Becoming a patent attorney isn’t for everyone. Patent lawyer jobs require long hours, getting the right qualifications, it can be expensive and has a lot of responsibility attached to it. The salary is excellent if you’re prepared to work hard and long especially if you’re in one of the more competitive areas.
Below we’ll go into the school requirements and options needed to qualify for patent lawyer jobs.
Where’s a good place to search for patent lawyer jobs?
I’ll be taking my patent bar next month and want to get a jump start on searching for a job. Right now I’m doing litigation work and previously worked for a huge health care company. in May (and hopefully passing it) and I would like to get an early start on my job search. I currently handle litigation work for a boutique maritime firm in lower Manhattan. My degree is in microbiology and I’d love to land a job in New York City so I can stay close to home. Any ideas?
First, you should start getting the word out at the health care company you mentioned in the email. I omitted the name of it above. They always have positions available on our site.
Last, sure I know where to search. Go to the Jobs Report and search away. There are scads of IP related jobs posted right now!
Good luck to you on your job search!— Abby ♥
How well do you think patent lawyer jobs will fare for a person who is a biomedical engineer?
Some people are saying careers for lawyers are just as bad as jobs everywhere else. I know you aren’t a lawyer but do you think this would also apply to patent lawyer jobs?
Engineering degree for a patent lawyer?
I want to get a bioengineering degree and then become a patent attorney. Is there a preferred engineering degree for patent lawyer jobs? Finally, I know salary is pretty high, but If you had to guess, what type of hours do patent lawyer jobs demand?
Engineering student… Want to become a patent lawyer?
Hi Abby, I’m in my final year with a major in Bioengineering. I’ve been looking at patent lawyer jobs and think I’d like a career in that. Would I need a law degree ? Lastly, I promise, do you know of a good place to search for patent lawyer jobs?
Jamie, Katie, & Tanya: There’s no preferred engineering degree over another to be a patent lawyer. The degree can determine your position and what types of patents you handle. So, choose the engineering degree you feel most comfortable with.
A law degree is required to be eligible for patent lawyer jobs. You don’t need one to become a patent agent however I think you still need to pass the patent bar. As an agent, you do most of the same things you’d do as a Patent Lawyer however you wouldn’t have anything to do with litigation or prosecuting cases. (deal breaker?)
The hours would depend on your position. Would you be looking at patent lawyer jobs working for a big company?
Jasmine: Two schools of thought. The first would be … everything is relative. If there’s a job shortage, there’s probably a job shortage in most sectors except for maybe in the medical field. And if everything is relative, when the economy stabilizes, there will be more patent lawyer jobs available. Then again, situation 1 is in the medical field. A field that requires patent attorney assistance. What a match, since you’re degree is in biomedical engineering!
The second though would be, as long as there are so many people out of work, they’re should be an abundance of invention ideas coming into the playing field. Which means, there should be plenty of patent lawyer jobs available. You can search for patent lawyer jobs below.— Abby ♥
Search Patent Lawyer Jobs
1. Search for patent lawyer jobs at The Jobs Report to see current salaries for the job you’re hoping to land.
2. While there (at The Jobs Report), notice all the different career paths a Patent Lawyer can choose from (law firms, independent companies, big corporations). Research all the different choices you’d have in patent law taking your current degree into consideration.
3. Read the requirements at the USPTO
4. Take a look at the competition for Patent Lawyers in your area compared to other areas
