Department of Mechanical Engineering

Alumnus - Brian Nash

 

Brian Nash, BSME’02; JD’05, University of Texas
Attorney, Dewey Ballantine LLP
Austin, Texas
Will begin an 18-month clerkship with Judge Richard Linn, U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, Washington, D.C., in March ’06

What led you to major in ME?
Before I came to Iowa State, I was considering law but wasn’t entirely certain that it was the right path. ME provided a solid foundation, and I discovered a number of places where engineering and law intersected including product liability, environmental regulation, and my favorite, intellectual property (IP).

How did your interest in patent law evolve?
My background in technology attracted me to patent law. It offers the opportunity to work with some of the newest technologies and laws. IP issues are very exciting because patent law is constantly evolving and is often on the cutting edge of both technology and law. The more I learned about patent law, the more interested I became in the varied and complex questions involved in patent litigation. Each side plays both “defense” and “offense” because there are two main questions to be answered: Was the patent infringed? and Is the patent valid?

How has your ME education been helpful in studying law?
In ME, a complex problem is broken into manageable parts, and equations are used like tools to logically arrive at an answer. Legal issues are solved using the same logical approach—each issue is broken into parts and various legal rules are applied to arrive at the answer. The only adjustment that an engineer must make in adapting to legal questions is to know that in the law, there is rarely one clearly correct answer to each problem. The “right” answer to a legal question is often ambiguous and open to interpretation.

What advice do you have to give to current or prospective engineering students who might be considering law school?
If you have any interest in law, you must like writing. I have always loved to write and that’s helped me a great deal in law school. ME students have a great skill set for law school: logical analysis, problem-solving skills, and a strong work ethic, and this will put them ahead of the curve with respect to other backgrounds. However, strong writing skills are needed to communicate arguments. ME students should take electives that will help them feel comfortable writing both objective and persuasive essays.

What are some of the highlights of your education?
I am amazed at how many outstanding people I encountered during my undergraduate studies. Advisors, faculty, and staff were always willing to help. The people of the ME department were the true highlight of my education.

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