Junior Legal Pros Are Not Just ‘Revenue Generators’

Finnegan attorney Christina Yang recently participated in  World Intellectual Property Review’s webinar, “What Junior IP Pros Want: A Guide to Keeping Talent Happy,” where she emphasized the value of inclusiveness and “giving meaningful opportunities for junior attorneys to present their skills.”

Christina, who is also the chair of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s New Lawyers Committee, also highlighted the importance of providing avenues for junior lawyers to contribute meaningfully to cases, actively engaging in oral arguments, and strategic discussions.

“They should not be just stuck doing grunt work, such as document review or doing legal research,” she said while also recommending that seniors openly discuss with junior attorneys their comfort levels and willingness to take on tasks, then provide opportunities accordingly.

Detailing her own experiences, Christina said that being given a detailed explanation about a case and how her tasks contributed to the overall picture, was helpful.

“Having communication upfront with a junior attorney and treating that person as a true member of the team is a very good way to make that junior attorney happy and safe as far as the long term,” she said.

When discussing about career paths for many young attorneys, Christina highlighted that while partnership is a common career pathway, it is not the only way.

“I don't think a lot of junior attorneys see that as the only pathway available for them. It’s becoming more common to explore other ways in which one can stay as a patent litigator; there are other non-traditional roles available to pursue,” she said.

Lastly, Christina discussed the importance of networking by adding that, “It's important to follow up with the people that you met, because it's all about maintaining relationships.”

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