Deciding on where to attend law school can be one of the most daunting decisions of an aspiring attorney’s life. With so many options out there, it’s difficult to determine what makes a law school not just the best choice, but the right choice for you.
We recently sat down with 2L Jacob Rocchi, JD/LLM candidate, to ask him about his decision-making process in choosing UNH Franklin Pierce. Here’s what he had to say:
Q: What were the factors that you considered when choosing a law school?
The factors I considered during my law school admission process were the strength of each school’s intellectual property law program, the reputation of each school as a whole, the alumni network of each school, and the distance of each school from my home of Pittsburgh, PA.
Q: Which were most important factors and which were not as important?
The most important factor in my law school decision was based on the strength of each law school’s intellectual property program. I decided that I wanted to go into intellectual property law after doing research work at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) during my undergraduate career. It was here where I developed a passion for researching how drugs and pharmaceuticals are produced and later protected by our patent system. I wanted to ensure that the law school I chose had a program that taught me about this process.
First, I looked at the reputation of each school’s intellectual property program. UNH Franklin Pierce checked this requirement off quickly in my decision-making process since our school is consistently ranked among the best intellectual property law schools in the country. Since I have been a student here, I have learned why this is the case. I enjoy the quality, quantity, and diversity of intellectual property courses that UNH Franklin Pierce provides to us. Not only have I been able to learn about the patent system, but I have able to learn about other types of law that are related to intellectual property law. For example, I have taken some sports law courses which have heightened my interest in the field.
Q: What made you choose UNH Franklin Pierce?
Besides our intellectual property program, I chose UNH Franklin Pierce because the admissions department made me feel comfortable during the application process. During my visit to UNH Franklin Pierce, the admissions department gave me a fantastic tour of the school and thoroughly answered all of my questions. I was then inspired to “give back” to other prospective and admitted students, so now I work in the admissions department where I give tours and answer questions from prospective and admitted students.
Another reason I picked UNH Franklin Pierce was for our school’s reputation in getting our students internships and externships. I have been fortunate to be given two excellent internships. After my 1L year, I worked for UNH Athletics where I aided the compliance department in various legal issues, especially those that dealt with the rise of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation across the nation during the summer of 2021. This summer, I will be working for The Webb Law Firm, an IP boutique firm in Pittsburgh, PA, where I will be working in patent litigation and patent prosecution.
Finally, the rise of the Sports and Entertainment Institute was instrumental in my decision in choosing UNH Franklin Pierce. Although I want to work with drug and pharmaceutical patents in the future, I also have a huge passion for sports law, and I would like to add it to my practice one day. Moreover, I have taken advantage of all the sports law opportunities that our school provides. I am the treasurer for the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, and I am a managing editor for the newly released UNH Sports Law Review. These opportunities have allowed me to grow more knowledgeable about the field and build connections with alumni and other attorneys who work in the field.
Thank you, Jacob, for sharing your story with us. We’re so glad to have you as part of the UNH Franklin Pierce community!
