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Summer Associate
Our Summer Associate Program allows law students to experience the practice of an intellectual property law firm with the personal attention that can shape a student's law career. At RatnerPrestia, we strive to assure that each of our summer associates receives a warm welcome to the firm, feels comfortable, learns about our firm culture and vision, knows where to go with questions, is exposed to our in-depth training and supervision, and has an interesting mix of work during their time at the firm. Firm Culture. We are proud of our firm culture. The friendly atmosphere in all three office locations fosters communication among all personnel. The open-door policy cultivates an exciting and rewarding place to develop your career. Each person who works at RatnerPrestia is encouraged to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal living. It is our belief that an enriching life outside of the office results in a happier workforce and a superior work product. Work Assignments. A wide range of work assignments is provided to summer associates. Typical assignments include patent applications, responses to Office Actions, patentability opinions, trademark availability opinions and other trademark work, and exposure to litigation. An administrative or marketing project is common. Orientation. We are committed to helping each summer associate become an outstanding attorney. Orientation teaches the summer associate about the firm, its practice and operations, and available training resources. This orientation provides our summer associates with the knowledge they need in order to have a successful and rewarding experience. Training. Our Training Program focuses on key areas of IP practice, such as patent infringement, claim drafting, anticipation, obviousness, trademarks, trade secrets, and litigation. Each weekly session is typically led by a Shareholder and lasts for about one hour over lunch. In addition, firm-wide luncheon meetings, which address substantial legal topics, are held almost every Wednesday. Mentoring. We realize that mentors are a valuable resource to summer associates and, each year, we consciously match summer associates with mentors. The mentor provides guidance, acts as a sounding board, and familiarizes the summer associate with our practice and our firm. In addition to the open-door policy between mentors and summer associates, the mentors meet with the summer associates regularly to discuss any questions or concerns that the summer associates may have. Summer Social Events. Many exciting social events take place throughout the summer. We believe that the best way to get to know everyone at RatnerPrestia is during these informal social events. Some of the past activities have included:
"The Summer Associate program was a great way to get acquainted with RatnerPrestia. The program exposed me to a wide spectrum of intellectual property practice and provided me with the opportunity to work with many different attorneys. I appreciated feeling as though I was contributing value to the firm, and I appreciated the recognition I received for my efforts. The firm prides itself on its culture, and I could see why. The attorneys set aside time for training and strive to make working at the firm both enjoyable and fulfilling." — Peter Zacharias, Summer Associate 2004 We are proud of the success of our program and encourage those who are interested, qualified, and serious about intellectual property law to consider RatnerPrestia. __________________________________________  |