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FEATURES
March 27, 2019 | 17
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Personal Statements from the Class of 2019 HONGHU WANG (2L) Ever y year, Ultra Vires asks graduating 3L s and 4L s to share their after-law school plans compar ing what they said in their personal statement to their actual plans. This year, we heard from a sur pr ising number of IP law yers. Our 3L sources say that while the IP law yers may not be representative of the Class of 2019, the contrast between their planned post-law school life and actual post-law school life probably is.
The social worker “Throughout my work as a social worker I w itnessed the impacts that the legal system had on the quotidian lives of communities that are socially or economically marg inal. W hilst social work has prov ided me w ith a trove of tools for front-line practice, I am keenly aware of a legal education’s abilit y to vast ly broaden and deepen the impact I could have on issues of social inequalit y. This awareness def ines my goal to centre my study of law on socially and economically marg inalized communities.” T h i s s t u d e n t w i l l b y a r t i cl i n g a t a f u l ls e r v i c e f i r m o n B a y S t re e t , w h e re h e w i l l b e re p re s e n t i n g cl i e n t s w h o c a n a f f o rd t h os e s e rvices.
The quantum electrodynamics student “I am interested in Intellectual Propert y Law. My academic background equips me to understand the topics discussed in academic research papers; accordingly, I am well-versed in the relevant theoretical background and am able to understand the basis behind var ious technolog ies. This technical background enables me to understand the dif f icult topics at hand when I address clients’ intellectual propert y issues. For example, suppose that a client comes to me w ith concerns about a new technolog y that has been developed in the f ield of quantum electrodynamics; if it infr inges upon their patent, I w ill already have an understanding of the theor y and technolog y at hand. I w ill be able to more objectively compare the technolog ies and patents in question, and prov ide the client w ith comprehensive adv ice regarding any possibilit y of patent infr ingement.” T h i s s t u d e n t w i l l b e a r t i cl i n g a t a f u l ls e r v i c e f i r m o n B a y S t re e t w i t h a n I P l i t i g ation group, although he personally aims to n e v e r u s e t h e p h ra s e “ q u a n t u m e l e c t r o d y n a mi c s ” e v e r a g a i n . He h a s a l s o b e c o m e l e s s f o n d of the semicolon .
The biomedical PhD “I am ver y interested in specializing in intellectual propert y or patent law. With a biomedical-based PhD and a J D, I would be able to understand both the scientif ic and legal jargon. I would be able to understand the importance of the work the scientists are doing, and how to determine if the work is novel by searching the literature and look ing at what other researchers are doing. I would also be able to know what legal approaches to take to protect their work and make sure they get credit for it,
which is not something scientists would be able to do on their own. This combination of specialized knowledge interests me, and I’m excited to pursue this career option. I have also successfully passed my comprehensive exams, which demonstrates that I can learn a dense amount of mater ial in a short amount of time. Outside of the lab, I am a recreational runner.” T h i s s t u d e n t h a s re a l i z e d t h a t s h e w a n t s t o m a r r y r i c h i n s t e a d o f p ra c t i c i n g l a w . S h e continues to lear n dense amounts of mater ial i n a s h o r t a m o u n t o f t i m e (a l s o k n o w n a s p r o c ra s t i n a t i n g ). S h e w i l l b e a r t i cl i n g a t a n I P f irm . She is uncertain if she will meet a rich m a n t h e re . S h e c o n t i n u e s t o r u n a n d s h e w i l l b e c o m p e t i n g i n t h e B os t o n M a ra t h o n .
The computer programming hobbyist “I hope to focus on IP law dur ing my time at the Universit y of Toronto, w ith the plan of work ing for a local f irm as a patent lawyer after graduation. One area of particular interest for me is software patents. My hobby of computer programming has led me to discover the fur ious controversy surrounding these patents ( like Apple’s ‘multitouch’ patents) and I became fascinated by how so-called ‘patent trolls’ abused the patent system. I hope to be able to f ight against these companies and support the proper use of the patent system to encourage innovation.” T h i s s t u d e n t i s c u r re n t l y t a k i n g P a t e n t s a n d i t i s p e r h a ps h i s l e a s t fa v o u r i t e cl a s s o f l a w s c h o o l y e t . He h a s n o i n t e n t i o n o f e v e r w o r k i n g i n p a t e n t l a w o r a n yt h i n g I P re l a t e d . He w i l l b e a r t i cl i n g w i t h a n i n s u ra n c e c o mpany and hopes to eventually f ind work in i n s u ra n c e d e f e n s e l i t i g a t i o n . He n e v e r a c t ua l l y c a re d a b o u t p a t e n t t r o l l s .
v ictims too often goes unreported, unaddressed, and unrectif ied.” T his student will be working at a Biglaw f i r m i n N e w Yo r k , p r o b a bl y i n t h e f i e l d o n w h i t e c o l l a r d e f e n c e . He a d m i t s t h a t h e w a n te d t o w o r k i n N e w Yo r k e v e n a s h e w r o t e t h e p e r s o n a l s t a t e m e n t . He re m a i n s o p t i m i s t i c t h a t h e w i l l w o r k i n C a n a d i a n p u bl i c s e r v i c e one day.
The poet “A lthough seemingly disparate f ields, literature and education are essentially shaped by attempts to understand our lives, our interactions, and the rules that govern them. Both are thoroughly ‘human’ f ields, which—like law—require inter preters. Law governs ever y structure in life, dictating our actions. L ike law, education impacts ever yone, and like education, law is a building block of our societ y. Yet analogous to how a terse William Carlos Williams poem can elicit diverse responses from each indiv idual, inter pretations often var y. How can such dif ferences be br idged in a complimentar y way, if they even should be br idged? Law satisf ies this intellectual cur iosit y I found to be so intr ig uing in English and Education, along w ith the concrete application to authentic human exper ience… With sk ills I gained in the past, I believe I have the potential to integrate into var ious f ields of law in reg ional and global contexts. For a possible career in educational law, for instance, my background would be advantageous in understanding how schools and boards function as complex, intertw ined institutions.” T his student ne ver pursued a joint M A in E nglish as she had or iginally planned. Af ter f i n i s h i n g t e a c h e r s ’ c o l l e g e , s h e re a l i z e d t h a t she hated education and did not want to work w i t h k i d s . S h e w i l l b e a r t i cl i n g a t a f u l l-s e rv i c e f i r m o n B a y S t re e t .”
The public interest student “I am apply ing to U of T law because I want to be a Crown attorney [sic]. W hether international sanctions reg imes or labour laws, I want to help f ight these threats. I know that the work can be challeng ing, but the past few years have shown me that these are precisely the k ind of challenges I enjoy most. W hether as histor ian, intelligence analyst, or journalist, I am happiest when piecing together the facts to make an airtight arg ument. U of T Law is uniquely appealing because of its streng th in cor porate law. Eventually, I would like to work in f inancial reg ulation, ideally at the Ontar io Secur ities Commission, as these are some of the most complex cases, and because misbehav iour w ithout readily identif iable
that I am most passionate about. Just last year, one icy-cold Montreal evening while I walked from the librar y, my fr iend turned to me and asked, ‘W hy do you spend so much time work ing? W hy don’t you come out w ith us more often?’ My answer: ‘I just really love study ing and learning.” T h i s s t u d e n t c o n t i n u e s t o b e i n t e re s t e d i n human r ights. T hroughout law school , she was involved with the Inter national Human R i g h t s P r o g ra m . S h e w i l l b e w o r k i n g i n N e w Yo r k a t a B i g l a w f i r m . S h e c o n t i n u e s t o l o v e studying and lear ning.
The human rights advocate “I have a strong interest in the complex issues of Indigenous r ights and the sensitive conversations surrounding indigenous enfranchisement. With a strong legal education, I hope to gain the tools and knowledge required to accomplish more substantial work in this f ield, both in terms of leg islation and indiv idual cases. The Universit y of Toronto w ith its outstanding reputation and commitment to public interest would af ford me the opportunit y to attain those goals. Furthermore, I am attracted to U of T for its International Human R ights Program, as it of fers a hands-on learning exper ience in the f ield
A nother human rights advocate “I know now that I want to play a role in the advancement of human r ights, particularly for the most v ulnerable members of the population … I believe that the best means for me to continue mak ing a dif ference, to go on hav ing a positive impact on the lives of people who are oppressed, abused, impover ished, or other w ise suf fering, is by the study and practice of law. W hile I intend to keep an open mind about where the study of law may lead me, I also believe a sense of direction is valuable. If all goes well, I w ill spend the f irst part of my career practicing law in Canada, either at a f irm that specializes in my areas of interest or at one that commits considerable resources to pro bono ser v ices. Work ing as an in-house counsel at a women’s shelter could also be ver y fulf illing. Eventually, when I am ready for a change, I hope to make a transition to the f ield of international human r ights. Human R ights Watch, A mnest y International, and the Of f ice of the High Commissioner for Human R ights are just a few of the organizations I dream about being a part of one day. More realistically, I would be happy doing legal research for a smaller non-governmental organization based in Canada that focuses on human r ights advocacy.” T h i s s t u d e n t w i l l b e g ra d u a t i n g w i t h a J D/ M P P . S h e w i l l b e a r t i cl i n g a t t h e M i ni s t r y o f C o m m u n i t y S a f e t y a n d C o r re c t i o n a l S e r v i c e s . S h e s t i l l c o n s i d e r s h e r s e l f a n i d e a li s t w i t h a bl e e d i n g h e a r t . S h e f u l l y i n t e n d s t o get back into inter national human r ights law a f t e r a r t i cl i n g . S h e w a s h e a v i l y i n v o l v e d with the IHR P throughout law school . She a l s o i n t e r n e d w i t h t h e H u m a n R i g h t s Wa t c h l a s t s u m m e r a n d w a n t s t o re t u r n t o t h a t e v e ntually. S h e re c o g n i z e s t h a t i t m a y t a k e a c o u p l e o f d e c a d e s t o re p a y h e r d e b t b u t s h e m a i n t a i n s that that is the pr ice U of T L aw charges for low-income students if they want top-notch l e g a l e d u c a t i o n b u t a re n o t w i l l i n g t o w o r k o n B a y S t re e t .
