Involvement Adds to Aspiring Patent Law Attorney's Education

When Brandon Reed (J.D. ’18) came to Georgia State Law, he’d been working as a sales representative for a medical device manufacturer for five years. The Georgia Institute of Technology graduate loved what he did. However, he wanted to continue his education; he just wasn’t sure in what way — at first.

“I liked helping clients solve problems and being an advocate for them, which seemed to fit well with the practice of law,” he said. “I also have two friends who are practicing patent attorneys and that field seemed extremely interesting to me.”

After watching a video about the HeLP Legal Services Clinic, he was moved by the assistance it offers to low-income families whose children are patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “Their mission and purpose were something that set Georgia State Law apart. I was proudly a member of the clinic during my 2L year.”

From the moment he entered law school, Reed tailored his education to learn as much as possible about health care law and intellectual property law and will graduate with certificates in both.

Reed served on the Student Health Law Association board and as an associate articles editor for Georgia State University Law Review, which published his 2L note on enhanced damages in patent law. He also is a pupil member of the Atlanta Intellectual Property Inn of Court and co-drafted its continuing legal education (CLE) materials on the copyrightability of tattoos.

Reed is only the second student in Georgia State Law history to be on teams that won national championships in two different organizations: one in mock trial (Mockingbird Challenge) and one for the Center for Intellectual Property (International Patent Drafting). He also won Outstanding Brief at the South Texas Mock Trial Challenge.

He juggled his law school education and involvement with becoming a father during his second-year summer. “That has surely been one of the biggest, and most rewarding, activities of my law school career.”

The diversity in experience and background of students is part of what makes Georgia State Law great, Reed said.

“When I entered the College of Law, I’d already worked for a few years and been married for over three years. I also hadn’t been in school – or taken a test – for a number of years,” he said. “At many other schools, I would have been an outsider, but that wasn’t the case here. We have students who are parents, students who are working full time, students who are parents and are working full time, students who have already worked in the field of law, and students who have worked in fields far away from law.”

Reed said that has been an invaluable part of his experience. “One of the best things Georgia State Law teaches is perspective; a perspective of different people and cultures, which fosters a deeper understanding of justice, injustice, and the role of attorneys in this diverse country.”

After sitting for the Georgia Bar and patent bar, Reed plans to work with the patent group at Troutman Sanders.