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[imbored]

This thread is relevant to my interests.

So I have interviews with several large-ish IP boutiques next week (think Banner, etc). Aero-E background with terrible grades (at a top state school), but T14 law school with excellent grades. I'm supposed to bring undergraduate transcripts for all the interviews, so they will see them. Should I not bring up the issue unless they do? Proactively address them in my interview?

Bit of a follow-up. Got callbacks quickly at some high-ranked GP firms that didn't ask for undergraduate transcripts, and dinged at one boutique where my LS grades were way above the bar and the interview went really well and my work background fit the office's practice really well. Complete silence from the other boutiques/GP firms that did prosecution and asked for undergraduate transcripts, so expecting dings from there too.

So to answer the OP, undergraduate GPA seems to matter a lot for patent prosecution. If yours is low, I'd avoid prosecution firms and spend your bids/mailings on GP firms that care only about your LS GPA.

[Itoen]

This thread is relevant to my interests.

So I have interviews with several large-ish IP boutiques next week (think Banner, etc). Aero-E background with terrible grades (at a top state school), but T14 law school with excellent grades. I'm supposed to bring undergraduate transcripts for all the interviews, so they will see them. Should I not bring up the issue unless they do? Proactively address them in my interview?

Bit of a follow-up. Got callbacks quickly at some high-ranked GP firms that didn't ask for undergraduate transcripts, and dinged at one boutique where my LS grades were way above the bar and the interview went really well and my work background fit the office's practice really well. Complete silence from the other boutiques/GP firms that did prosecution and asked for undergraduate transcripts, so expecting dings from there too.

So to answer the OP, undergraduate GPA seems to matter a lot for patent prosecution. If yours is low, I'd avoid prosecution firms and spend your bids/mailings on GP firms that care only about your LS GPA.

I wouldn't read too much into it.  The legal market is a huge mess right now.  Most boutiques are probably not hiring any entry level people right now.  Big GP firms are still hiring at least some people, although a lot less than in the past.  In a better economy I think you'd have your choice of where to go, regardless of your undergrad GPA.  That being said, unless you have some unusual love for patent pros., I'd recommend going to one of the big GP firms over some boutique pros. shop.  There are a lot more exit options.