Kelvin Chan
Boston University School of Law
Hometown: Burlington, MA
Undergraduate School: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Undergraduate Major and Minor: Electrical Engineering
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During Law School:
- 1L Student Mentor
- Asian Pacific American Law Student Association Mentor
- Intellectual Property Law Society Mentor
- Student Attorney at the Entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property Clinic
- Joseph Tauro Distinguished Scholar
- Paul J. Liacos Distinguished Scholar
- Dean’s Award Patent Litigation
Where have you interned during law school?
Wolf Greenfield – Boston, MA
WilmerHale – Boston, MA
What practice area will you be specializing in after graduation? Intellectual Property
Why did you choose to attend law school? At the time, the career prospects seemed promising for electrical engineers interested in law. Aside from that, the law school experience was an intimidating challenge that I wanted to face.
What was your favorite law school class? Federal Income Tax. The subject is challenging, but surprisingly interesting. I like how Fed Tax has a way of connecting everything and giving you a great baseline understanding of the business world. The students in my class were also very well prepared, which kept me accountable and motivated.
What have you enjoyed most about law school? The community. I feel like I’ve made life-long friends here and I love being part of the bright and motivated group of people that make up this school.
What word best describes your professional brand? Pragmatic. I like to focus on getting to the big picture result. I think that working in the professional world before law school can have a positive effect on your law school experience that is sometimes difficult to quantify. For me, it helped to sharpen my focus in terms of general work ethic, but it also helped me appreciate the luxury of being a full time student.
If you were debt free, how would you spend your first paycheck after landing your first law job? I’ll pretend that the answer isn’t “invest responsibly” and instead answer that I would use it as the down payment for a granite crystal 2013 Dodge Challenger SRT 392. The 6-speed with a pistol grip shifter.
“I knew I wanted to go to law school when…I was an engineering student who loved writing and speaking more than I loved the math and science.”
“If I didn’t go to law school, I would be…an engineer still, but looking for opportunities to mentor and teach.”
Which academic or personal achievement are you most proud of? Winning the state tournament as an assistant coach with my old high school gymnastics team. It felt great to give back to an institution that was so influential in shaping who I am today.
Fun fact about yourself: I have this janky old Jeep that I refuse to get rid of even though it is in fact rusting out from underneath me.
Favorite book: Where the Red Fern Grows
Favorite movie: Rocky
What are your hobbies? I like working on cars. I find that it’s therapeutic to work through the type of linear problem solving that you encounter when fixing cars.
What made Kelvin such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2016? “Kelvin is one of the most driven, bright, all-around exceptional students I have ever taught. His dedication to everything he does and his unyielding professionalism, work ethic, and genuine, sincere nature make him not only a pleasure to teach, but also an asset to our entire profession.”
Eve J. Brown
Director of Entrepreneurship & Intellectual Property Clinic
Boston University School of Law
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