MSL Program Kicks-off 2020 with Career Panels for Students

Graduation is not far off for the MSL class  of 2020! As students start to think more about what they will do after graduation, the MSL program staff is running a series of panels and workshops to help expose students to the wide range of professional opportunities that await them. January featured two such panels, during which MSL students heard from MSL alumni and industry experts about job opportunities in the legal sector, where there is a rapidly-evolving need for professionals (not necessarily lawyers) who have knowledge across the disciplines of law, business, and technology.

The first panel, Law Firm & Legal Operations Jobs, featured rock star MSL alumni who are working in various law-related positions:

  • Ying Chen, Intellectual Property Specialist at Tucker Ellis
  • Francisco Gallegos, IP Solutions Consultant Latin America at Clarivate Analytics
  • Suzanne Maso, Manager, Paralegals and Legal Operations at OneSpan
  • Janessa Nelson, Senior Legal Analyst at VillageMD
  • Kyle Pikula, Patent Analyst at Cardinal Intellectual Property

The panelists spoke about the value of the MSL, and how they use their MSL learning in their daily work. Even though all of the panelists work in the legal field, it was interesting to see how much their jobs differ from each other, and what aspects of the MSL are most important to each of them.

The second panel, organized in conjunction with Professor David Schwartz and the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC), discussed a range of opportunities in intellectual property. Industry experts Josh Lee (Latham & Watkins), Anthoula Pomrening (Shirley Ryan AbilityLab), and Andrea Schoen (LanzaTech) discussed the value of a STEM background, and ways to integrate STEM expertise into a successful career in intellectual property. Panelists shared information about various positions within IP, including IP specialists, patent agents, patent prosecutors, IP strategists, IP lawyers, and others.

Both panels provided MSL students with an in-depth look at some of the careers they can pursue after graduation. One important takeaway is that there is a growing need for “allied professionals” in the legal space, and a growing demand for folks who understand law (but aren’t necessarily lawyers) alongside their technical and business expertise. The MSL program has a full slate of panels and events planned for this semester; these panels were a great kickoff to the 2020 schedule!

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