Boston College and intellectual property law Forum

[lincolnadams74]

How good is Boston College for intellectual property law?

I lack a science background, but I want to specialize in IP law. I understand that science backgrounds are preferred for IP depending on the specific focus (especially for patent law), but I know that I want to enter the field because I love technology and want to explore the legal issues related to it.

Can anyone tell me more about the IP concentration track at Boston College? How in-depth is it, and are students able to take all the courses they need to become (aspiring) specialists in the field?

For comparison, how does Boston College stack up to the University of Washington (Seattle) for IP law? Better? Worse?

[ballpop]

I know a lot of people in IP, and the rule of thumb to get a decent job seems to be PhD for biological sciences, MS for hard sciences, or a good engineering degree. There are PLENTY of sciences masters and PhD's going into law---let me be honest and say you have no chance.

And for that matter, you can't even take the patent bar. Leave tech as a hobby---don't take it as a vocation.

[lincolnadams74]

I know a lot of people in IP, and the rule of thumb to get a decent job seems to be PhD for biological sciences, MS for hard sciences, or a good engineering degree. There are PLENTY of sciences masters and PhD's going into law---let me be honest and say you have no chance.

And for that matter, you can't even take the patent bar. Leave tech as a hobby---don't take it as a vocation.

Thanks for the input.

My understanding is that IP involves more than patents. What about copyright and trademark? Maybe those fields are less lucrative than patent law, but the founder of this forum (a successful IP lawyer) made it pretty clear that a science background is not strictly required, not even for some legal work involving patents. (http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... ?f=3&t=316)

You're probably right that it's hard to get into IP law without a science background. I don't deny that, but I'm not ready to give up on the idea because I've heard many people tell me it's entirely possible.

Can anyone out there comment on my original question -- IP law at Boston College, and at UW?

[crit_racer]

I think you can get into patent litigation if you are a nasty (read: vicious) litigator even if you are lacking a science background. To be involved in the application process for patents, etc, you def. need a sci. background.

There are other brances of IP aside from patents like you mentioned. My cousin is in copyright/TM law, and she has no background in science. What she does is basically entertainment law, though, which is very hard to get into for entirely different reasons. Best of luck.