Are you interested in a summer internship that will give you hands-on experience in intellectual property law? Luckily for you, Erise IP conducts annual on-campus interviews with first-year law school students near our Kansas City and Denver offices. Erise IP is looking for highly motivated and qualified summer interns in two separate practice groups–(1) IP litigation and (2) patent prosecution. Our patent prosecution group requires a STEM background and the ability to sit for the patent bar. But you don’t need a hard science degree to be a summer litigation associate. If you have a desire to litigate complex cases and prosecute patents for some of the country’s leading companies, we have a role for you.
Students selected for Erise’s summer litigation and patent prosecution associate positions quickly become integral parts of our team, collaborating with our attorneys on all aspects of real cases, from deposition preparation to discovery and motion drafting to patent applications. Our cases cover a vast range of technologies, including smartwatches and phones, crossbows, industrial meat slicers, video games and video game consoles, remote-control toys, and even baby carriers. The technologies of our cases may be diverse, but our focus on complex intellectual property matters remains singular.
In addition to working on exciting, high-stakes cases regularly involving damages ranging from $50 million to $500 million, Erise interns receive one-on-one mentoring and specialized instruction from lawyers at the top of their field. Beyond the world-class legal experience offered by our internship, summer interns get to have some fun, too, rotating recreational outings, and a food truck or two for good measure.
If all of these interest you and you’re considering interviewing with Erise IP, here are some qualities we look for in our summer interns as well as some questions you should ask yourself before interviewing.
Qualities in Our Interns
We strongly prefer candidates in the top 15% of their class with an exceptional undergraduate GPA. These credentials help us understand that you can fit in and work to a standard befitting Law360’s Practice Group of the Year in Intellectual Property for 2022. That said, we understand there are always exceptions. If you don’t meet one of these qualifications, be prepared to discuss your exceptional qualities and why you are the right fit for our firm.
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Interviewing
- Why are you interested in IP? Why is this opportunity appealing to you?
- We expect a clear reason why you’re interested in interning for a law firm focusing exclusively on IP, especially if you don’t have a hard science background.
- Are you only interested in Copyright and Trademark Law?
- Although Erise IP covers all aspects of intellectual property law, the bulk of Erise’s practice centers around patent litigation and prosecution. Accordingly, candidates especially interested in trademarks and copyrights should also demonstrate a willingness to learn technical topics and patent law.
- What are your career goals?
- What are they, and how does interning with Erise fit into your future plans? What do you see yourself accomplishing at Erise, and where can that take you?
- How well do you communicate?
- In addition to strong written communication skills, our interns must show customer service skills. What experience do you have that shows you have the proper demeanor to converse with a client?
- Why are you the candidate for Erise IP?
- Don’t get caught flatfooted on this question. What separates you from the other candidates?
Your Questions for Us
Research, research, research. Come prepared to demonstrate your interest in our firm. In addition to our questions for you, we also want to know what you know about us. Show us during the interview that you cared enough to look into our firm and our practice. It goes without saying that we’re looking for more in-depth questions than “what does Erise do?” Having well researched thoughtful questions for your interviewer is one of the easiest ways to set yourself apart from the other candidates.
Thank you for taking the time to review Erise IP’s guide to a successful interview with our firm. We trust that it has provided you with valuable insights into our expectations and the vibrant culture of our team. We hope to hear from you soon!