Scores of IP Clerkships Lead to Careers : The Pierce Law Advantage
Clerks at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC)
IP related clerkships are available on the federal and state levels, and may be with trial or appellate courts. Pierce Law students have clerked with many courts that handle IP related cases.
Federal clerkships are often considered the most prestigious, particularly those at the appellate level, and are quite limited in number; accordingly they are the most competitive. Without doubt, a clerkship at the CAFC is the most prestigious position that can lead to great career opportunities.The CAFC is the court of last resort in IP cases - a heartbeat away from Supreme Court review.
The CAFC exercises exclusive nationwide jurisdiction in select matters, including patents, trademarks, international trade, government contracts and veterans' benefits. Appeals to the Court come from all federal district courts, the United States Court of Federal Claims, the United States Court of International Trade and the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
What does a judicial clerk do?
Job duties vary by clerkship and by judge, but generally judicial clerks research legal issues and write memorandums and court documents. Clerks may also observe trials, oral arguments, and other judiciary proceedings.
Appellate level clerks do research and more formal writing as they deal with cases after trials are complete; they primarily work in chambers and have little contact with attorneys and parties, if at all.
Trial court clerks, on the other hand, are involved from the filing of lawsuits up to the completion of trial. Trial court clerks are often under stricter time requirements than appellate clerks.
Pierce Law CAFC Clerks : the first step down the road to success
Invaluable Experience/Extraordinary CareersEmily Johnson JD/MIP '06 is the most recent graduate to clerk at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Her predecessors have become leaders in Intellectual Property Law
Seven other graduates have served as judicial law clerks to the court, gaining experience that launched extraordinary careers. Their comments about their Pierce Law preparation and their clerkship experiences are below.
Learn more about clerkships through the Career Services Office's Legal Career Tool Kit.
"The
flexibility that I found at Pierce Law was of tremendous help in
preparing for my somewhat unusual legal career. I was able to become
involved in intellectual property law and take challenging abstract
courses from my first year in law school, and had the opportunity to
extern at the Court for a semester during my third year. I have no idea
if such flexibility is the norm at other law schools, but it certainly
is at Pierce Law, and made my experience there quite enjoyable."
-George Blundall JD '91
Career Law Clerk to the Honorable Pauline Newman (retired)
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Washington, DC
"I am rarely at a
loss for words, but find them inadequate to express the significance of
my experience as a Federal Circuit law clerk. It was truly life
altering, personally and professionally, particularly so since I was
privileged to clerk for as esteemed a jurist as The Honorable Pauline
Newman.This extraordinary opportunity clearly set the stage for the
rewarding career that has followed." read more >>
-Steven McCann JD '91
Senior Vice President (retired)
Intellectual Property and Licensing
NXP Semiconductors
Eindhoven,The Netherlands
"Like every
other former law clerk that I have ever spoken with, I can easily rate
my experience at the Court as clerk to The Honorable Pauline Newman as
the best job I ever had. Not only do you get to personally know and
work with the judges who are deciding the cutting-edge issues of the
day, you get to witness the very best attorneys in the field from all
around the country practicing before you. It's an incredible learning
experience that cannot be duplicated in either the academic or private
sector."
-Ronald Hermenau JD '91
Senior Counsel, Patents
Amgen Inc.
South San Francisco, CA
"My clerkship
experience with The Honorable Arthur J. Gajarsa has been, by far, the
most rewarding experience in my legal career. It has also been the most
enjoyable. Aside from invaluable insight into the inner workings of the
judicial process that employers covet, you can also establish
invaluable personal relationships with co-clerks and judges.These
relationships are what I value most from my clerkship experience."
-Robert Scheffel JD '99
Partner
Wiley Rein LLP
Washington, DC
"Serving
as clerk to The Honorable Pauline Newman has unquestionably been the
best job I've ever had.The people who I met and worked with, and those
who joined the Court family after me are irreplaceable in my life. It's
not easy to obtain a clerkship, and the work is not easy-none of the
simple cases come to the court. But it is an experience that cannot be
matched, and is a superb preparation for the challenges of a lifetime
legal career."
-Jennifer A.Tegfeldt JD '85
Director-Business Initiatives & Strategy
Genzyme Corporation
Cambridge, MA
"My clerkship with
The Honorable Howard T. Markey was a great learning experience, led to
meeting many colleagues that I continue to work with, and opened the
door to many opportunities in the profession. I'd have to say that it
was the best thing that has ever happened to me in my professional
career."
-Bruce B. Brunda JD '77
Founding Partner
Stetina Brunda Garred & Brucker
Aliso Viejo, CA
"I loved clerking for The Honorable Giles Sutherland Rich. I have ongoing professional advantages as a member of the ex-clerk fraternity and enjoy lasting friendships with several ex-clerks. I think clerking at the Federal Circuit is by far the best way to start a career in IP law."
-James Calkins, JD/MIP '98Managing Member
Paterus Law Group, PLLC
Washington, DC
