Job Search Daily Log: Saturday May 29, 1010

This first part is not really about the job search but I guess it is related. I just updated my USPTO Patent Attorney information to reflect my leaving the last firm: USPTO Reg.No.63,318

So that link shows you that I really am an officially registered and barred Patent Attorney in the eyes of the law...now I just need to convince someone to let me protect their invention.

One other item of note is that yesterday evening I talked with one of the (I think) four staffing agencies (just in the D.C. region) that I am working with. My contact there sent me two new places to apply to on my own: The first one was with: Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz
I will probably wait to apply to this one until Tuesday after the holiday just in case my email gets lost in the shuffle.

It saddens me to inform my loyal readers that I am moving out of the Burgh. Effective immediately. I have had more job leads in the DC region and even up in Erie, so I can no longer justify keeping my apartment there.

The job posting I saw today on the Pittsburgh Craigslist is a testament to how fruitless my search for work has been in the Burgh:

LAW STUDENT/CLERK (DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH)
Date: 2010-05-28, 6:08PM EDT
Reply to: job-s2rub-1764575167@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

Downtown General Practice Law Firm is seeking law students for immediate internship positions.

Areas of practice include Real Estate, Business, Litigation, Estates, Family Law and Entertainment.

Please email resume and references, along with availability for an interview.

* Location: DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH
* Compensation: Negotiable
* This is a part-time job.
* This is a contract job.
* This is an internship job

I say fruitless, because this is probably the closest to a position that I would potentially apply to (business, litigation, entertainment sort of matches up with my background) but they want Law students....and there's plenty of those to go around in the Burgh!

That's all till after the holiday.

Job Search Daily Log: Friday May 28, 1010,

Today I applied to two separate positions that I found on the Pittsburgh Craigslist last night but didn't want to email until the next business day.

POSITION #1:
The first position was for a contracts specialist, which I think they are probably looking for more of a paralegal-type. However work is work and the post made it sound like a technical type job. I found the post on the Pittsburgh Craigslist site. The posting stated:

Contracts Specialist (Saxonburg, PA)
Ibis Tek, LLC, with three campuses in Butler County, Pennsylvania, and with approximately 500 employees is developing and producing a wide range of quality products for civil and military applications. We seek to fill a contracts team position reporting to the V.P. - Contracts.

SUMMARY OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Review and data entry of sales orders in accordance with company policies and procedures.
• Draft and review a wide range of contracts and proposals for the purchase and sale of goods and/or services;
• Support and interface with other departments such as sales, engineering, quality, and shipping to resolve contract issues, create proposals, ensure timely response to customer and supplier requests and comply with applicable laws;
• Provide guidance for contractual performance and adherence to applicable laws;
• Process, control, and maintain contract file documentation; and
• Support the development and implementation of contracting policies and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Bachelor’s Degree, Paralegal Certification preferred;
• Government Contractual experience preferred;
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills;
• Strong analytical, organizational, follow-up and planning skills;
• Excellent ability to identify and proactively solve problems;
• Ability to work under pressure and work overtime on short notice;
• Very proficient in Excel and MS Word. Database experience desired (running reports and queries, etc);
• 2 to 5 years experience working for a company in the aerospace or defense industry preferred;
• Prior audit experience preferred;
• This position requires U.S. citizenship and candidates must be able to meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
• The level of this position will be determined based on the applicant’s education, skills and experience.
• Resumes may be considered in the order that they are received.



POSITION #2:

The second position was more like something that matches my skill set and its located in Pittsburgh proper. The job listing was also much shorter:

Intellectual Property Attorney (Pittsburgh)

Mid-sized corporation looking for trademark attorney with 3-5 years experience at a
minimum at a law firm and/or in-house legal department. Good communication and interpersonal skills are a must. Admission before the USPTO and drafting/prosecution
experience required. Please send resume with cover letter and salary requirements by
email to the address listed above.

That's all for today, I hope everyone has a great memorial day weekend!

My Resume - May 27, 2010

JAMES M. DOLAK, ESQ

EDUCATION

Duquesne University School of Law
Pittsburgh, PA
Juris Doctor
June 2009
• President, Duquesne Intellectual Property Law Association (2-time AIPLA conference attendee)
• Passed Patent Bar during 2L summer (registration # 63,318 – 10/2008)
• Team Member, Giles S. Rich IP Moot Court Competition (2008)
• Relevant Courses: Patents & Trade Secrets, Patents & Pharm. Industry, Copyrights & Trademarks, Commercial Use of IP, Advanced Contracts(J.E. Murray),Sales, Business Planning

The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA
B.S. Mechanical Engineering (Minor: Engr. Leadership Devel.)
December 2005
• 2nd Place Overall, Senior Design Capstone Project (Sisal Decorticator)
• Study Abroad: University of Melbourne, Australia, Spring 2005
• Team Member, FutureTruck Hybrid SUV Competition, Engr. Mentors, Student Red Cross,ASME


EXPERIENCE

The Ronald Law Group, LLC
Cranberry Twp, PA
Patent Attorney/Patent Agent
May 2009-April 2010
• Started work as patent agent for diverse IP practice while still studying full-time for the PA bar
• Drafted patent applications and prepared responses to office actions
• Gained experience in copyright and trademark filings as well as trademark litigation
• Represented diverse clientele in IP matters from large international companies to small start-ups
• Discussed basics of patenting and researched patentability for a variety of clients

Ference & Associates, LLC
Sewickley, PA
Patent Law Clerk/Patent Agent
October 2007-May 2009
• One of two clerks in small but diverse intellectual property practice, representing IT clients
• Rewarded with three separate hourly raises during the two year period of employment
• Contributed to dramatic reduction in late fees paid for responses to Office Actions
• Interviewed small inventors at beginning stages of IP consultation,including prior art searches
• Researched and drafted responses to office actions (75+ Amendments)
• Conducted examiner interviews with supervising Attorney and drafted interview agendas
• Drafted U.S. patent applications from invention disclosures and foreign-filed applications

Penn State Research Foundation – Intellectual Property Office
University Park, PA
Legal Research Intern
January-August 2006
• Experienced in working with and interviewing professors/researchers involved in the IP process
• Performed initial prior art/patent feasibility research for a variety of cutting-edge technologies
• Worked with supervisor on initial preparation of patent applications and amendments
• Reviewed patents filed to create Non-Confidential Disclosures to pursue licensing opportunities

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Erie, PA
Engineering Intern
Summer 2002, 2003, 2004
• Supervised work of contractors to ensure proper and timely completion of projects, and gained experience in inspection, materials testing, reviewing engr. drawings, and project management


PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS/BAR ADMISSIONS

Pennsylvania Bar – admitted 10/19/2009 (PA Bar I.D. #306511)
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) – admitted 10/2008 (Reg. No. 63,318)
Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association (PIPLA)
American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) – 2008, 2009 conference attendee
American Bar Association (ABA) – Intellectual Property Section
Allegheny County Bar Association

Job Search Daily Log: Thursday May 27, 1010,

Hi everyone. Today I started by checking up on a number of job posting sites that I tend to go to daily. Including: Craigslist (D.C. region) and Intellectual Property Law Server.


I also started and finished working on tooling up my resume and coverletter to apply to the biggest law firm in Northwestern PA: MacDonald Illig, LLP. I heard about this firm possibly having an opening in their IP department in a few months. This was great news for me, since while I have been focusing my search mainly on Pittsburgh and the DC region so far, Erie has always been my home and I would love to return there. So keep your fingers crossed.

I am putting the resume and coverletter in the mail tomorrow so hopefully I will hear something back soon. MacDonald Illig's patent practice is the biggest in the Erie region and I would love to start/continue my career there.

First Post

Hi everyone, I have been putting off starting this blog but I feel like it might be the only way to get through my current job search with an ounce of my sanity intact.

I will attempt to chronicle my daily attempts to find employment as a Patent Attorney or at the very least in a technical field as an engineer, etc.

This image above is about how important I feel right now. I need to look at this image from time to time to remind me why I got into the legal field. Sometime I hope to color my underpants important.

My next post will detail what I was doing earlier today to find a job, but I figured I would post on that separately.