The field of Intellectual Property is not only growing strong, but also opening up an enormous amount of new and exciting options. If you’re serious about getting involved in patent law, keep reading and I’ll tell you why…
The field of Intellectual Property is not only growing strong, but also opening up an enormous amount of new and exciting options for engineers and scientists. Understand that most of these career paths didn’t exist a decade ago! This leaves the field wide open for patent attorneys, patent agents and other careers involving patent law.
Why the sudden boom? The constant evolution of Technology and Medicine is a dominant force. Will it only get better? It sure looks that way.
Do you think becoming a Patent Attorney is a secure career?
Is the Patent Attorney jobs field saturated with too many lawyers practicing patent law? Currently I’m a senior mechanical engineer who is starting to consider becoming a patent attorney. Obviously I don’t want to invest the money and time in law school if there’s not a big demand for patent attorneys.
I feel you’re underlying question is, is there too much competition already for Patent Lawyers. I’m deducting this because there has only been a rise in new inventions and inventors, not a decline. Obviously if you live in a large city or metro, you will have more competition. Build a great name for yourself and the competition will affect you very little. Look through SuperPages. Start with where you live currently and then expand to other areas. Look for the number of patent attorney jobs vs patent lawyers in a particular area and then come up with the ratio or PA’s to residents by using the US Census site. You can also see current patent attorney jobs and those in the IP field here.
Don’t box yourself in to opening a new law firm. There are also universities, colleges, and large companies that actively seek out Patent Attorneys. All-in-all, where you live (or are willing to live), is what will have the impact on competition.— Abby ♥
Patent Lawyer Jobs Are An Exciting New Path For Engineers and Scientists!
Face it, it’s not uncommon to get nearly through your degree only to decide you wish you’d have made a different choice. Believe me, I know. That in itself is a hardship because it means you’ll be in school a lot longer then you’d planned. For engineers or scientists, this can be exceptionally hard. However, they can put their challenging studies and courses to work for them and become a patent lawyer. Or, just get involved in the field of patent law if they like. This will be a much different career path but the skills one earns in science or engineering will come into play for the Patent Lawyer.
How much real world work experience will I need to be a Patent Attorney?
I’ve got one more semester before I graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering. I am also working part time in that field. Once I graduate, I’ll be going to law school and want to become a Patent Attorney . How much engineering experience is required to be a hired on in a law firm (Once I pass the Patent Bar)?
Having experience isn’t a necessity although it looks great on your law school entrance papers as well as your resume.
You’ll need a Bachelors degree (at least) in a technical field. To find which fields are acceptable, check the USPTO website. You will then need a professional law degree and you’ll need to pass the Bar. Finally, you’ll need to pass the Patent Bar exam.
It’s highly advised that you take a prep course prior to your Patent Bar exam. OmniPrep offers a money back guarantee if you don’t pass the bar. This is a huge benefit. Don’t believe me? You will be kicking yourself down the street if you don’t pass!
You can download all the requirements from the USPTO website. It’s a pdf file and I generally don’t like linking to pdf files. So instead, I’ll send you to the page which is here. From there, click the link talking about the February 11 updated requirements. Currently under the “What’s New” section.
Patent Law Degree
Let’s clear the air. There is no such thing as a patent law degree. A patent attorney first gets a law degree and passes the state bar exam. If they want to then become a patent attorney, and they’ve met all other qualifications, they can study for, take, and pass the patent bar exam. There are some qualifications you’ll want to consider before deciding on becoming a patent attorney. You can read about these here.
Patent Attorney Salary
Patent attorney salary is very good. According to salary.com, a Level 1 Patent Attorney jobs (entry level) will pay an approximate median pay of $84K per year. A Level 2 Patent Attorney will earn anywhere from approximately $125K per year to upwards of $250K per year. As with any career, there are factors that play an important role on how much a person earns and why. Salary for a patent attorney is no different.
