Patent Agents who have worked with the firm for two years or more will have the opportunity to enroll in a part-time law school evening program (Harvard and Stanford excepted). The firm will pay law school tuition and textbooks. The Patent Agent - Law Student Track will be eligible for an Associate attorney offer upon graduation from law school.
1,500
billable hours per year requirement
Yes, Finnegan is a force in intellectual property, with a powerful track record of defending and advocating for the innovation of clients. But for us, IP law is more than a zero-sum game of winners and losers. Innovation and rulings have multi-dimensional implications, and clients regularly turn to us for consultative guidance as they navigate new or shifting IP terrain. Whatever your intended areas of practice or industry specialization, you’ll be right at the center of the IP conversation, part of an organization includes nearly 300 professionals with scientific degrees, over 40 former U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit clerks, 220+ professionals registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and 65+ professionals with Ph.D.’s.
Nearly 300
peers with scientific and engineering degrees
65+
professionals with Ph.D.s
Going strong since the 1980s, Finnegan’s Patent Agent - Law Student Track program holds an esteemed place in a culture that prizes relationships, teamwork, and respect, regardless of title or function. In fact, our current management chair first joined Finnegan through the program.
Our professionals are multilingual and multicultural, and they work with clients in real-time around the world. Your peers hail from locations ranging from Romania to Pennsylvania to Colombia to Taiwan. There’s a reason Vault ranked us as a top law firm for diversity in its 2023 rankings. Find out why many Finnegan professionals spend their entire career here.
As you lay the foundation for your career, know that Finnegan attorneys serve clients through 10 major IP practice areas and many additional sub-practices. We also follow innovation, with specialist teams focused on more than 20 industries that currently generate the bulk of global IP activity.
Patent Agent - Law Student Tracks work in our Washington, DC headquarters, and in one of four other U.S. offices situated near innovation hubs in Atlanta, Boston, Palo Alto, or Reston.
"I’ve learned a hundred times more practicing here than I did in engineering school."
— Finnegan Patent Agent - Law Student Track
At Finnegan, you will discover that continuous training and professional development are a vital part of your career, and our culture. You will receive all the resources and training you need to assist you in ultimately becoming an exceptional attorney providing superior service to our clients. In addition to in-house roundtable programs, ad hoc meetings about updates to changes in IP law, and monthly practice group and section meetings, Finnegan offers formal training programs:
Finnegan has a robust training curriculum (L.E.A.P.: Learn, Enrich, Achieve, Progress), designed to support the continued growth and development of attorneys at all levels and allowing them to practice law in ever-evolving legal and business markets. Finnegan believes that training and ongoing education are essential to developing the best attorneys and advocates for our clients. With multiple training and education components, L.E.A.P. is designed to enhance the firm’s existing training and mentoring activities throughout the year.
The L.E.A.P. calendar includes: litigation training, advanced legal writing, advanced patent prosecution, practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), advanced technical and legal research, business development training and individualized coaching, billing and timekeeping, budget development, accounting for lawyers, persuasive speaking, law firm economics, presentation skills, leadership,
Training is a lifelong venture at Finnegan, as demonstrated by our comprehensive new partner training series. New partners are paired with a share partner advisor, whose charge is to meet regularly with the new partner to discuss workload and business and career development, and to serve as a sounding board and advocate as the new partner progresses to equity partner consideration. The training curriculum includes topics such as: Leadership Development (new partners learn the fundamental tenets of leadership during immersion and capstone training programs and are paired with a leadership/executive coach who works with the new partner one-on-one for a year); Budgets and Finances; Advanced Pitch Workshops; How to Prepare Your Compensation Memo; and roundtables with members of the management committee, share partner advisors, and practice group leaders (designed to arm new partners with best practices for navigating the nuances of partnership).
For those new to patent prosecution, Finnegan offers a prosecution bootcamp to introduce our newest professionals to the practice of patent prosecution. The bootcamp is supplemented by bi-monthly prosecution roundtables, in which Finnegan experts discuss developments in the law and how it impacts our day-to-day prosecution practice.
Persuasive, precise, and compelling writing is something we strive for at Finnegan. Our writer-in-residence hones the legal writing skills of our attorneys through classroom teaching and one-on-one writing consultations. Sample classroom topics include brief writing, writing as an advocate, advanced legal writing, and writing as a non-native English speaker.
Every other year, our top litigators teach an in-house litigation skills series, taking a litigation matter from its inception (how to develop case strategy with your client) to its conclusion (how to write and argue appellate briefs). These classroom programs are supplemented with experiential learning workshops, where you’ll learn about effective deposition strategies, how to interact with experts, and how to conduct cross- and direct-examination of witnesses. The capstone litigation experience occurs when you’re a senior associate - you’ll have the opportunity to participate in the University of Virginia Trial College, where you’ll participate in a mock trial from start to finish and learn from the best trial attorneys in the country.
At Finnegan, you will find that the health and well-being of our professionals, staff, and their families are of the utmost importance. We offer a comprehensive, well-rounded benefits package to meet your health, financial, and educational needs and interests.
Each Patent Agent - Law Student Track is placed into a practice group based on his or her scientific or technical background. Each practice group has a practice group leader who monitors the workloads and professional development of its members.
Work is allocated based on skill sets, professional development goals, and client needs.
Typically, Patent Agents - Law Student Track work on patent prosecution, client counseling, and opinion writing. This mix of work provides the most flexibility, particularly during law school exams.
1,500 billable hours per year for Patent Agents - Law Student Track in an evening law school program and 1,000-1,200 hours for Patent Agents - Law Student Track in a day law school program.
Pro bono work is an important part of Finnegan’s commitment to social responsibility. We also believe giving back is an opportunity to receive knowledge, expertise, experience, and the good feeling one gets from helping others. As a Patent Agent - Law Student Track, pro bono hours are credited toward your billable hours goal and up to 75 pro bono hours can count towards the billable hour goal.
When you join the firm, you are assigned a partner advisor and a peer advisor. Your partner advisor assists with the formal performance reviews given twice a year and counsels you regarding your professional development. Your peer advisor, who is typically an experienced Patent Agent - Law Student Track, will introduce you to others in the firm, take you to lunch, answer your questions, and help you feel comfortable at the firm from day one.
We value our investment in the Patent Agent - Law Student Track program, and we expect that most Patent Agent - Law Student Tracks will receive offers. Over the years, more than 90 percent of our Patent Agent - Law Students Tracks have joined the firm as associate lawyers.
Our day-to-day dress is business casual in all of our offices. Occasionally, you may be required to wear a business suit or comparable formal professional attire.
Finnegan is one of the leading companies in any field when it comes to the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce. When you meet with us, you will quickly realize that Finnegan values diversity. For more information about our diversity and inclusion efforts, please click here.
To submit your application f with Finnegan, please visit our careers page to view our current openings. Please do not submit applications via email.
If you have any questions about our hiring needs or other recruiting-related questions, please reach out to the recruiting contacts below.
Atlanta office:
Hiring Contact: Erica Campbell, Recruiter
Email: erica.campbell@finnegan.com
Boston office:
Hiring Contact: Christine Brennan, Recruiter
Email: christine.brennan@finnegan.com
Palo Alto office:
Hiring Contact: Meave Cox, Recruiter
Email: meave.cox@finnegan.com
Reston office:
Hiring Contact: Morgan Kelly, Recruiter
Email: morgan.kelly@finnegan.com
Washington office:
Hiring Contact: Laurie Taylor, Recruiter
Email: laurie.taylor@finnegan.com
Due to international data regulations, we’ve updated our privacy policy. Click here to read our privacy policy in full.
We use cookies on this website to provide you with the best user experience. By accepting cookies, you agree to our use of cookies. Please note that if you opt not to accept or if you disable cookies, the “Your Finnegan” feature on this website will be disabled as well. For more information on how we use cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.
Finnegan is thrilled to announce the launch of our new blog, Ad Law Buzz, devoted solely to breaking news, developments, trends, and analysis in advertising law.