Engineering a Path to Law

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [02:00] Alejandro Echeverria shares his journey from studying engineering in Tijuana and San Diego to earning a master’s degree and eventually becoming an attorney.
• [03:03] Why engineers and professionals with technical backgrounds have a unique opportunity to become patent attorneys.
• [04:17] Alejandro explains the difference between patent prosecution and patent litigation—and why understanding the technology behind an invention matters.
• [06:09] Why Texas has become an important venue for patent litigation and how Alejandro’s current practice handles intellectual property disputes.
• [10:01] How living in Tijuana, crossing the border, working, and attending school helped shape Alejandro’s discipline and determination.
• [11:29] His transition from aerospace engineering at Pratt & Whitney and Caterpillar to law school and eventually working as a patent agent.
• [16:36] How the Hispanic National Bar Association helped Alejandro find a community of Latino intellectual property attorneys.
• [18:09] Why networking, mentorship, and professional organizations can dramatically change the trajectory of a young lawyer’s career.
• [20:22] How Alejandro’s binational upbringing and ability to work in both English and Spanish have become professional advantages.
• [22:48] The opportunities HNBA provides Latino attorneys through programs, professional connections, and leadership pipelines.
• [24:18] Alejandro’s message to young professionals: lead with empathy and remember that everyone is ultimately working toward the same goal.

In this episode…

John Gomez and David Arreguín sit down with Alejandro Echeverria, an engineer turned intellectual property attorney and patent litigator, during a special Lawtino Podcast series from the Hispanic National Bar Association conference in Washington, D.C.

Alejandro shares the unconventional path that took him from studying engineering in Tijuana and San Diego to working in aerospace, earning a master’s degree, attending law school, becoming a patent agent, and ultimately building a career in intellectual property litigation.

The conversation explores what makes patent law such a specialized field, why an engineering background can be a powerful advantage, and how Alejandro’s experience growing up in the San Diego–Tijuana border region shaped his work ethic, resilience, and professional perspective.

Alejandro also discusses the impact the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) has had on his career, including his experience with the Intellectual Property Law Institute and his efforts to connect Latino law students and attorneys with mentorship and professional opportunities.

Throughout the conversation, Alejandro emphasizes the value of networking, representation, bilingualism, family support, and helping the next generation of Latino attorneys find opportunities that may otherwise be difficult to access.

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Gomez Trial Attorneys: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook
• John Gomez on LinkedIn 
• David Arreguin on LinkedIn
• Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA)
• Alejandro Echeverria on LinkedIn

Quotable moments

• “If you’re an engineer and looking into the legal field, you’re going to be like a unicorn.”
• “It shaped my background and it gave me the opportunity to be really, really focused on whatever I’m doing and just be determined.”
• “We’re here as a resource for you because someone did it already for us.”
• “The most important thing is connect with people that probably you’re not going to meet anywhere else.”
• “Connections, connections, connections. It’s who you know.”
• “You can get a job, you can get a good client if you get connected.”
• “If you have the opportunity to connect with other Latinos, it’s gonna open your doors.”
• “Be empathetic.”
• “We’re on the same team.”
• “We’re here to help.”

Action steps

1. Leverage your existing background. A technical or engineering career does not have to be separate from a legal career. Specialized knowledge can become a major advantage in fields such as intellectual property and patent law.
2. Find professionals who have already taken the path you want to pursue. Reach out to attorneys, mentors, and professional organizations instead of trying to navigate a specialized career alone.
3. Get involved with national organizations. Groups such as HNBA can provide opportunities, mentorship, programs, and relationships that may not be available through your local network.
4. Treat networking as part of your career development. Building genuine professional relationships can lead to jobs, clients, mentorship, referrals, and leadership opportunities.
5. Use your bilingual and bicultural background as an advantage. Being able to understand clients across cultures—and communicate effectively in both English and Spanish—can differentiate you professionally.
6. Make room for your biggest professional goals. When something as important as the bar exam requires your full attention, Alejandro’s experience reinforces the value of temporarily prioritizing that goal above everything else.
7. Help the people coming behind you. Once you gain access to opportunities, become the connection or mentor you once needed.
8. Lead with empathy. Whether you are dealing with clients, co-counsel, colleagues, or young professionals asking for guidance, remember Alejandro’s closing message: “Be empathetic.”