In Alston & Bird’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group, Samuel Merritt’s duties include general litigation research, brief and motion drafting, discovery-related topics, and some trademark matters. The most rewarding aspect of his job is when he can turn in something tangible to the court or a client for review. “It's a great feeling to know I helped that client or their position and that I had a contribution to that effort,” he said.

MSU Technologies helped prepare him for his legal career. “I was able to interview clients (professors), review existing patents to determine patentability, and look at the business interests of the client and how it fit into the market in general,” he explained. “It was a great way to apply not only the legal training and concepts, but also to learn what value IP may have and how to view it with respect to an entire marketplace.”

Merritt also stressed the practical aspects of MSU Law. “MSU Law gave me the tools to speak intelligently about such legal concepts in networking and interview settings, while being able to back up that knowledge with excellent writing and research skills,” he said. “The environment at MSU prepared me for my current role at Alston & Bird, where we constantly work in litigation teams to get the work done, regardless of who needs to perform each task or where credit is given.”