|
Name: Amy Mendel Brown Affiliation: grad '01 Company/School: Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C. Position: Patent Agent Degree(s) Earned: Brown University, Sc.B. in Biomedical Engineering '01
|
What is your educational background — advanced degrees do you have (if any) and are they a must for what you do? Brown University, Sc.B.
in Biomedical Engineering '01 To be eligible to take the patent bar (different from the legal bar), one must have an engineering or science degree (it is possible to circumvent this requirement; see the admission guidelines for more information). To be a patent attorney (vs. agent), one must graduate from law school and pass the legal bar. What positions did you hold before your current position (what other jobs led you to where you are now)? Although I was a barista at Starbucks, this was my first full-time job out of college. I did an internship at GTE (now General Dynamics) over my junior summer which helped me conclude that I did NOT want to work at an engineering firm in a cubicle. Having this internship on my resume made a significant contribution to obtaining a non-entry-level job offer straight out of college. What are your favorite aspects of you job? What are the drawbacks? POSITIVES: I can honestly say that I love the work that I do. No day's work is ever the same; I'm constantly learning new technologies in addition to nuances of patent law; and I work with energetic and excited inventors. A large part of my job satisfaction is derived from my colleagues and the culture of the firm; it's a very warm, inclusive, non-competitive environment that encourages having a life outside of work (when I first started I was actually reprimanded from staying at work past 6pm!). We also receive a lot of positive and constructive feedback both from colleagues and clients; this may sound strange but after leaving an academic environment where every few weeks/months you receive an evaluation of your work, going into a job where you work just as hard and receive no feedback (good or bad) may be a difficult adjustment; therefore, feedback is welcomed. DRAWBACKS: Currently the biggest drawback for me is law school; I really don't enjoy most of the required classes and find the time commitment to be intense. Work-wise the biggest drawback is that a large portion of my day is spent working at my desk and with only 10-20% of my time spent interacting with colleagues and clients. As I advance in my career a much greater percentage of my time will be spent with clients and colleagues, in addition to training junior people, which will help alleviate the lack of interaction. What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about pursuing a career in your area? You must be able to multi-task; in one day you may be working on anywhere from one to fifteen different client matters in addition to having twenty to forty matters on your docket. You have to enjoy reading and writing in addition to the technological aspects. Also, you have to be willing to make the four year time commitment that attending law school part-time requires. What do you look for in a potential job candidate/ what qualities are most important for someone in your field? Standard requirements include a solid technical background (in some areas of IP law, such as Biotech or Chemistry, a masters, PhD, or significant work experience is likely required) and the abilities to read and write well, to multi-task and to communicate effectively (both orally and written). I've found that almost all of the people that we interview have the technical qualifications; therefore, what I look for is someone with people skills (e.g. how to read people, communicate with clients, interact with colleagues, network, etc…). A good portion of the legal business is networking and client management. Someone once told me is there are three types of lawyers that make up a successful firm: Finders, Minders and Grinders. Finders go out and find/bring in clients; Minders tend to and keep the clients happy once they're with the firm; Grinders churn out the actual work product. Every lawyer should have the ability to act in each of these roles, so expressing your ability to network, manage projects and create a great, efficient work product will bode well for your future as an IP attorney. Would you be willing to serve as a contact for Brown students who are interested in your field (to answer further questions about your work)? If so what is your preferred mode of contact (phone, email, fax, etc.)? The thing that I've found easiest is for you to send me an e-mail introducing yourself, telling me a bit about your background and what you'd like to discuss with me. Then either I'll call you or you can call me at work, as that's the easiest time to reach me.
|
