By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
A registered patent agent, and now a 1L student and Intellectual Property Fellow at Detroit Mercy Law, Jaafer Alemara is pursuing a long-time dream of a career in patent law.
That pathway started with an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in Electrical Engineering.
“When I was younger, I always loved doing math. I never even had a calculator until my senior year when it was necessary,” he says. “This naturally led me to pursue a career in engineering, as I knew the studying would entail a lot of math. Electrical engineering interested me because my senior year physics class dealt a lot with electrical circuitry, and I found it very interesting.”
During undergrad, Alemara came across the field of IP law when a professor—a patent attorney with a couple of patents to his name—also hosted an extracurricular “Kasravi Patent Talks,” walking students through the patent process and pursuing a career in the field. Another professor was a patent examiner supervisor at the USPTO, and offered his insights.
“I really enjoyed how much learning the career demands, meeting with some of the brightest minds on the planet to discuss their inventions and knew this would be the perfect career for me to build on my strengths with purpose,” says Alemara, who became a registered patent agent in July. “After much diligence, I cemented my decision to pursue the career and have not looked back since. It’s certainly the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”
During undergrad, he interned with DTE energy; and after graduation, worked as an associate controls design engineer for Process Automation Solutions in Warren, and then as an electrical designer for Amentum in Bingham Farms.
“I always enjoyed working with others in teams, connecting with like-minded individuals always beings me joy,” he says.
He also enjoyed a year-long part-time role as a supplemental instruction leader and course grader for an engineering course at U-M-Dearborn.
“I had the pleasure of helping students understand difficult concepts, and this provided a profound sense of meaning,” he says. “Helping others is something I’m passionate about.”
He also is passionate about continuing his education, a value dear to his heart.
“The legal education, in particular, aligns with this value as I believe it provides me with skill sets that will be beneficial to my everyday life, and not just in the practice of law,” he says. “My passion for the law is something I would say resonates with all humans—a desire for justice. The law is practically the only means to maintain this within society, making it extremely profound. Understanding the importance and power behind the law, the passion naturally stems from it.”
Detroit Mercy Law was an easy choice for Alemara.
“Its proximity to home is fantastic, as I can still be with and see my loved ones every day,” he says. “The school community is unique, as they don’t grade on a curve—this fosters a collaborative environment between students, and this has been evident since the first day.
“My favorite part is how kind the professors are,” he adds. “From the first day, they were making it clear they believe in us and that we are here for a reason, encouraging us to get rid of any doubts about our abilities to succeed. Impostor syndrome is real amongst first year law students, perhaps more than in any other graduate program, and sentiments like these provide a real sense of peace.”
Alemara’s first career goal is to be the best patent attorney he can possibly be.
“I think it’s important I be my best, as this will truly allow me to grow in the field and make a meaningful impact,” he says.
“My second goal is to help less privileged people, and I hope to do this by utilizing pro bono services. This goal in a way builds on the first, since If I become the best patent attorney I can be, this will allow me to provide excellent pro bono services. Even if it is in a field outside of IP, as long as I’m competent to handle the work, I would love to be a source of necessary legal services for others. Services like these change lives for the better, and that’s something really valuable to me.”
Legal News
A registered patent agent, and now a 1L student and Intellectual Property Fellow at Detroit Mercy Law, Jaafer Alemara is pursuing a long-time dream of a career in patent law.
That pathway started with an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in Electrical Engineering.
“When I was younger, I always loved doing math. I never even had a calculator until my senior year when it was necessary,” he says. “This naturally led me to pursue a career in engineering, as I knew the studying would entail a lot of math. Electrical engineering interested me because my senior year physics class dealt a lot with electrical circuitry, and I found it very interesting.”
During undergrad, Alemara came across the field of IP law when a professor—a patent attorney with a couple of patents to his name—also hosted an extracurricular “Kasravi Patent Talks,” walking students through the patent process and pursuing a career in the field. Another professor was a patent examiner supervisor at the USPTO, and offered his insights.
“I really enjoyed how much learning the career demands, meeting with some of the brightest minds on the planet to discuss their inventions and knew this would be the perfect career for me to build on my strengths with purpose,” says Alemara, who became a registered patent agent in July. “After much diligence, I cemented my decision to pursue the career and have not looked back since. It’s certainly the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”
During undergrad, he interned with DTE energy; and after graduation, worked as an associate controls design engineer for Process Automation Solutions in Warren, and then as an electrical designer for Amentum in Bingham Farms.
“I always enjoyed working with others in teams, connecting with like-minded individuals always beings me joy,” he says.
He also enjoyed a year-long part-time role as a supplemental instruction leader and course grader for an engineering course at U-M-Dearborn.
“I had the pleasure of helping students understand difficult concepts, and this provided a profound sense of meaning,” he says. “Helping others is something I’m passionate about.”
He also is passionate about continuing his education, a value dear to his heart.
“The legal education, in particular, aligns with this value as I believe it provides me with skill sets that will be beneficial to my everyday life, and not just in the practice of law,” he says. “My passion for the law is something I would say resonates with all humans—a desire for justice. The law is practically the only means to maintain this within society, making it extremely profound. Understanding the importance and power behind the law, the passion naturally stems from it.”
Detroit Mercy Law was an easy choice for Alemara.
“Its proximity to home is fantastic, as I can still be with and see my loved ones every day,” he says. “The school community is unique, as they don’t grade on a curve—this fosters a collaborative environment between students, and this has been evident since the first day.
“My favorite part is how kind the professors are,” he adds. “From the first day, they were making it clear they believe in us and that we are here for a reason, encouraging us to get rid of any doubts about our abilities to succeed. Impostor syndrome is real amongst first year law students, perhaps more than in any other graduate program, and sentiments like these provide a real sense of peace.”
Alemara’s first career goal is to be the best patent attorney he can possibly be.
“I think it’s important I be my best, as this will truly allow me to grow in the field and make a meaningful impact,” he says.
“My second goal is to help less privileged people, and I hope to do this by utilizing pro bono services. This goal in a way builds on the first, since If I become the best patent attorney I can be, this will allow me to provide excellent pro bono services. Even if it is in a field outside of IP, as long as I’m competent to handle the work, I would love to be a source of necessary legal services for others. Services like these change lives for the better, and that’s something really valuable to me.”
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