Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[imbored]

So I'm a 2L trying to decide between offers and I'm realizing it's coming down to figuring out what I want to do for the rest of my life. What exit options exist for IP people? I have a strong engineering background which I want to leverage. Patent work would be fine, but I'm not married to it though I'd like to have some technical element in my work (working with tech companies, etc). The more I think about it the more I realize I'd rather to transactional work than litigation or prosecution.

Anyone have any thoughts? The firms I'm considering are ~V10 and supposedly have great exit options. I can see how they might feed into banks, etc, but what can they offer someone more tech-oriented?

If by "transactional" you mean IP licensing, then most folks tend to get into that kind of work after having some experience either in prosecution or litigation.  I don't think your technical background will help you differentiate yourself from others for more generic transactional work, such as corporate M&A, etc.  Exit options for IP people are: go to another firm, go in-house, go clerk, go to the PTO, become a professor, become a judge, become a patent troll, or start selling burritos on K street.  Having a big name on your resume generally helps for exit options if that name is associated with strong presence in your field of legal concentration.  Thus, in my opinion, you might have better exit options for IP jobs from Kirkland or Finnegan than from some even higher-ranked firms that are not known for their IP departments.   

Thanks! This is really useful, particularly the information on getting into licensing.

[klaviernista]

Wow.  Cut the OP a break.  The guy (or gal) is looking for realistic career alternatives "should his venture into IP not work out."  Nothing more, nothing less.  So what if he/she is thinking proactively about his future.  Haven't we all completed the hypothetical statment, "if X doesn't work out, I will do ___________?"

OP, there a ton of books out there that talk about alternative careers for lawyers.  Look em up on amazon and read one or two. 

From my own experience, here are a few "exit" options to consider:

1.  Patent Attorney ->  IP Consultant for Venture Capital Firm
2.  Patent Attorney ->  USPTO examiner (better option than some on the board will let on)
3.  Patent attorney ->  IP training specialist (I know at least 5 people who make a living traveling the world providing CLE on US patent law and the PCT)
4.  Patent Attorney ->  College professor (I did this)
5.  Patent Attorney ->  Business owner
6.  Patent Attorney (firm) ->  Patent counsel for an engineering firm (I did this too). 
7.  Patent attorney ->  Contracts specialist
8.  Patent Attorney ->  Licensing specialist in a tech transfer office.

The list goes on and on and on.

Best of luck,

klav

[bald & chained]

and let's not forget:

patent attorney->professional poker player (Fossilman)

[imbored]

Wow.  Cut the OP a break.  The guy (or gal) is looking for realistic career alternatives "should his venture into IP not work out."  Nothing more, nothing less.  So what if he/she is thinking proactively about his future.  Haven't we all completed the hypothetical statment, "if X doesn't work out, I will do ___________?"

OP, there a ton of books out there that talk about alternative careers for lawyers.  Look em up on amazon and read one or two. 

From my own experience, here are a few "exit" options to consider:

1.  Patent Attorney ->  IP Consultant for Venture Capital Firm
2.  Patent Attorney ->  USPTO examiner (better option than some on the board will let on)
3.  Patent attorney ->  IP training specialist (I know at least 5 people who make a living traveling the world providing CLE on US patent law and the PCT)
4.  Patent Attorney ->  College professor (I did this)
5.  Patent Attorney ->  Business owner
6.  Patent Attorney (firm) ->  Patent counsel for an engineering firm (I did this too). 
7.  Patent attorney ->  Contracts specialist
8.  Patent Attorney ->  Licensing specialist in a tech transfer office.

The list goes on and on and on.

Best of luck,

klav

Thank you! I'll try and find one of those books!