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Career Opportunities

You could focus on using IP to help artists with trademark and copyright issues. You could use IP to help scientists and inventors. You could be a litigator or transactional attorney that handles valuable IP cases. IP offers many different career paths.

Is a science background required for an IP career?

No. A STEM background is not required for an IP career. A science background may be relevant if you want to draft patent applications regarding technical inventions and communicate on those inventions. In addition, no STEM background is required to work on patent applications relating to designs; rather, degrees in graphic design and architecture are relevant. In addition, IP attorneys successfully litigate patent and non-patent IP issues or deal with IP transactions with a variety of backgrounds including music, political science, and STEM majors.

Can I become a successful IP attorney as a Loyola alum?

Yes! Loyola IP alumni have a strong history of success, including:

  • Judges at the Federal Circuit Court of appeals (exclusive appellate case for patent disputes),and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
  • In-house counsel at major companies such as SXSW, Hewlett Packard, Motorola, Abbott, Ferrera’s, Kellogg’s, and Qualcomm
  • Leadership roles in IP organizations such as IPLAC, INTA
  • Lawyers at national firms such as Bryan Cave, Foley & Lardner, Jones Day, K& L Gates, McDermott Will & Emery, Morgan Lewis, Nixon Peabody LLP, Ropes & Gray, Sidley & Austin, Steptoe & Johnson, Barnes & Thornburg, and Cozen O’Connor
  • Lawyers at IP boutiques such as Banner & Witcoff, Brinks Gilson & Lione, Marshall Gerstein, McAndrews Held & Malloy, McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff, Miller, Matthias & Hull, Norvell IP, Partridge Partners, Patishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hillard & Geraldson
  • Judicial clerks at the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals as well as United States District Courts
  • Trademark and Patent Examining Attorneys for the USPTO

Can I gain IP experience as a Loyola law student?

Yes! Loyola students obtain IP experience at law firms, companies, and organizations. Prior students have obtained IP experience at the following places:

  • Companies such as Abbvie, Motorola, Jockey and Modelez (formerly part of Kraft Foods)
  • Organizations such as Lawyers for the Creative Arts and Shirley Ryan Abilitylab (formerly Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago)
  • Law firms including Finnegan,Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner; Greer Burns, Global IP, Holland & Knight, Ice Miller, Snell & Wilmer, as well as other firms noted above where students became permanent attorneys

You could focus on using IP to help artists with trademark and copyright issues. You could use IP to help scientists and inventors. You could be a litigator or transactional attorney that handles valuable IP cases. IP offers many different career paths.