In this blog post for Summer of IP 2026, PhD student Anthony Liu shares his experience of attending one of our employer events – a three-day work experience scheme organised and hosted by Script IP in Southampton. Over the course of the work experience, Anthony enjoyed a whole range of practical workshops and exercises, met a wide range of IP professionals and benefitted from a CV workshop.
Anthony writes:
I first learned about Script IP’s work experience programme through the Summer of IP campaign. After filling in the application form and completing a short online test, I was fortunate to be offered a place on this three-day programme in August 2026.
On the morning of the first day, I arrived early and met a fellow participant outside the firm’s building. We were warmly welcomed into the office and were given a quick tour. After being introduced to everyone, we settled in one of the meeting rooms waiting for the day to start. On the desk in the meeting room there were four sets of gifts for us, each set containing a water bottle, a pen, a highlighter, a nice hardback notebook and a bar of Cadbury chocolate. It was a small gesture, but one that immediately made us feel welcome.
The programme was divided into different sessions, each lasting a few hours and designed to give us an introduction to the profession and more importantly, a taste of what work is like for patent attorneys through hands-on exercises. Each session was led by attorneys at different stages of their careers, from trainees to partners. This gave us the opportunity to hear a range of perspectives on the profession. From corkscrews and lighting devices to vaccines and polymers, we worked on a variety of inventions as a group. Sometimes we found ourselves trying hard to understand the technical details, and sometimes we struggled to find the right words to describe a seemingly simple feature. Through exercises in claim drafting, assessing prior art and responding to examination reports, we began to see how patent attorneys move between technical understanding and legal reasoning. It was an excellent way to deepen my understanding of the profession, and a great opportunity to find out whether it was a career I could see myself pursuing.
Other than the technical part of the experience, we were also encouraged to talk to everyone in the office. There was a dedicated ‘chatting over lunch’ session on the last day. In reality, though, conversations happened naturally throughout the programme. Whenever we had any questions regarding anything, our questions were always answered in a friendly and thoughtful way that provided enough information but also invited follow-up discussions.
After a fruitful two and a half days, the work experience ended with a CV workshop. Led by two attorneys, we went through a selection of CVs and cover letters and were given advice on our own applications. The attorneys then went through our own CVs and cover letters in detail one by one. For me, they made my CV much clearer by helping me optimising my space and adding important details. Anyone who has spent hours second-guessing a CV will appreciate how valuable it was to receive detailed feedback from practising attorneys.
Overall, the work experience was a very pleasant experience and gave me a much clearer understanding of the profession. I would like to thank everyone at Script IP and Careers in Ideas for making this happen and would highly recommend the programme to anyone interested in exploring a career in patent law.
Last Updated: September 23, 2026