Initial Training
Slaying dragons has never been my forte. I have always preferred to play the part of the advisor to the knight. In my mind, the sword felt like lead. I never quite mastered the footing. The chain metal armor is dreadfully unfashionable.
Learning the Ropes
So when the most common piece of advice I got about law school was to never attend, I had my misgivings. Particularly because I had only vague notions of what legal fields I could explore. At the time, I found intellectual property (IP) mildly interesting because it sounded so novel to me. But I had little clue what it truly was or how to pursue it professionally.
After about a year here at Loyola, I can confirm that law school is a dragon. I won’t mince words. There are long days and longer nights thanks to all the schoolwork. But at least now I have a clearer vision of where I could go in IP law.
Studying from the Grandmasters
Although my fall semester 1L class schedule did not include an IP class, the bounds of law school were not confined to the classroom.
I was able to attend an IP networking event where I was exposed to a broad range of attorney’s work in the practice area. At that event I met lawyers with backgrounds from politics to biochemistry. The variety of professional experiences demonstrated to me that there are many opportunities in IP regardless of your experience.
This is beneficial, because to hold one type of job in IP (patent prosecution which focuses on obtaining patents on new inventions) you must pass the “patent bar.” To even take the patent bar you must have a degree in a STEM field which I do not. However, I have never been discouraged or dissuaded from pursuing IP by anyone at Loyola or by any attorney I met through Loyola’s networking opportunities.
Honing Your Skill
Instead I learned how to use my own experiences and skillsets to bring a unique perspective.
Specifically, several lawyers helped me develop the best way to leverage my work experience and academic background to pursue intellectual property. For example, although I am unable to work in patent prosecution, I was told my experience with software programing may be useful in patent litigation. Patent litigation, which involves one party suing another for unlawful claims about their patented invention, does not require me to sit for the patent bar.
Order of the Knights
The opportunities for IP exposure for 1Ls is not limited to only networking events, though.
For instance, my personal success has been supported by the law school’s programing. The Student Bar Association (SBA) provides food for students and hosts events to cultivate community and boost student morale. Members of SBA regularly check in with our class to see how they can help us succeed.
I have a 3L mentor through SBA who is in IP and has helped me find IP organizations and opportunities. They are also a useful contact if I have any questions about IP in general or what IP classes to take.
I am a member of the Intellectual Property Law Society (IPLS) at Loyola. IPLS is an organization for students interested in intellectual property. Among other things, they have career panels, help with course selection, and give guidance on what to expect from summer internships.
<strongSparring
Additionally, I have gotten the opportunity to write for IP Bytes, Loyola’s IP blog, as a 1L. Doing so has given me helpful publication experience that is rare for 1Ls.
1Ls generally are unable to be members of law school journals, and even upperclassmen on journals may not be published. So this is a unique opportunity!
Loyola has a range of opportunities for incoming 1Ls interested in IP law. And if someone is interested in IP but is not certain what they want to do, there are plenty of opportunities for IP exposure early on.
No matter the area a student pursues, the Loyola community is dedicated to seeing students succeed.
Winning the Battle
I still don’t enjoy fighting dragons. But I don’t do it alone. With textbook swords and outline shields, students march together arm in arm. No one gets left behind. So yes, law school takes dedication. But the horror stories people tell prospective law students simply do not apply to Loyola.
Law school takes dedication and Loyola is no exception. But the culture at Loyola is distinctly unique. The professors, staff, and students genuinely want to see one another succeed. The last six months I have been in the most supportive and uplifting community of my academic career.
I didn’t come to Loyola expecting to become a part of such a tightknit community. I didn’t expect to be so supported to pursue IP. I certainly did not expect to learn how to swing a sword, imaginary or otherwise. Yet with the backing of my classmates, mentors, and professors, here I am. Slaying dragons.
Emily Mirabella
Assistant Blogger
Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D. 2025