Eric T. Syu
Naperville, IL
National Mensa Member Scholarship Recipient

People often struggle their entire lives to reconcile their talents, interests, and careers together, especially if they encompass very disparate fields. Fortunately I have discovered that practicing international intellectual property law will do just that for me. I can exercise my technical abilities, pursue my love of foreign languages and cultures, and establish myself in a burgeoning field with limitless opportunities.

In the past, I faced a curious dilemma. I had demonstrated aptitude in mathematics and the sciences, eventually attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I majored in electrical engineering and computer science, specializing in signal processing, and graduated with a perfect GPA. However, even though I enjoyed technical challenges and excelled in solving them, I simultaneously yearned for a career where I would deal with more than equations, graphs, and gadgets. In high school, I loved writing essays, learning foreign languages, and arguing international politics. During college, though, I felt I had to abandon those interests. I was training to be an engineer, not a writer, linguist, or political analyst.

Fortunately, I realized another option was available. To my surprise, I encountered law firms at successive MIT career fairs. When I inquired why they would possibly want MIT students, they replied that intellectual property law required lawyers with strong technical backgrounds, such as master’s degrees. Also, while interning at Qualcomm, a wireless telecommunications company, I learned about the international scope of such companies’ operations and their need for intellectual property lawyers, especially in developing markets such as China. My Chinese politics professor also brought up the issue during class one day while discussing the Chinese economy.

As a result, I decided to pursue international IP law as a career. I have begun several steps toward fulfilling my goal. I took the LSAT for entry into law school and received an excellent score, which I incidentally also used to qualify for Mensa membership. I established contacts with lawyers at firms such as Bell, Boyd, & Lloyd, LLC, as well as some practicing in China. My current research project at MIT pertains to the legal ramifications of “off shoring,” where US companies outsource labor services such as software engineering to foreign countries. It is a timely and understudied area of research, and I am conducting it under the auspices of the MIT Productivity from Information Technology (PROFIT) Initiatives.

A long road remains ahead of me. I hope to complete my Master of Engineering degree at MIT by February 2005, just after my 21st birthday. My thesis research, done in conjunction with Qualcomm, involves studying real-time video transmission over cellular phones. Meanwhile, I am applying to law school and shall enroll in Fall 2005. In the intervening months, I hope to intern and travel abroad. Although I will not reach my goal for at least four more years before I finish law school, I am confident I am heading in the right direction.