An Open Mind Opens Doors

Below is the second post from our departing summer law clerk, Karen. I am very happy that we infected her with our love of IP law! But what I am even happier about is that she gained confidence.

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If you read my first blog post, you know that OG+S was my first legal job. I entered law school with the original thought of practicing Immigration Law and had never considered Intellectual Property until this summer. Over the last ten weeks, I have not only gained exposure to an area of law I was unfamiliar with but also found a new interest that I hope to learn more about. At the end of my first year of law school, I felt nowhere near ready to enter the legal profession. Law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer not how to be one. That you learn through experience and lots of it!  

Working at OG+S has well-equipped me with the resources and skills I need to meet the standards and needs of future clients. I have had the opportunity to collaborate with partners and associate attorneys and have help filed multiple trademark applications, responded to Office Actions, created LLCs, applied for EINs, completed Annual Reports, drafted Articles of Organizations, and reviewed and revised several contracts to help advise our clients. Thinking back to my first day on the job, I am amazed by how much I learned and achieved in the span of ten weeks. This would not have been possible without the support and encouragement I received at OG+S.  

From the beginning, I was invited to take on projects that appealed to my interests and was given the opportunity to collaborate directly with clients. To be given this much independence was not something I anticipated considering I had just finished my first year of law school and was navigating unfamiliar territory as a first-gen law student. I appreciated the trust that I was given and took full advantage of each opportunity to gain incredible insight into what my life could look like as a transactional attorney.  

I am leaving this clerkship with more legal experience than I thought possible. This experience allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and gave me the confidence to ask questions, stay curious, and think creatively. I am thankful for the people I have met along the way and for the opportunity to jumpstart my legal career at OG+S.