Dana Zelazny '00
Associate Intellectual Property Attorney
Description of your current position:
I'm an Intellectual Property attorney specializing medical device technology
Necessary education or experience
for your current position:
A JD is necessary to practice law and an undergraduate degree in a science
field is necessary to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office.
My background in biomedical engineering has enabled me to seek out and represent
clients in the medical device field with greater ease than would otherwise
be possible.
On MSOE and Biomedical Engineering
Do you think a degree in BE is a good choice?
Yes, particularly with respect to my current field. Many clients are able
to relate to me more easily knowing that I have a background that combines
medical technology with traditional mechanical and engineering fields. I
also find that I am ahead of the curve when performing research and learning
about new technology.
Do you think MSOE is a good choice of college?
Yes. While MSOE is not
necessarily well known outside of the Milwaukee market, I believe that
MSOE's BE program is better developed and has provided me with more rigorous
training than that available at many of the programs recently added to
other, well known colleges.
Why did you choose MSOE's BE program?
I wanted an established program with an emphasis on practical applications.
What did you like about MSOE?
I liked the small class size, extensive opportunities for professor-student
interaction and the unique campus experience of a small, downtown college.
What did you like about the
BE program?
I particularly liked the fact that students study both mechanical and electrical
aspects of biomedical engineering, rather than specializing in one or the
other.
Now that you are in graduate school, are
you happy with the education that you received in the BE program at MSOE?
Yes.
Key skills that are necessary
to be successful in your position:
Good writing skills, although not necessarily technical writing.
A descriptoin of your path
to your current position:
I attended MSOE right after high school, majoring in biomedical engineering. After graduating in four years, I immediately enrolled in the University of Wisconsin Law School. I was a summer associate in the intellectual property departments of different law firms during the summers after my first and second years at law school. My third year in law school, I interned for a judge of the Seventh Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. Following graduation from law school, I was admitted to the Wisconsin and Minnesota bars, as well as the US Federal Patent Bar, and accepted a position as an Associate at a law firm in Minneapolis, MN. I am currently working for Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Milwaukee.
Good and bad aspects of your current position:
I enjoy working with state of the art medical device technology in a
variety of fields, and the pay for attorneys with engineering degrees
tends to be higher than for those with other specialties. However, as
an attorney at a large firm, the hours are long and can be irregular.
| For information about MSOE's B.S. in Biomedical Engineering program, contact interim program director Dr. Charles Tritt at (414) 277-7421. |