneys.

I graduated from law school in 2007 (regionally well known school) and a BSEE in 2002, and had an offer for a patent prosecution job in DC with a large boutique firm. I deferred the offer till 2008 because of family circumstances. I joined in August of 2008 and was shitcanned by June 2009 - leaving me with effectively 0 experience. Ten months basically equates to nothing. I believe this was specifically done to sabotage my new career but that's a different story. I have been applying since June of 2009 to different positions all over the country with no luck.

Luckily I had a fallback career in software/tech making similar money, but I really want to get back into patents and make that my career. I have been contacting alot of partners who graduated from my law school to no avail.
I have a budding transactional practice, but the volume is not very significant. I am thinking I might go the solo route as I might be able to appeal to a specific community, so I am exlporing that angle.

Should I just forget about getting another firm job and focus on solo, or keep forging ahead and hope the economy gets better and people don't draw bad conclusions from 10 months of work? I thought it was unwritten law that you don't lay someone off before a year is up?

Any advice appreciated!

[guysmiley]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Actually  I am very positive when I portray my opinion of my previous firm job. I would never say so to a prospective employer!

[ChiefJRoberts]

Should I just forget about getting another firm job and focus on solo, or keep forging ahead and hope the economy gets better and people don't draw bad conclusions from 10 months of work? I thought it was unwritten law that you don't lay someone off before a year is up?

Any advice appreciated!

IMO, you don't have enough experience to go solo. 

You don't need experience to go solo - it's probably better to have some but not necessary.  If inexperienced,  you just have to train yourself and start out slowly.  This is America and many new business owners have never had any prior experience and succeed.  He or she just has to roll up their sleeves and get to work for a solo practice to work.  It's a much tougher road but they can do it...

[dablueman]

You don't need experience to go solo - it's probably better to have some but not necessary.  If inexperienced,  you just have to train yourself and start out slowly.  This is America and many new business owners have never had any prior experience and succeed.  He or she just has to roll up their sleeves and get to work for a solo practice to work.  It's a much tougher road but they can do it...

LOL.

[ChiefJRoberts]

You don't need experience to go solo - it's probably better to have some but not necessary.  If inexperienced,  you just have to train yourself and start out slowly.  This is America and many new business owners have never had any prior experience and succeed.  He or she just has to roll up their sleeves and get to work for a solo practice to work.  It's a much tougher road but they can do it...

LOL.

he can't find a job, and this economy sucks. you have a better suggestion? He's got a year of experience to work with.

[newark_patent_attorney]

I agree with ChiefJRoberts comment:   

guysmiley go solo e-mail/fax your resume to all the local patent prosecution firms in your area.  In your cover letter ask if they have any overflow work.  Then followup with a phone call.  Don’t listen to the non-sense that the market will recover anytime soon.  We are at least a year or more away from any recovery.

Do what you have to do . . . as ChiefJRoberts correctly stated this economy sucks!
 
Greediness and short sightedness killed this area of law.  Not the Subprime Lenders, not Bernie Madoff.

Over the past couple of years regional GP firms absorbed small patent prosecution practices thinking that these practice groups could become anchors in rough times.  After getting settled in, these new practice groups found unbearable pressure from senior non-patent group partners to over bill their clients.   Let’s face it our clients have no loyalty and the competition is out their is more than willing and ready to under bid.  Two years ago we were dealing with patent attorneys working out of their home office’s offering to do an application for $3,000 each.  Now I hear those same individuals will do the same work for under $2,000.

At the same time, the senior non-patent partners at these GP firms failed to appreciate the specialized qualifications required for patent prosecution staff.  For example, non-patent partners in tough times decided that an experienced paralegal (say with ten years experience handling litigation support) could easily handle both her non-patent support tasks while at the same time lend a hand with the patent group.  Hence they fired the costly patent paralegal and kept the cheaper litigation paralegal.  This decision likely caused  a problem (i.e. simple tasks such as entering office actions into CPI can have costly consequences if done incorrectly –say the paralegals fails to understand the difference between a final office action and a FOAM).

   In other words, how do GP firms hold on to clients when the work product tanks while at the same time billing increases?  Well the solution is to hire technical advisors to ghost write the applications and amendments for the greedy partners.  That is likely how you and many others associate lost your jobs.  Of course those greedy partners are starting to see that most major companies are not sending anything out anymore due to the poor work product and  why you are starting to see job postings for in-house.
    Maybe try for one of those few in-house spots too?

[Yak]

Hey Guy,
Just happened across this and thought I would pass it along.  http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/lgl/1603236401.html

[EtaCarinae]

Strange, I'm in almost the exact same situation.  Not sure whether to be thankful to my previous firm for the experience and money, or hate them for bringing me on with no intention of giving me work.  I also got the impression the firm hired me just to fire me.  I was glad to have gotten "my foot in the door" but now it's like I'm back at square one. 

Don't have much advice except to try to find friends and family who know partners at IP firms.  The IP community in any given city is smaller than you think, and just being friendly with one of these people can turn into a list of easy contacts or a job really quick.  A lot of the practice of law is about exchanging favors, and I guess this is no exception.