patent attorney as a career

[OS]

is anyone familiar with this field? What is the pay prospect? Equally important, what are the downsides to this career?

 

[Yossarian]

one downside is that patent law can be extraordinarily boring. have you read many patents? yawn.

 

[Looney]

How about real estate attorney?

 

[Zim Hosein]

Downside = boring

Possible upside = lot's of cash

 

[SuperTool]

Patent attorneys get paid 5x what inventors get paid for a patent at a corporation. Will be patenting an invention next week, so we'll see what happens.

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: SuperTool
Patent attorneys get paid 5x what inventors get paid for a patent at a corporation. Will be patenting an invention next week, so we'll see what happens.

That's the thing I really don't like about engineering as a career. Supposedly the company you work for basically owns the ideas you come up with.

 

[ajayjuneja]

Yup I'm strongly considering that route -- one friend is trying to rope me into the field now... I may be an expert witness for one of said friend's cases... long story, and not for ATOT.

 

[SuperTool]

yeah, but they do pay your salary, and you get to build on their patent base and actually get to build the stuff you invent.

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: SuperTool
yeah, but they do pay your salary, and you get to build on their patent base and actually get to build the stuff you invent.

Touche. I have a bunch of ideas floating around in my head that do me no good because I don't have the capital, facilities and support to develop them.

 

[ajayjuneja]

Originally posted by: ajayjuneja
Yup I'm strongly considering that route -- one friend is trying to rope me into the field now... I may be an expert witness for one of said friend's cases... long story, and not for ATOT.

Oh, and as a plus side to the boredom end of things, well, the attorneys I know are tons of fun. Last time I was in their office we had a discussion about one of the attorney's lingerie 🙂

I love California.
Even the Lawyers are liberal here!

And NO PICS, sorry.

 

[SuperTool]

If I were to become a lawyer, I would become a patent lawyer. And with my technical background, I would make a tonne of money.
Companies love lawyers with technical knowledge, so us engineers don't have to waste our time babysitting them.

 

[OS]

the reason I ask about the downside is because I realize more and more that for every major decision one makes, if you can't build a case against a course of action, you don't really know enough to make a sound decision.

 

[ajayjuneja]

Originally posted by: SuperTool
If I were to become a lawyer, I would become a patent lawyer. And with my technical background, I would make a tonne of money.
Companies love lawyers with technical knowledge, so us engineers don't have to waste our time babysitting them.

umm, trust me, even then, the attorneys need to have the engineers in bed with them -- ESPECIALLY if you do patent litagation. Being in bed with the lawyers now is very helpful for both me and them...

 

[CanOWorms]

I was thinking about becoming one. I did some research and the pay seems respectable. Honestly I think it will be a good mix of engineering and other work 🙂 I've heard from many people that it's very boring. Probably the least glamorous of law fields, too, but I'm not too knowledgeable about that. It seems that there's a pretty big demand for EE/CompEs to get into patent law. When I was researching it, it seemed that it was highly recommended to get a MS though. I'm getting one anyways, so maybe I'll go that route in the future 🙂

I'll probably give it a shot... but if I don't get into a good law school, I'll probably abandon the idea.

 

[ajayjuneja]

Originally posted by: OS
the reason I ask about the downside is because I realize more and more that for every major decision one makes, if you can't build a case against a course of action, you don't really know enough to make a sound decision.

What's your background? You need a CS or Engineering degree to become a patent attorney. And many law firms will pay for your law degree if you want to go the IP Law route... you just need to work for them for a few years as a patent prosecutor and pass the patent bar exam.


PM me. as I have tons of info. about this stuff.

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: ajayjuneja

What's your background? You need a CS or Engineering degree to become a patent attorney. And many law firms will pay for your law degree if you want to go the IP Law route... you just need to work for them for a few years as a patent prosecutor and pass the patent bar exam.

PM me. as I have tons of info. about this stuff.

BSEE this past March. I can't find an engineering position so I'm trying to make other plans. Thanks for your support.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: ajayjuneja

Originally posted by: OS
the reason I ask about the downside is because I realize more and more that for every major decision one makes, if you can't build a case against a course of action, you don't really know enough to make a sound decision.

What's your background? You need a CS or Engineering degree to become a patent attorney. And many law firms will pay for your law degree if you want to go the IP Law route... you just need to work for them for a few years as a patent prosecutor and pass the patent bar exam.


PM me. as I have tons of info. about this stuff.

I've actually read that some CS degrees don't qualify... I think it depends on the university it's from. I think some of the sciences can get into it, too. 🙂

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

I've actually read that some CS degrees don't qualify... I think it depends on the university it's from. I think some of the sciences can get into it, too. 🙂

I read a briefing that says CS degrees qualify if the program was accredited by CSAC/CSAB.

Category A. Bachelor?s Degree in a Recognized Technical Subject. You will be considered to have the necessary scientific and technical training if you show that you received a Bachelor?s degree in one of the following subjects from a United States college or university of recognized standing, or the equivalent to a Bachelor?s degree in one of the following subjects from a foreign university:

Biology
Biochemistry
Botany
Electronics Technology
Engineering
(
Aeronautical
Agricultural
Biomedical
Ceramic
Chemical
Civil
Computer
Electrical
Electrochemical
Engineering Physics
Geological
Industrial
Mechanical
Metallurgical
Mining
Nuclear
Petroleum
)
Food Technology
General Chemistry
Marine Technology
Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Organic Chemistry
Pharmacology
Physics
Textile Technology
Computer Science*
* The computer science program for which your degree was awarded must be accredited by the Computer Science Accreditation Commission (CSAC) of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board (CSAB) on or before the date your degree was awarded.


read more here

 

[ajayjuneja]

Originally posted by: OS

Originally posted by: ajayjuneja

What's your background? You need a CS or Engineering degree to become a patent attorney. And many law firms will pay for your law degree if you want to go the IP Law route... you just need to work for them for a few years as a patent prosecutor and pass the patent bar exam.

PM me. as I have tons of info. about this stuff.

BSEE this March. I can't find an engineering position so I'm trying to make other plans. Thanks for your support.

PM replied to -- send me your resume -- akj@andrew.cmu.edu

 

[ajayjuneja]

Originally posted by: OS

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

I've actually read that some CS degrees don't qualify... I think it depends on the university it's from. I think some of the sciences can get into it, too. 🙂

I read a briefing that says CS degrees qualify if the program was accredited by CSAC/CSAB.

read more here

Yeah, so CMU (my school) isn't CSAC/CSAB accredited -- nor is MIT for that matter. I think they'll still let us take the patent bar... 🙂

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: ajayjuneja

Originally posted by: OS

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

I've actually read that some CS degrees don't qualify... I think it depends on the university it's from. I think some of the sciences can get into it, too. 🙂

I read a briefing that says CS degrees qualify if the program was accredited by CSAC/CSAB.

read more here

Yeah, so CMU (my school) isn't CSAC/CSAB accredited -- nor is MIT for that matter. I think they'll still let us take the patent bar... 🙂

lol, probably 🙂 I've actually never heard of CSAC/CSAB.. is it popular?

 

[ajayjuneja]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: ajayjuneja

Originally posted by: OS

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

I've actually read that some CS degrees don't qualify... I think it depends on the university it's from. I think some of the sciences can get into it, too. 🙂

I read a briefing that says CS degrees qualify if the program was accredited by CSAC/CSAB.

read more here

Yeah, so CMU (my school) isn't CSAC/CSAB accredited -- nor is MIT for that matter. I think they'll still let us take the patent bar... 🙂

lol, probably 🙂 I've actually never heard of CSAC/CSAB.. is it popular?

pretty popular -- a lot of cmu and MIT profs are on the bored that set the standards for these curriculums, then since both of these schools tend to try new things and vary from this "standard" they don't bother to be certified themselves. So, Whatever. I think the USPTO is the only place that seems to care, and if they give me hell about going to a non-CSAC program, well, my dean will give them a little phone call 🙂

 

[jteef]

I looked into it. A friend is in school right now studying IP law. The patent bar is a really really hard test with an obscene failure rate amongst even those that went through law school and all that. I can't imagine what the %'s are if you don't spend 3 years learning how to do all that stuff. (It is a test on procedures and rules, not anything technical)

pay looked fantastic though. I decided not to do it since I really didn't have the capital to invest in a law degree, and I heard a lot of anecdotal evidence that there were a lot of people in law school currently studying that stuff. I did not want to end up in the same position I was in only 3 years older, and 100 grand poorer.

 

[BruinEd03]

Originally posted by: jteef
I looked into it. A friend is in school right now studying IP law. The patent bar is a really really hard test with an obscene failure rate amongst even those that went through law school and all that. I can't imagine what the %'s are if you don't spend 3 years learning how to do all that stuff. (It is a test on procedures and rules, not anything technical)

pay looked fantastic though. I decided not to do it since I really didn't have the capital to invest in a law degree, and I heard a lot of anecdotal evidence that there were a lot of people in law school currently studying that stuff. I did not want to end up in the same position I was in only 3 years older, and 100 grand poorer.

mmm like any test you can take a review course. Many students actually pass the patent bar while in school.

-Ed

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

I'd say the big downside is you'll have a kid like Calvin who does nothing but get in trouble and hang around with a stuffed tiger named Hobbes.

//semi-obscure comic reference