“Why would anyone want a lawyer with a chemistry degree?” Emily Ferriter ’19 would ask herself before discovering the natural fit.

It was during her senior year at Westfield State University, as a chemistry and biology major, when she understood how her science knowledge could be used in patent law, product liability, environmental law, food-related law, intellectual property, and many more areas.

“Instead of taking the laws of science and the universe and applying them to the facts,” she said, "I apply the laws given by Congress and apply them to the facts of the case.”

“I am pretty lucky that chemistry and law are incredibly compatible.”

Ferriter always enjoyed math and science, but also always wanted to go to law school.

“I’m a huge nerd and love chemistry; I even started taking a math class at the university near my house while in high school so I could finish AP calculus by junior year,” she said.

Ferriter is in the J.D. program at Albany Law School, where she is focusing on Intellectual Property Law. Before starting her current summer position, she worked with the Research Foundation for The State University of New York where she received a great introduction into patents and intellectual property in general, and learned about patent prosecution and transactions.

“I am pretty lucky that chemistry and law are incredibly compatible,” Ferriter said.

Ferriter is currently interning with Magistrate Judge John D. Love at the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

“It has been an amazing experience,” she said. “I never knew I could learn so much so fast.”

Ferriter has been given the opportunity to research, write and attend hearings for patent damages. She has also been able to work on orders centered on the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in TC Heartland v. Kraft Foods Group Brands. “Dean [Mary Walsh] Fitzpatrick and Professor [Ray] Brescia encouraged me to work for a federal judge and I couldn’t be happier that I took their advice.”

Ferriter hopes to one day be a patent litigator and work towards having a partnership at a firm. “I would love to also be a judge and a law professor so that I can have a more direct impact on the law by interpreting it from the bench and teaching the future attorneys,” said Ferriter.

“I’m just very excited that intellectual property will allow me to use both my love of the law and science.”