Navigating Work Distribution Systems

Intellectual property patent agent Mario Gaviria was part of a panel titled “Navigating Work Distribution Systems”. The panel was for the Patent Pathways program.

Discussed on the webinar were the below questions.

• How does your firm approach work assignments and the general distribution of work?
• Is your firm under a billed or billable hour model? (discuss the differences between the two)
• How many hours are full-time associates expected to bill? (what does the week typically look like for you within this structure?)
• Is there an opportunity to request a reduced quota or billing arrangement?
• Are there any non-billable activities that associates can join and still get credit for?
• How does the work distribution system impact or tie into partnership consideration, if at all?
• What questions do you recommend and encourage students to ask when exploring private practice opportunities in a law firm?