LinkedIn describes PTO Employees

The social networking site LinkedIn has created a profile of USPTO employees (Based on LinkedIn members). In their data, the most common career path is from ASRC (a major Gov’t Contractor) to the USPTO; then to Bingham McCutchen. Folks leave Bingham for Perkins Coie and Goodwin Procter. From there, they branch out to Ropes & Gray, Foley Hoag, Microsoft, Amazon, Expedia, Wilson Sonsini, and Google.

With all this job-hopping, LinkedIn helps me keep track of patent law folks I have met along the way (even after we change jobs and move across the world).

• Apparently, a LinkedIn membership is required before viewing the full employee profiles.
• My LinkedIn profile.
• Patently-O Facebook Group.

Comments

[curious]

http://www.semissourian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080324/NEWS01/112155893/-1/RSS

Dennis, what are your thoughts?

[2600examiner]

36% female seems a bit high. My art unit is about 15% female.

[ex-exam]

2600examiner, at the PTO it is sometimes hard to tell which ones are male and which ones are female. You might actually have more than you believe.

[2600examiner]

I did a head count using the employee locator and then adjusted upward based on ambigous names.

[examiner#6k]

I'd say my group has around 36%, maybe a bit more. We have quite a few girls in our AU, which is VERY surprising considering our art. Additionally, my PTA class had 5/13 girls/boys.

[BigGuy]

"We have quite a few girls in our AU, which is VERY surprising considering our art."

They're clearly attracted by your obvious charm and scintillating wit.

[2600examiner]

My PTA class had 0 girls.

Anyways, the PTO is not a good place to pick up women.

[examiner#6k]

2600, you were not in my class :) I agree the whole work relationship thing would probably be bad. But hey, one of the best looking girls I know was in the class next to mine, and she was nice too boot. So is she now totally off-limits? What about the cuties on my floor/building?

Well, they're offlimits now because I have an outside the pto gal, but hey, who knows about later? I'd say that between the networking of (especially) the girls here at the pto, which leads to easy introductions for us guys who know some girls pretty well, and the PTOS functions it's pretty easy to pick up women. It's a lot easier than other places I've worked I'll tell you that much. Then again, even the worst bars are probably easier, so meh.

[just wondering]

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/speeches/08-10.htm

I wonder why the USPTO didn't post this notice back in late February instead of waiting until a few days before the end of the contest?

[2600examiner]

When I was in the academy there was only one girl in one of the other labs that was very good looking. A couple were average. I'm not exaggerating. My standards aren't particularly high.

I've discussed this with my officemate in the past. We decided that there are four cute girls on our floor. One is married. Two have boyfriends. The other one comes out of her office like once a month.

[ex-exam]

Come to DC dudes. It's swarming with girls. The best places are around Chinatown now. Go figure. Thirty years ago the entire city was like the PTO. Now stop your complaining!

[CaveMan]

Personally, I don't consider LinkedIn a "social" networking site. I rather consider it a "professional" networking site. In my opinion, LinkedIn is far and away superior to Facebook or other places where one my find pictures of "my trip to Cancun" or someone's favorite pet. The day any of my contacts on LinkedIn start posting pictures of their cat, I will consider disconnecting.

[georgina dukakis]

mine turned around in the past few years from 90% male to 90% female; the guys left for lawfirms in the dc area, and management felt that it was time to get some browny-points for doing the right thing...

[From the Feb. 2007 class]

From what I've seen there are tons of attractive women at the PTO. Three of them work right down the hall from me, one in my AU. In my PTA class (not in my lab), there was one girl who was, without exaggeration, one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. She was really nice, too. The rest of the females in the class were generally fairly attractive as well, except for the old ones (not that there aren't good looking older women, there just weren't in that class). I'm married, though, and so I shall never take a shot....

[Curious]

How many of the male examiners are attractive? I envision a distribution of male attractiveness similar to that observed in my engineering classes and among the male patent attorneys at my firm.

[so thats drool on the OA... or worse?]

Based on the comments here, I think I'll draft my next application to include a figure of an attractive female... = First Action Notice of Allowance

[2600examiner]

"Based on the comments here, I think I'll draft my next application to include a figure of an attractive female... = First Action Notice of Allowance"

Not a first action allowance, but that strategy seemed to work for 6978164

See http://www.pat2pdf.org/patents/pat6978164.pdf

[former examiner]

HEY!! lets not forget all the great females at the crystal city restaurant!!!!

[2600examiner]

"From what I've seen there are tons of attractive women at the PTO. Three of them work right down the hall from me, one in my AU. In my PTA class (not in my lab), there was one girl who was, without exaggeration, one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. She was really nice, too."

I was in February '07 too so I know who you're talking about. That girl is "nerd hot" and very nice. I guess you're lucky to have cute girls near you. For me the PTO is a lot like college (my school was 70% male) only there isn't a women's college across the street.

I'm planning on leaving for a law firm next year and am looking forward to not having to tell girls that I'm a patent examiner

[John Roethel]

Man, times have changed. Most Examiners were straight from engineering school. The PTO of the early 70's was draft deferment heaven -- 2N deferment for working on National Security subject matter and every AU had some. Plus the PTO paid about half of my night law school tuition. We weren't chasing women then, we were avoiding bullets and getting a law degree. Not many women in the mechanical arts back then. Only men got drafted -- equal rights for women didn't start until the draft ended.

[Mrs. Shin]

Yuck, this thread makes me think of that Jackson Brown song about the mating calls of young lawyers in love (might as well add patent examiners too).

[examiner#6k]

2600, Idk, I haven't had any girl react negatively to "I'm a patent examiner" yet, I would describe what I get as more of a positive reaction. Though, this is probably in direct response to the "cult of inventorship" that has been cultivated throughout the country unfortunately.

That said, telling them you're in law school or a lawyer cannot hurt, that is, unless they're a rational human being. I hear all rational human beings fear and despise those associated with the practice of law, a belief embodied by the father of my gf and most people I know not in the PTO.

[examiner#7M]

Do any of you ever do any work, or do you just stare at your coworkers all day?