C & E

It has become readily apparent that in addition to random political rants, this blog also pertains to my personal/professional life. For the past 18 months or so, I have been working at a lucrative biotech patent law firm - lucrative not in the sense that it is ultra-competitive to land a job there, but rather, the firm is predominantly occupied by remarkably intelligent Ph.D. scientists (some of whom happen to have their law degrees). I was initially drawn to the firm because of the promise that I would be exposed to a great deal of international law, as well as the inner workings of a typical law firm. As far as I'm concerned, these two aspects have been fulfilled, and thus, it is time for me to move on- with the only logical next step being law school.

Like many jobs heralded by recent college graduates, I have had my fair share of ups and downs with regard to the work environment. On the one hand, I'm gaining fantastic experience interacting with scientists and attorneys alike on a daily basis, communicating with international law firms throughout, and shouldering a significant amount of responsibility; without which, the firm would not function the way that it does. On the other hand, I am working in a lucrative field that fails to inspire my deepest interests in international economics, politics, and law. I long to find purpose in my professional life, and so far, it has been difficult.

In the beginning, I was excited to learn about almost anything: Patent Cooperation Treaty, Paris Convention, World Intellectual Property Organization, Immunoinflammatory Disorders - these were once as foreign to me as Arabic or French. However, as time passed by, I managed to pick things up much quicker than expected, resulting in a sense of boredom fulfilled by my ambition to master the tasks at hand. Now, I see my job not as a source of inspiration and learning, but rather, as Randall called it, "A place to buy time before law school starts."

But then I have to reassess my own motivations in life. Am I wasting my time at this firm? Is my reluctance to take that extra step in quitting preventing me from experiencing another job environment? Or am I gaining valuable experience in dealing with a particular employment experience where I must succumb to the high's and the low's, in order to ultimately reach that unattainable feeling of fulfillment in my life?

Maybe I'm getting a little too far ahead of myself. Nevertheless, I've managed to saturate my experience at the law firm. Once the law school red tape has been cleared, I see myself travelling Asia for a couple months - before returning to a summer not yet occupied by solid plans. I will come to regard this experience as one that has contributed to my personal and professional development, and I hope that I will be able to maintain friendly relations with the co-workers that I have been a large part of my life for as many months.