STEM Splitters & Practicing IP Litigation

xenonhexafluoro

Does it hurt you to be a STEM splitter, because you were a B science student in undergrad (due to prioritizing classes after relevant extracurriculars like lab work/publications), if you want to practice IP litigation? In other words, when applying for summer jobs, will you get dinged in IP lit for getting mostly B's in your technical classes?

Ohnoeshalpme

I don't think that law firms hiring summer associates for IP law care at all about undergraduate STEM grades, no. They just want you to have a background in a STEM field so that you get a sense of some of the nuance in the material that you're dealing with. Your law school grades will matter though - they're hiring you as a lawyer, not as a scientist.

10000019

Depends on what year you're applying and specifically what position (IP litigation is very broad).
Applying for a 1L SA, regardless of the position they will consider your undergrad transcript (helps them weed out people).

Not sure how much the grades matter for litigation, but in fields like patent prosecution they 100% care about your undergrad grades.

You don't even need a science background to get into patent litigation. But unless you check off some other boxes (note law firm diversity is different than law admissions diversity) you probably need one.

If litigation is your goal, I wouldn't worry about the B's in undergrad. You're going to need great 1L grades to have a shot at a 1L SA.