Intellectual Property Lawyer Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Intellectual Property Lawyer resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Intellectual property lawyers work in an area of law that deals with the creation and protection of unique ideas. They help clients secure the rights to their creations, like new inventions or unique pieces of art. They also help clients defend against intellectual property claims, such as copyright infringement or trademark violation.
Because this area of law is so broad—covering everything from corporate logos to computer code—there’s a lot of room for intellectual property lawyers to specialize. Some might focus on trademarks while others might concentrate on copyright law. And still others might aim to become experts in the field of patent law.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career as an intellectual property lawyer or just want a taste of what it’s like to work in this field, here are some tips for writing a great intellectual property lawyer resume plus an example for reference.
How to Write an Intellectual Property Lawyer Resume
Here’s how to write an intellectual property lawyer resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are your chance to show off your experience and qualifications. But they can be tricky to write because you have to be both descriptive and concise.
The best way to do this is to focus on the results of your work. So rather than saying you “assisted in drafting patent applications,” you could say you “assisted in drafting patent applications for software that resulted in 9 patents granted in first year.”
The second bullet point is much stronger because it provides specific details about the project and the outcome. And it also includes a quantifiable result—9 patents granted! That’s a great statistic to include in your resume because it shows potential employers that you’re capable of achieving results.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for an intellectual property lawyer role, your resume is likely to be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. These programs look for specific terms related to the job, like “patent” or “trademark” in order to determine whether your skills are a match for the position. If your resume doesn’t include enough relevant keywords, the ATS might discard your application.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, make sure to include keywords throughout all sections of your resume, especially in the skills and experience sections. Here are some common intellectual property lawyer keywords to get you started:
- Trademarks
- Patent Law
- Patent Prosecution
- Intellectual Property
- Licensing
- Patent Litigation
- Copyright Law
- Legal Writing
- Legal Research
- Patent Preparation
- Trade Secrets
- Prosecution
- Litigation
- Patentability
- Corporate Law
- Trademark Infringement
- Licensing Agreements
- Trade Marks
- Civil Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Civil Procedure
- Arbitration
- Litigation Management
- Contract Law
- Legal Advice
- Drafting Agreements
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
- Competition Law
- Intellectual Property Rights
- Privacy Law
Showcase Your Technical Skills
Intellectual property lawyers need to be proficient in a variety of software programs and databases in order to effectively do their jobs. For instance, they should be familiar with legal research databases like LexisNexis and Westlaw, as well as case management software like Clio. Additionally, intellectual property lawyers should be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, as they will often need to create and edit legal documents.