Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Lawyers
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.'s Chief Legal Officer Eric highlights two entry-level positions: "contract associate," a role ideal for pre-law students where "about half" have gone to law school, and a government affairs analyst position focusing on regulatory monitoring. These roles offer valuable experience and career trajectory options, with some alumni moving into marketing or commercial roles.
Entry-Level Jobs, Legal Careers, Contract Negotiation, Government Affairs, Networking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
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Eric Davis
Chief Legal Officer
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
U.C. Berkeley
University of San Francisco, Juris Doctorate
Political Science, American Studies
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical
Legal
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. offers entry-level positions like Contract Associate, which involves contract negotiation and close work with attorneys, often leading to law school or other careers.
2. About half of the Contract Associates have gone to law school, and others have pursued careers in marketing or commercial fields, showcasing diverse career paths.
3. Another entry-level role is an Analyst in the government affairs group, focusing on monitoring federal and state-level issues relevant to the company, offering exposure to policy and regulatory aspects of the pharmaceutical industry.
Transcript
What entry-level positions in this field might an undergraduate college student consider?
Within my department specifically, we have two primary entry-level roles on the legal side. We have a job we call a contract associate. These are generally folks who have recently graduated from college, it's their first job.
They help to negotiate all of our contracts and work really closely with the attorneys. It's a fantastic job for people who are thinking about law school. We know we'll only keep these folks for about two or three years before they move on.
About half of them have gone on to law school. It's a great way to get references from the attorneys. I'm really proud to say that a bunch of those folks have gone on to successful legal careers.
Even those who don't pursue law get exposed to a pretty broad swath of our business. We've had folks go into marketing and commercial roles afterwards. So, that's a great job.
The other entry-level job we generally have is an analyst in our government affairs group. These are folks charged with monitoring what's going on at the federal or state level on issues of importance to us.