Career Resources to Help Find Jobs in the Intellectual Property Area of Law
1. "Finding an IP Job Using the Open Web"
Professor Jon Cavicchi
new updated 2022
2. IP Jobs Still HOT
Intellectual property law (or “IP law”) is one of
the fastest growing areas of legal practice.
Opportunities in IP law exist at law firms of all
sizes, mid-to-large sized corporations,
universities, the government, and public
interest organizations.
ABA Section on Intellectual Property
3. IP Practice Groups now can include
Privacy and cybersecurity
E-Commerce
E-Business
Internet Law/Cyber Law
Information Technology
Technology Contracts
Internet Issues IP and Technology
Communications
Information Law
Commercial Tech& IP transactions
Computer Law
Technology Services
4. Supply and demand - education
Law Degrees Programs with IP concentrations (J.D.,
LL.B.)
Advanced Law Degrees in IP Law (LL.M.)
Non-law Degrees (Master of Intellectual Property, MSc
in Management of Intellectual Property)
Non-degrees issued to lawyers and non-lawyers include
Certificates and Diplomas by private training
companies, business schools and law schools.
5. Supply & demand – IP jobs
Lawyer (prosecution, transactional, litigation…)
Patent Agent
Technical Specialist
Paralegal
Consultants
Technology Transfer Offices
Licensing Professionals
Government
NGOs
6. Start early to learn the employment
landscape
By looking at job ads early in school students can better:
• understand what the market demands.
• able to survey types of opportunities.
• able to look at the backgrounds of those who hire.
• able to identify networking opportunities that might lead to informational
interviews or casual conversations that turn into hot leads.
Identifying such opportunities can come from mining the Web. The Web
can lead to information overload but knowing how to use a technology
resources help you work smart.
7. Careers in IP – Some Web Primers
Interdisciplinary…
Careers In Intellectual Property Law (ABA)
Science Journals
Protecting Ideas---Careers in Intellectual Property and Patents (IEEE)
A GUIDE TO CAREERS IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW
Career Opportunities for Law Graduates in Intellectual Property Law
10. Lawyer Directories / Analytics
• Comprehensive collections of IP lawyers
• Ability to identify IP lawyers based on numerous criteria
with links to the firm’s website that often tell of open
positions
• Deep mining of the activities of a firm that might lead you
to narrow your search to those who really match the niche
you want to fill and
• Intelligence research on the firm so that you can customize
your resume, cover letter and hopefully interview prep.
11.
12. Westlaw allows you
to search hundreds
of databases of all
types to do
intelligence on
employers and
individuals. The
most sophisticated
tool is Litigation
Analytics that
performs analytics
on many sources
across the Westlaw
platform.
34. Conclusion
• The art/science, skill/luck, is to be in the right place
at the right time…
• The Web can harness technology to assist you in
keeping a flow of potential jobs…
• You need to be rigorously honest about your skills
and education. You need to create “brand you”…
• Enlist an interdisciplinary team to help you., work
with your Career Services Office and librarians to
empower you with advice.