Krista Contino Saumby

Krista Contino Saumby is the Director of Career Development at Elon University School of Law. She combines her legal expertise in Patent Law and background in Electrical and Computer Engineering to support law students in navigating career paths, particularly focusing on First-Generation Student Support.

• Education:
  • JD, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
  • BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

Her work centers on Legal Career Development and Professionalism, leveraging her 15-year experience in patent law with firms like Fish & Richardson P.C. and Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck. She also served as the first judicial clerk for Judge Jimmie V. Reyna at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Krista has received recognition for her contributions, including:

• Hispanic National Bar Association Top Lawyers Under 40
• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Minnesota – 20 on the Rise
• Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association Service Award
• ABA-BNA Intellectual Property Award
• U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language Area Studies Fellow

Her previous roles include Director of Career Services and JD Advantage Placement at North Carolina Central University School of Law and legal positions at firms such as Coats Bennett PLLC and Fish & Richardson P.C., where she counseled Fortune 500 companies like Google, Apple, and Boeing.