Interest in IP Law

While still attending USC, I interned at Jafari Law Group--an IP Law firm local to Southern California. The decision to intern in law was largely influence by my strong background in engineering and my desire to work directly with clients.

In all frankness, I had also been watching Suits pretty regularly, and perceived the world of Law to be incredibly fun.

Job Hunting

I knew that internships in Law were often reserved for those actively pursuing a JD. However, I was still unsure whether pursuing a degree in Law was the correct career trajectory and wanted to validate my competency for the work through an internship before making that investment. Under these circumstances, I simply seeking an unpaid internship for my own education. 

After cold-callig several local firms that specialized in Intellectual Property and after many dismisals, I finally got an interview. David Jafari invited me to come onsite to their office to discuss how I could help contribute to his firm.

In that discussion, Mr. Jafari indicated that having the initiative to consider an internship in Law prior to Law School & the chutzpah to call firms without prior experience was a positive indication of my willingness to work. From there I was brought onto his team.

What I Learned

I was fortunate to work directly under David Jafari, through whom I learned the process for drafting patents and patent litigation. Towards the end of the internship I was also presented with the opportunity to draft a utility patent with guidance from one of the firm's attorneys. 

From this internship, I learned everything I had hoped to about the industry--particularly that it was maybe not right for me. Overall however, this was a priceless learning opportunity. David Jafari was a great mentor who took the time to teach me about the industry, how it worked, and about life in general. For that I am grateful