STUDENT PROFILE

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Sarah Perlinger: 1L at the Franklin Pierce Law Center[By Heather Jung]

On March 26, Sarah Perlinger was a guest speaker at the 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society

(ACS). Perlinger, a 1L at the Franklin Pierce Law Center, spoke to those in attendance about “non-traditional” chemistry

careers, focusing on her experience as a patent examiner and her decision to attend law school after studying chemistry as

an undergraduate.

“I hope to answer questions from those who

may be thinking about pursuing a career

in law,” Perlinger said. “This is relevant

because there are many chemists who may

be contemplating different career choices

and may be unaware of what patent law is

and what a career path in law entails. My

talk will give those chemists a starting point

for further research on patent law if they are

thinking this field might be for them.”

Perlinger received her B.S. in chemistry

from Union University in Jackson, TN, in

2005. During the course of her studies, she

won several awards, including Outstanding

Physical Chemistry Student, Academic Medal

of Honor for Chemistry, Union University

Research Award, and the CRC Freshman

Award.

Perlinger hopes to put her background

in chemistry to good use by working in

pharmaceutical patent law in Washington, DC,

after she graduates. Patent law will allow her

to combine her passions for chemistry and

the law. She said that she got this idea while

working at the U.S. Patent and Trademark

Office, where she examined patents that

mostly dealt with pharmaceutical compounds.

“I enjoyed working on that subject matter

immensely because I was able to use my

chemistry background when analyzing the

compounds themselves, and I also learned a

lot of biochemistry when researching how the

compounds act in the body,” she said.

According to Perlinger, she decided to pursue

a career in law after exploring the career

options available to someone who studied

chemistry. She says that she was drawn to

law “because it offers so much opportunity to

communicate on varied subject matter within

the chemical technology.” Since she began

studying law, she has come to appreciate it

even more.

“I love that every time you open a new case,

no matter how similar the subject matter is to

other cases, the analysis can be very different

because of one differing key fact. Essentially,

I love that the analysis is always fresh and

challenging,” Perlinger said.

Perlinger interned at Finnegan, Henderson,

Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP, one of the

world’s leading intellectual property firms,

the summer after graduating from Union

University. During that time, she worked

on a litigation support staff that helped the

attorneys organize their pleadings, prepare a

privilege log, and organize correspondence for

ongoing cases. She says that her experiences

there introduced her to patent litigation and

gave her a better understanding of what

goes on during the discovery process. This

summer she plans to work at Sterne, Kessler,

Goldstein & Fox as a summer associate.

Student organizations have played a large

role in Perlinger’s law school career. She

is currently active in a couple: Student

Intellectual Property Law Association (SIPLA)

and Women’s Law Student Association

(WLSA). Perlinger says that SIPLA’s main

goal is to educate law students about

intellectual property laws and works to bring

in speakers who work in that field. WLSA’s

goal is to bring men and women together to

discuss the issues women face during law

school. WLSA also pairs law students with

mentors who are women currently working

as lawyers and want to share their wisdom

with the students. Perlinger is also a Student

Ambassador for the Pierce Law Center.

“So far, I think the associations allow you

to meet and get to know other students you

might not otherwise encounter in classes

and elsewhere,” Perlinger said. “They also

provide you with numerous opportunities

to learn from people already working as

attorneys. Finally, the associations also put

you in touch with faculty who can give you

great tips for surviving law school. Overall,

the associations allow you to build a network

of people you can hopefully keep in touch with

long after law school is over.”

On the net

Franklin Pierce Law Center

www.piercelaw.edu

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett &

Dunner, LLP

www.finnegan.com

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

www.uspto.gov

Q. What do you do for fun?A. I love getting outdoors, so whatever excuse I can make to get outdoors, I do. I also love to play tennis, and I love hanging out with my family in Colorado, where I’m from.

Q. What CD is in your CD player right now?A. Wow, I think I actually have an old Weezer CD in my CD player right now.

Q. What was the last magazine you read?A. I actually don’t read magazines all that often, so I’m not sure.

Q. What is your favorite tV show?A. Gilmore Girls. I’m quite a fan actually and have been since the show started.