Careers in Intellectual Property (IP) Law

Introduction

As in other professions, mass mailing, whether by snail mail or e-mail, are generally ineffective means of getting your resume read much less getting consideration for an interview.  In addition, this requires a great deal of document management on your part as employers hate to get the same resume from a person more than once.  Before sending your resume out, what connection or special qualification do you have that sets you apart from the average candidate? (The most effective means to have your resume standout is to have a personal contact solicit your resume on your behalf).  This section of our website contains information to assist students with their job searches in the area of IP law.  This section should NOT be viewed as a substitute for the Office of Career Services, but as a supplement for those interested in IP law. 

This portion of the web page is divided into six hyperlinked sections:

A.    General Links to Job Related Websites and Legal Information

B.    Professional Organizations

C.    Intellectual Property News

D.    IP Law Firms and General Practice Firms with IP Departments

E.    Legal Recruiters

F.    Patent Bar Preparation Courses

Please forward any corrections or suggestions for additions to ipla@shu.edu.

A.    General Links to Job Related Websites and Legal Information

Seton Hall Law Office of Career Services (OCS): http://law.shu.edu/administration/career_services/

Emplawyernet - http://www.emplawyernet.com

FindLaw Career Center - http://career.findlaw.com

This website contains information about law firms, recruiting, salaries, etc.

Government jobs - http://Jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov 

IntelPropLaw.com - http://www.intelproplaw.com/JobsAvailable

IPRecruiter.com - http://www.iprecruiter.com

Law.com – http://www.law.com

This is a terrific all-purpose legal resource.  It contains student information, cases, news, a legal dictionary, and job information

LawTalkers.com - http://www.lawtalkers.com

Tagline - "Better than billing"

Lexis-Nexis - http://www.lexis-nexis.com

- can access the U.S. Patent Quarterly (USPQs) to stay abreast of the latest decisions

Martindale.com - http://www.martindale.com

PatentLawJobs.com - http://www.patentlawjobs.com

Vault, The – http://www.thevault.com

This is a great internet search engine for legal jobs in the New York area

Westlaw - http://www.westlaw.com

.- can access the U.S. Patent Quarterly (USPQs) to stay abreast of the latest decisions

B.    Professional Organizations

If you plan on a career in IP law, it is highly recommended that you join one or more professional organizations to build your credentials, your network and to keep abreast of the latest trends in the field.  Many of these organization also have sections for job search assistance and for students.  The major organizations include (subjectively listed in order of perceived value for students):

AIPLA - American Intellectual Property Law Association (http://www.aipla.org)

(Student memberships cost $45/year - must be at least a student member to participate in their annual job fair.  Comprehensive salary and billable hour survey is given to members every two years.  More patent-centric but has greatly improved their trademark and copyright section over the years)

INTA - International Trademark Association (http://www.inta.org)

(Student memberships cost $25/year - a must for anyone with an interest in trademarks.)

FCBA - Federal Circuit Bar Association (http://www.fedcirbar.org)

(Student membership - free (contributions requested but not required)

NJ IPLA - New Jersey Intellectual Property Law Association (http://www.njipla.com)

(Student membership available but does not appear to have a discounted rate - $75/year - Good start for attorney intending to practice in New Jersey; occasionally will co-host an event with Seton Hall's Institute for Law, Science & Technology)

NY IPLA - New York Intellectual Property Law Association (http://www.nyipla.org)

(Student membership available - flagship event is the annual "Judge's Dinner")

ABCNY - Association of the Bar of the City of New York (http://www.abcny.org)

(Student memberships $25)

American Bar Association - IP Law Section (http://www.abanet.org)

(Student membership $20 plus $10 for IP Law section membership)

If you come from a technical background, don't let your memberships to those organizations lapse.  Several organizations (e.g. The American Chemical Society) have law-related sections and you will need to draw on your technical skills if you work in patents.

C.    Intellectual Property News

Many of the sites listed above also contain valuable information on the latest developments in IP law.  Some other specific sites include:

Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) decisions -

(http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/bpai/bpai.htm)

The BPAI is an adminstrative body within the USPTO as is akin to being on the District Court level for patent cases as one can appeal to the CAFC an unfavorable BPAI decision.

Copyrights (Library of Congress) - http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright

Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) decisions -

(http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/federal/judicial/cafed.cfm)

The CAFC has jurisdiction over appeals from decision by the USPTO's Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences as well as patent related cases at the District Court level.  The Georgetown University site is one of many which publishes CAFC decision as they are released.

Intellectual Property Today - http://www.iptoday.com

This is a magazine focused on issues in intellectual property.  The site has information about intellectual property law firms and rankings.  Includes links to Top Patent and Top Trademark firms as ranked by number of patents and trademarks obtained.

IP Law & Business - http://www.ipww.com

From the publisher of The American Lawyer

Journal of the Patent & Trademark Office Society - http://www.jptos.org

Also contains extensive classified section on the back of each issue; however, keep in mind that not all the ads are for immediate positions.

Supreme Court decisions - http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/supct/index.html

Although as law students, you have free access to Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw, you should get in the habit of knowing how to obtain copies of decisions from free sources.  This Cornell University site is one of many which publish Supreme Court decisions.

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office - http://www.uspto.gov

Home page for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

D.    IP Law Firms and General Practice Firms with IP Departments

The law firms listed below are in the vicinity of Seton Hall Law and practice IP law.  Click on their name to visit their website.  Most of these law firms have offices in multiple locations, such as Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and San Diego.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive but to give a general feel for law firm interests (* indicate that the firm has interviewed at Seton Hall Law in the past.  Contact the Office of Career Services for more information regarding on-campus interviews or former alumni working at the firm).

IP LAW FIRMS

Amster, Rothstein & Ebenstein, New York, NY

Cooper & Dunham, New York, NY

Darby & Darby*, New York, NY

Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto*, New York, NY

Fish & Richardson, New York, NY

Frommer, Lawrence & Haug*, New York, NY

Fross, Zelnick, Lehrman & Zissu, New York, NY

Hoffman & Baron, Parsippany, NJ

Kenyon & Kenyon*, New York, NY

Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholtz & Mentlik*, Westfield, NJ

Morgan & Finnegan*, New York, NY

RatnerPrestia, Valley Forge, PA

Scully, Scott, Murphy & Presser, Garden City, NY

Woodcock Washburn, Philadelphia, PA

GENERAL PRACTICE FIRMS WITH IP DEPARTMENTS

Anderson, Kill & Olick*, New York, NY

Baker Botts, New York, NY

Baker & McKenzie*, New York, NY

Brown Raysman, New York, NY

Bingham McCutchen*, New York, NY

Budd Larner*, Short Hills, NJ

Connell Foley, Roseland, NJ

Clifford Chance*, New York, NY

Drinker, Biddle & Reath*, Florham Park, NJ

Freid, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson*, New York, NY

Fulbright & Jaworski, New York, NY

Gibbons, DelDeo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione*, Newark, NJ

Greenberg Taurig*, Florham Park, NJ

Jones Day, New York, NY

Kaye Scholer, New York, NY

King & Spalding*, New York, NY

Kirkland & Ellis, New York, NY

Lowenstein Sandler*, Roseland, NJ

McCarter & English*, Newark, NJ

McDermott, Will & Emery, New York, NY

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius*, New York, NY

Morrison & Foerster*, New York, NY

Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus*, Bridgewater, NJ

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, New York, NY

Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler, New York, NY

Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker*, New York, NY

Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch*, Morristown, NJ

Porzio, Bromberg & Newman*, Morristown, NJ

Reed Smith, Newark, NJ

Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti*, Morristown, NJ

Ropes & Gray (Fish & Neave IP Group), New York, NY

Schulte, Roth & Zabel, New York, NY

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom*, New York, NY

Sills, Cummins, Epstein & Gross*, Newark, NJ

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan*, New York, NY

Thacher Proffitt & Wood, Summit, NJ

Weil, Gotshal & Manges*, New York, NY

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, New York, NY

Wilmer Cutler Petering Hale and Dorr, New York, NY

Wolff & Samson*, West Orange, NJ

E.   Legal Recruiters

If you are an evening student with some IP experience looking for a full-time position while in law school or a day student with some experience looking for an associate (not summer associate) position, you may want to consider contacting a legal recruiter.  Some selected recruiters are listed below:

F.         Patent Bar Preparation Courses

For information about the Patent Bar Exam (qualifications needed, test times, practice exams, etc.), go to the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED) at the United States Patent & Trademark site:

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/gcounsel/oed.htm

BarBri (inital $100 cost – total $1895)

www.patentbarbri.com

Omni Prep ($295)

www.omnipreppatent.com

OpenIPSource (Free)

www.openipsource.com

PatBar.com ($795)

www.patbar.com

Patent Education Series (initial $247 cost – total $647)

www.patenteducationseries.com

Patent Resources Group (PRG) - ($2690 – live or home study)

www.patentresources.com

Patent Law Institute (PLI) – ($1745 – live or home study)

www.patentbarreview.com

The patent bar is a test of your knowledge and ability to implement teachings from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) not a test of your scientific expertise.  To obtain a copy of the MPEP from the USPTO website in PDF or HTML format, go to:

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/index.htm

(scroll down to the link for downloading the zipped files)