University of St. Thomas Law Student Gains Hands-On Experience in Intellectual Property Through Summer Externship

Before beginning his summer externship, second-year law student Haakon Lien had not yet explored intellectual property (IP) law as a potential career path. Open to discovering new areas of law, Lien entered the externship with an eagerness to learn and explore.

"I did not really have an area of law in mind that I was considering when I started law school," Lien said. "I wanted to—and still do—explore every option available, and hopefully by doing so, I will find an area that I especially enjoy."

The University of St. Thomas School of Law’s Legal Externship Program aims to provide students with opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in real-world legal settings while exploring diverse career paths.

Through the program, Lien was matched with Scott Pederson ’11 J.D., a partner at Brooks, Cameron, and Huebsch in Minneapolis and a patent attorney. Pederson’s pro bono work with LegalCORPS allows law students like Lien to assist entrepreneurs, inventors, small businesses, and nonprofits in securing intellectual property protections.

Pederson established the externship collaboration with LegalCORPS to both expose St. Thomas law students to intellectual property law and to expand access to legal services for clients who might otherwise be unable to afford them.

"This is my first exposure to intellectual property and patent law and so far, I am really enjoying the work," Lien said. "Helping clients protect their ideas while trying to understand the case law and regulations has been a rewarding experience."

Lien credits the legal research and writing skills he developed during his first year of law school for preparing him to meet the challenges of the externship. However, he acknowledges that mastering the specifics of patent and IP law has required a steep learning curve.

"When I sat down with Scott for our first meeting, my knowledge of patent and IP law was essentially zero," Lien recalled. "I knew I would need to ask a lot of questions. Now, being a little more than a month into the externship, I am conducting research on patentability and office action rejections. I've analyzed 35 USC § 101 rejections, drafted appeal briefs, and assisted with client legal needs assessments to determine what next steps are for them."

As Lien prepares to enter his second year of law school this fall, he reflects on how the externship experience is shaping his professional identity.

"One of the things that I have really appreciated from this summer's externship has been working with and helping small businesses and individuals," he said. "I could see myself pursuing business or transactional law in some capacity. The intersection of innovation and the law is really fascinating."