2L Angelynn Nguyen Blends Microbiology Background and Legal Education to Help Startups Navigate Patent Questions 

Angelynn Nguyen.

Second-year law student Angelynn Nguyen followed her passion for science, technology, and law by researching and advising an entrepreneur client about patent law through UC Law SF’s Startup Legal Garage.

2L Angelynn Nguyen helped biotech companies assess legal risks through her work with UC Law SF’s Startup Legal Garage, enhancing her lawyering skills and bridging her interest in science and law.

  • Helped biotech startup clients assess whether their product infringes on a patent as a student in the Startup Legal Garage (SLG). 
  • Plans to be an IP litigator, pursuing her interest and experience in microbiology. 
  • Enjoyed the SLG opportunity to learn patent law and advise a real-world client.  

2L Angelynn Nguyen:

I am in the patent module of Startup Legal Garage (SLG) and have been conducting freedom-to-operate (FTO) analyses that assess whether a client’s product potentially infringes on a patent.  

This work is crucial because the majority of tech startups fail, and it’s often due to litigation. That’s where SLG comes in. It matches early-stage startups with UC Law SF students and supervising attorneys. The startups get free legal advice, while students get the opportunity to hone their research, legal writing, and client communication skills.  

Through this process, we meet with the clients to clarify our understanding of the technology and give updates. At the end of the semester, we present our findings to the clients and field questions.  

This work is special to me because I’m impacting biotech innovation. As someone who worked in a microbiology lab, I understand how difficult research and building a startup is. I am grateful for the opportunity to take some legal burdens off the back of these inventors.  

I have always been interested in the intersection between STEM/biotech and the law. SLG opened my eyes to how I can converge those interests in practice. It’s fun to go from reading the scientific literature to develop my understanding of the technology to reviewing the patent laws.  

I plan to be an IP litigator, and the seminar portion of SLG has enriched my understanding of patent law. We discussed key Supreme Court cases and subsequent developments in the Federal Circuit. This broad yet extensive look into patent law will aid me in analyzing my clients’ cases as I enter practice.  

 I recommend SLG because the clinic provides invaluable, practical experience for students interested in patents and/or startups. You regularly communicate with clients and explain complex legal topics. It’s such an advantage to begin a career with this experience. 

The Evidence of Success series highlights UC Law SF students as they share how the college’s opportunities equip them with the experience, skills, and confidence to excel in the legal profession.