My Summer of IP: personal stories #11

Page published on 7th November 2023
Page last modified on 7th November 2023

“It was fantastic to gain a feel of the strong sense of teamwork… which was highlighted throughout the day, fostering a fun and positive atmosphere.” 
– Chloe Fitzgerald, Summer of IP alumnus

During the summer of 2023 our Careers in Ideas team coordinated a programme of outreach activities and events, under the Summer of IP banner. They included introductions to the basics about IP and the careers available here, some more specific events to showcase particular types of career, and opportunities such as taster sessions and work experience placements from IP sector employers.

We asked participants to tell us about their Summer of IP experiences, what they learnt and what they enjoyed the most. We’re publishing the resultant blog posts on our website News and Features page throughout the autumn. Here Chloe Fitzgerald, a final year undergraduate chemistry apprentice at Syngenta, writes about an IP taster day she attended as part of the programme.

Chloe writes:

I am very grateful that I had the chance to attend Reddie & Grose’s very first Summer of IP taster day on 23 August 2023. As a final year chemistry student keen to pursue a career in intellectual property (IP) law, this taster day was a fantastic opportunity to explore the field and help to make more informed decisions for the next steps after graduation.

Eager to understand how private IP firms operate, I applied to attend the taster day which I initially discovered through IP Inclusive. We began the day warmly welcomed into the Reddie & Grose office located in the dynamic White Chapel Building, to gain a fascinating glimpse into the world of IP. Delivered in segments, the itinerary offered an all-encompassing and whistle-stop tour of IP, starting with an introductory session to bring us up to speed with the fundamentals of IP law. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to talks presented by senior partners, sharing their career journeys and passion.

This was followed by a practical session, where we delved into a written skills task, to practise drafting legal documents. This impressed upon me the special literary skill set required for a well-crafted patent application, where mastery of language is key in fully capturing the potential of a new invention.

Chloe Fitzgerald

In addition, it was fantastic to gain a feel of the strong sense of teamwork at Reddie & Grose, which was highlighted throughout the day, fostering a fun and positive atmosphere. This sentiment was echoed during the break time, where we were generously catered for over a networking lunch. It was a pleasure to converse with the team in a more informal setting, whilst whetting my appetite for an afternoon filled with more career insights and practical application advice. Extremely helpful were the question-and-answer sessions, where I was inspired listening to the current trainees relate their recent successes and experiences. We were reassured that hard work really does pay off, and we were advised on strategies to tackle the five prospective years of intense learning and examinations. Moreover, it was encouraging to hear that Reddie & Grose are committed to supporting their trainees through means of a mentoring system, a bespoke introductory training bootcamp, and paid study leave.

Finally, it was a pleasure to be able to connect and make new friends with like-minded individuals, who were also invited to attend this fantastic taster day. This engagement and interaction with the team and fellow attendees was an incredibly rewarding and stimulating experience, reaffirming my commitment to study patent law. I would like to thank everyone at Reddie & Grose who graciously offered me valuable advice, and for all of the effort put into organising the event!

 

Our thanks to all the IP professionals and organisations who helped to make Summer of IP a success, and in particular to Reddie & Grose for organising and hosting the taster event that Chloe so enjoyed.