A post from student blogger Brittany

I knew nothing about patent law at the beginning of the MSPL program, however, now I have a sense of confidence when speaking about patent law to not only my classmates but my peers outside of patent law.  I look at my writings from last semester for various classes and my capstone project wondering what the heck was I thinking when I wrote those things.

Last semester I struggled with determining novelty and non-obviousness not to mention drafting of the claimset when it came to the complex technologies assigned to me. As I apply my knowledge of patent law and prosecution that I’ve gained from the amazing professors in the program and the IP Clinic, I am truly looking at my capstone project with fresh eyes.

Karen told us that as we neared the end of the program we would have learned so much more about being a patent practitioner that we would look at our initial drafts during the first semester with almost a sense of disgust and boy was she right. I have completely revamped my claimset and actually have an entirely new outlook on the technology as a whole which is a great thing in my book. Having a mentoring attorney that has been in the biotech work for years has tremendously helped me understand that what may be appropriate for mechanical technologies may not be applicable to biologics and biotech related technologies.

While I’m thrilled that I’ve come such a long way, the reality is that when I’m no longer in the program and a disclosure comes across my desk I won’t have the luxury of 8 months to draft a complete application.  Some professors in the program have shared occasions when they’ve had less than a day to draft and file an application and as of now that seems not only terrifying but it also sounds a lot like my last day of work (no lol). In all honesty, I welcome the challenges that I know will come when I FINALLY start at a firm.