I have been working as an Intellectual Property Assistant at one of largest IP Firms in the nation - Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear LLP - for almost two years. I graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2005 with a double Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Criminology, Law & Society. I also completed my Paralegal certification through UC Irvine's American Bar Assocation-approved program. I have worked as a legal assistant at a plethora of different law firms during my undergraduate career and have thus accumulated an abundance of experience in the legal world. Although I have decided not to pursue law school for personal reasons, I am highly interested in intellectual property law and would like to learn more about international and comparative intellectual property law. In particular, I want to pursue a Master's in London. I have applied and received offers of admission to a few 1-year LLM programs in Intellectual Property Law or related areas of law. The program I am leaning towards is a LLM in Intellectual Property Law at the University of London, Queen Mary. Following the completion of my program, I would either like to re-locate back to the States, India or stay in the UK to work as a paralegal in an IP Firm. In your opinion, would obtaining a Masters in IP Law aid me in my career as a paralegal, especially if I wish to work on international IP matters, especially those that would require me to possess familiarity with EPO procedures or European patents? What kind of career prospects would I have after obtaining the LLM, seeing as how I am a non-law graduate? Please advise

IHeartIPLaw,

Excellent that you've decided to do your homework before splashing a lot of money on a degree overseas.

I urge you NOT to pursue this degree program at QM, especially if you don't have an all-expenses-paid scholarship or rich relatives to bankroll an extended stay in London after the program's conclusion. U.S. employers just don't rate the degree.

I finished law school in the U.S. in 2007 and won a scholarship for the 2007-2008 LLM. While the year I spent in London earning this degree was probably the most wonderful one I'll ever have, my experience, as well as the experiences of other U.S. lawyers who've earned the LLM from QM, is that U.S. employers aren't interested in a degree earned from a school with which most are unfamiliar. Employers, at least in the U.S., want experience, not job seekers with a lot of letters following the surname.

As a paralegal, this degree WON'T be worth the money you spend on it, at least not in the U.S.

@ IHeartIPLaw -
I see that you have been working as an Intellectual Property Assistant. Could you tell me what exactly your work entails? I ean, do you concentrate more on patents or do you work on trademarks, copyrights, design and prosecution for the same as well?
I wish to pursue an LLM in the US/UK and have to decide on the courses to opt for I have enjoyed studying IP Law in the past and wish to contiue studying the same. However, since I have not studied science after school (10th grade), I dont think i'll b in a position to work on patent drafting/prosecution..
So, if you could throw some light on this, i'd be grateful. Thanks!