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I’m currently learning in yeshiva and attending college. I’m trying to decide upon pursuing a profession. Ideally, I would like to find something that would be intellectually engaging and also allow me time to still devote serious amounts of time to learning (and family!). I enjoy science and writing, so I wanted to learn more about being a patent lawyer:
1)What does one do on a daily basis? Is the work dry – just filling out standardized forms, or do you really learn about the product?
2)What kind hours does one work as a patent lawyer?
3)What kind of positions do patent lawyers work as: Big law firms, industry companies, or small law firms? What are some of the differences between them?
Try googling for that info.
If you are good at the STEM (science, engineering, technology, and mathematics) subjects but don’t want to do them for a living, a patent lawyer is an option. Most patent lawyers work for the government, large corporations or big firms (rather than hanging out a shingle in Boro Park). Because most people going into law lack a background in STEM subjects, it is probably a good career prospect if you want to be a lawyer. The usual caveats about lawyers having trouble finding work are less applicable if you have an unusual undergraduate background and skills that are in demand.
If you “undergraduate” is a BTL based on yeshiva credits, you are totally not in the ballpark.
Undergraduate you should get a degree heavy in STEM (exposed to all sciences, major in one, perhaps in general engineering). Take course in technical writing since writing skills are necessary. Learn enough of government/history of the United States so you don’t make a fool of yourself.
An elite school is probably the best for law school, though undergraduate is less critical as long as you have a strong STEM background.
There are two typical career options: prosecution or litigation.
As a patent prosecutor, you typically meet with inventors, learn about their invention, draft an application and argue back and forth with the patent office. Dry or not is a matter of opinion. You may fill out some standardized forms, but there is (hopefully) a lot of thought and drafting that goes into drafting an application and corresponding with the office. You should learn about the product. Hours are variable, depending on where one works. Prosecution typically has better hours than litigation and its much more predictable. However, one is typically going to work more hours in a big firm than in a small firm or in house. You need a science degree or a certain amount of science classes to prosecute patents.
As a litigator, you either are defending issued patents or trying to invalidate them in federal court. You do not need a science degree for this job, but it typically helps. A lot more “law” is involved in litigation. While you do learn something about the invention, it typically is less important in litigation. The hours are typically bad; however, that depends on where you work. Most of the high stakes litigation is done at big firms and the hours are horrible and unpredictable. It is fun though.
You can also work for the patent office. The job has a great lifestyle; however, the pay is worse, but not horrible. You also have to work in the office for a couple years; however, afterwards you can telework from anywhere in the country. You need a science degree for this job. There are offices in Detroit, Silicon Valley, Alexandria VA, Denver, and Dallas, Texas.
You can either work in a big firm, industry, government, or small firm. Typically, litigation is done in a big firm, while prosecution is done in a small firm or in house; however, some big firms do prosecution. The pay is great at a big firm; however, it would be hard to have serious amounts of time for learning. Also, the jobs are hard to get. Small firms pay less and have better hours. In house pays well (in between small firms and big firms), but you typically need experience at a firm before you can go in house.
If your scientific field of interest is biology or chemistry, you need at least a masters and preferably a phd.
If your scientific field of interest is computer programming, or electrical engineering, you probably can get away with a bachelors/masters.
There are less jobs for other scientific/engineering fields; however, they still exist.
As someone who is familiar with lawyers generally but not IP law, here are some thoughts:
1. You need an engineering type undergrad degree
2. Lawyers do whatever their clients need them to do
3. Generating business (attracting clients) is the key to not having a boss. Not having a boss is generally a prerequisite to doing part time high quality legal work
4. Few if any are successful right out of school at generating business
5. Reputation is a very important component of generating business
6. Success at a big law firm is a common way of building a sterling legal reputation
7. Big law firms aren’t known to have great work-life balances
3. Generating business (attracting clients) is the key to not having a boss. Not having a boss is generally a prerequisite to doing part time high quality legal work
Fakert. There are the people who bring business in, and the people who do the work. If you want to do the work, don’t spend your time bringing in business.
As far as low level/high level–as you get more senior, you do more high level work.
Litigation is hectic, busy, stressful, but also exciting. It would be hard to maintain a lot of time for learning or family. However, if you prioritize right (get up early to learn and learn when you come home), you can do it.
Prosecution is a little more predictable, but there is still a certain amount of billables you must meet, which means long days.
Also, while it may be slightly easier to get a job in a big firm with patent law, it still is difficult. You need to go to a good law school and get good grades. Also, in some ways, your science degree limits you. Firms will not consider you for general positions, which is what they are recruiting for during on campus recruiting. You get placed in a box very easily. While there are certain patent law job fairs, it still is not easy getting a job.
Better to be a patent troll.
PBA, if I am already a patent troll, in that I spend most of my time patently trolling. How do I start making money off of it?
bump for that guy
which guy? me? lol!
i actually saw this after patent answer posted, by clickking his name
im guessing u did that too
was looking for a thread about avimelech or paroh’s people getting punnished and i passed this by
oyyoyyoy:
Next time, just post a link in the thread belonging
to the one you want to see whatever it is.
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