My placement at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) provided me with a productive and engaging experience. It consisted of a tour of the different branches at CIPO, which was organized to show me a diversity of the opinions, careers, and tasks that exist at the office. Every week or so I was assigned to a new branch, and given a new contact from within that branch. The contact provided me with legal work and spoke to me about the department, generally taking me out for coffee. At most placements, the head of the branch also introduced themselves to me over coffee. I found these coffee breaks fascinating, both because of the legal and policy discussions, and because of the opportunities to learn about the different career paths available to law school graduates within the federal government.
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I had many useful experiences during my time at CIPO. I learned skills that can be applied to both sides of the bench, as I was able to both conduct legal research and discover methods of adjudication. My contacts were always attentive with feedback, and I was excited to learn that my work would actually be used, either by others within CIPO, or by the Canadian population looking to secure their IP rights. It was a rewarding experience, and it more than justified my decision to attend Osgoode for the IP intensive program.
Written by Keenan Fast, Osgoode JD Candidate, enrolled in Professors D’Agostino and Vaver 2019/2020 IP & Technology Law Intensive Program at Osgoode Hall Law School. As part of the program requirements, students were asked to write a reflective blog on their internship experience.