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Hi,

I am planning to attend law school to be an IP attorney. I am a computer consultant. I just saw the requirements for the IP attorneys for registration at the US Patent Office. The closest educational requirements that match mine is Undergraduate degree in Biology. I have undergrade in Dairy Technology and masters in Life Sciences. Here are the requirements link (see page 6):

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/grb.pdf

I am just thinking too ahead since i have not yet started the admission process but since my interests are in IP, I want to know whether my educational qualification matches what US PTO is looking for.

Thanks

It really depends on what type of IP law you want to practice. For instance, if you don't want to work with patents you don't have to be a member of the patent bar. ABA has an IP law organization, do some research on their website, http://www.americanbar.org/groups/intel ... y_law.html.

IT_GUY wrote:Hi,

I am planning to attend law school to be an IP attorney. I am a computer consultant. I just saw the requirements for the IP attorneys for registration at the US Patent Office. The closest educational requirements that match mine is Undergraduate degree in Biology. I have undergrade in Dairy Technology and masters in Life Sciences. Here are the requirements link (see page 6):

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/grb.pdf

I am just thinking too ahead since i have not yet started the admission process but since my interests are in IP, I want to know whether my educational qualification matches what US PTO is looking for.

Thanks

I don't think you can get a category A admission with that degree, you should contact the PTO--but it's very unlikely. Do you qualify under category B?

A JD.

There are many forms of "IP law" (i.e. patent litigation, patent prosecution, trademarks, trade secrets, etc.). Only patent prosecution requires an attorney to pass the patent bar. Fun fact: one does not need a JD to be a practicing patent prosecutor.

Danneskjöld wrote:

IT_GUY wrote:Hi,

I am planning to attend law school to be an IP attorney. I am a computer consultant. I just saw the requirements for the IP attorneys for registration at the US Patent Office. The closest educational requirements that match mine is Undergraduate degree in Biology. I have undergrade in Dairy Technology and masters in Life Sciences. Here are the requirements link (see page 6):

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/grb.pdf

I am just thinking too ahead since i have not yet started the admission process but since my interests are in IP, I want to know whether my educational qualification matches what US PTO is looking for.

Thanks

I don't think you can get a category A admission with that degree, you should contact the PTO--but it's very unlikely. Do you qualify under category B?

I think I may qualify for category A because of my MS (Life Sciences), which is a biology with concentration in Biotechnology but I have to check. I am yet to start law school but if I go to law school, then the only thing I am interested in being a patent attorney. I will check with PTO; I hope I get a clear response.

pu_golf88 wrote:A JD.

Just a JD probably won't do it. After law school, we have to register with the US PTO to be a patent lawyer - atleast that's what I think.

BioEBear2010 wrote:There are many forms of "IP law" (i.e. patent litigation, patent prosecution, trademarks, trade secrets, etc.). Only patent prosecution requires an attorney to pass the patent bar. Fun fact: one does not need a JD to be a practicing patent prosecutor.

Is that true that we don't need a JD to be a praticing patent prosecutor? Can you show please me a link to that info?

CastleRock wrote:It really depends on what type of IP law you want to practice. For instance, if you don't want to work with patents you don't have to be a member of the patent bar. ABA has an IP law organization, do some research on their website, http://www.americanbar.org/groups/intel ... y_law.html.

I do want to work with patents and that's why I want to go to law school. Thanks for the ABA link.

IT_GUY wrote:

CastleRock wrote:It really depends on what type of IP law you want to practice. For instance, if you don't want to work with patents you don't have to be a member of the patent bar. ABA has an IP law organization, do some research on their website, http://www.americanbar.org/groups/intel ... y_law.html.

I do want to work with patents and that's why I want to go to law school. Thanks for the ABA link.

The real question is anyone going to hire you, even if you do get past the patent bar. I can't help you there though.

Desert Fox wrote:

IT_GUY wrote:

CastleRock wrote:It really depends on what type of IP law you want to practice. For instance, if you don't want to work with patents you don't have to be a member of the patent bar. ABA has an IP law organization, do some research on their website, http://www.americanbar.org/groups/intel ... y_law.html.

I do want to work with patents and that's why I want to go to law school. Thanks for the ABA link.

The real question is anyone going to hire you, even if you do get past the patent bar. I can't help you there though.

Oh shush you, Hood and Garelick Farms are climbing over each other trying to patent a ground breaking cow-milking machine that runs on yogurt-fed hamsters and produces ice cream as exhaust!

Patent Agent =/= Patent Attorney

I think the poster was saying that you could prosecute patents by working as a patent agent and you don't have to go to law school. However, if you want to be a patent attorney you do have to go to law school.

Also, I agree with DF. With a degree in dairy sciences and another in Life Sciences I'm not sure how useful you would be to a law firm. I'm not even sure what any of that means. You could qualify for and pass the patent bar then go to law school and pass your state's bar and still not be able to find a job because you don't have what they consider marketable skills. You need to consider this and do some research.


HTH.

peterstein wrote:

Desert Fox wrote: The real question is anyone going to hire you, even if you do get past the patent bar. I can't help you there though.

Oh shush you, Hood and Garelick Farms are climbing over each other trying to patent a ground breaking cow-milking machine that runs on yogurt-fed hamsters and produces ice cream as exhaust!

Well if there are people who work in Dairy Tech, I'm sure there are patents, but I'd assume they are handed by MechEs, or Bio.

merichard87 wrote:Patent Agent =/= Patent Attorney

I think the poster was saying that you could prosecute patents by working as a patent agent and you don't have to go to law school. However, if you want to be a patent attorney you do have to go to law school.

Also, I agree with DF. With a degree in dairy sciences and another in Life Sciences I'm not sure how useful you would be to a law firm. I'm not even sure what any of that means. You could qualify for and pass the patent bar then go to law school and pass your state's bar and still not be able to find a job because you don't have what they consider marketable skills. You need to consider this and do some research.


HTH.

Yes, that is something I have been thinking about. After all these degrees, I choose to be computer consultant. I have more than 10 years IT experience - technical , business analysis and project mangement. I am an Information Technology project manager now.

IT_GUY wrote:

merichard87 wrote:Patent Agent =/= Patent Attorney

I think the poster was saying that you could prosecute patents by working as a patent agent and you don't have to go to law school. However, if you want to be a patent attorney you do have to go to law school.

Also, I agree with DF. With a degree in dairy sciences and another in Life Sciences I'm not sure how useful you would be to a law firm. I'm not even sure what any of that means. You could qualify for and pass the patent bar then go to law school and pass your state's bar and still not be able to find a job because you don't have what they consider marketable skills. You need to consider this and do some research.


HTH.

Yes, that is something I have been thinking about. After all these degrees, I choose to be computer consultant. I have more than 10 years IT experience - technical , business analysis and project mangement. I am an Information Technology project manager now.

I don't know much computer consulting experience will matter if you don't have the degrees necessary.

merichard87 wrote:

IT_GUY wrote:

merichard87 wrote:Patent Agent =/= Patent Attorney

I think the poster was saying that you could prosecute patents by working as a patent agent and you don't have to go to law school. However, if you want to be a patent attorney you do have to go to law school.

Also, I agree with DF. With a degree in dairy sciences and another in Life Sciences I'm not sure how useful you would be to a law firm. I'm not even sure what any of that means. You could qualify for and pass the patent bar then go to law school and pass your state's bar and still not be able to find a job because you don't have what they consider marketable skills. You need to consider this and do some research.


HTH.

Yes, that is something I have been thinking about. After all these degrees, I choose to be computer consultant. I have more than 10 years IT experience - technical , business analysis and project mangement. I am an Information Technology project manager now.

I don't know much computer consulting experience will matter if you don't have the degrees necessary.

I'm not even sure how much it'd matter period. IT isn't programming or engineering.

Desert Fox wrote:
I'm not even sure how much it'd matter period. IT isn't programming or engineering.

True.

merichard87 wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:
I'm not even sure how much it'd matter period. IT isn't programming or engineering.

True.

Actually, it is computer programming - that is my experience. I have been database architect, designer and programmer. Does it help in working with IT patents?

IT_GUY wrote:

merichard87 wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:
I'm not even sure how much it'd matter period. IT isn't programming or engineering.

True.

Actually, it is computer programming - that is my experience. I have been database architect, designer and programmer. Does it help in working with IT patents?

Can you read and understand computer patents? Patents are public information, try some.

There are two issues here. One is having something required by the US government in order to sit for the patent bar at all. This is necessary but not sufficient. The second part is having something that is actually useful for the substantive work.

For example, virtually no firm is even going to look at a biology background unless it says PhD, because that's the level of the work that people put in for patents in that field. Teaching law to an associate is easy; teaching science is damn difficult by comparison.

ScaredWorkedBored wrote:

IT_GUY wrote:

merichard87 wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:
I'm not even sure how much it'd matter period. IT isn't programming or engineering.

True.

Actually, it is computer programming - that is my experience. I have been database architect, designer and programmer. Does it help in working with IT patents?

Can you read and understand computer patents? Patents are public information, try some.

There are two issues here. One is having something required by the US government in order to sit for the patent bar at all. This is necessary but not sufficient. The second part is having something that is actually useful for the substantive work.

For example, virtually no firm is even going to look at a biology background unless it says PhD, because that's the level of the work that people put in for patents in that field. Teaching law to an associate is easy; teaching science is damn difficult by comparison.

Ahh... you guys are very analytical. I appreciate that. I looked at many of the patent attorneys' bio who have biology background. Most of them have BS (Biology) degree.

Yes, I do understand computer patents. I did not want to put my entire resume here but some of the things that I have done on the programming side include databases - Oracle, Sybase, SQL Server, MySql. OS - UNIX, Linux and windows and have done development on many of the vendor purchased tools that are used for data entry and reporting. I have managed and done business analysis on internet project other than managing database development projects.

IT_GUY wrote: Ahh... you guys are very analytical. I appreciate that. I looked at many of the patent attorneys' bio who have biology background. Most of them have BS (Biology) degree.

Yes, I do understand computer patents. I did not want to put my entire resume here but some of the things that I have done on the programming side include databases - Oracle, Sybase, SQL Server, MySql. OS - UNIX, Linux and windows and have done development on many of the vendor purchased tools that are used for data entry and reporting. I have managed and done business analysis on internet project other than managing database development projects.

Why do you want to leave what appears to be a very lucrative career to go to law school?

IT_GUY wrote:

ScaredWorkedBored wrote:

IT_GUY wrote:

merichard87 wrote:
True.

Actually, it is computer programming - that is my experience. I have been database architect, designer and programmer. Does it help in working with IT patents?

Can you read and understand computer patents? Patents are public information, try some.

There are two issues here. One is having something required by the US government in order to sit for the patent bar at all. This is necessary but not sufficient. The second part is having something that is actually useful for the substantive work.

For example, virtually no firm is even going to look at a biology background unless it says PhD, because that's the level of the work that people put in for patents in that field. Teaching law to an associate is easy; teaching science is damn difficult by comparison.

Ahh... you guys are very analytical. I appreciate that. I looked at many of the patent attorneys' bio who have biology background. Most of them have BS (Biology) degree.

Yes, I do understand computer patents. I did not want to put my entire resume here but some of the things that I have done on the programming side include databases - Oracle, Sybase, SQL Server, MySql. OS - UNIX, Linux and windows and have done development on many of the vendor purchased tools that are used for data entry and reporting. I have managed and done business analysis on internet project other than managing database development projects.

We aren't saying you won't be able to handle the work, we are just concerned nobody will hire you for the work. Talk to some firms in the area you want to work.

dramaticpaws wrote:

IT_GUY wrote: Ahh... you guys are very analytical. I appreciate that. I looked at many of the patent attorneys' bio who have biology background. Most of them have BS (Biology) degree.

Yes, I do understand computer patents. I did not want to put my entire resume here but some of the things that I have done on the programming side include databases - Oracle, Sybase, SQL Server, MySql. OS - UNIX, Linux and windows and have done development on many of the vendor purchased tools that are used for data entry and reporting. I have managed and done business analysis on internet project other than managing database development projects.

Why do you want to leave what appears to be a very lucrative career to go to law school?

TCQ but it will inevitably be lost on him... I predict he will answer (1) because I am really interest in expanding my opportunities and am familiar with patent law and want to be a patent lawyer, or (2) because patent attorneys make more and have better upward mobility... sigh...

BTW, getting hired to do CS type prosecution work with a degree in dairy technology (heh), even with your "life science" masters is not likely regardless of your industry experience. "Dairy Technology" just doesn't have the ring that "Computer Science" does on a firm bio. That said, go to a top law school and get top grades and hope for the best--just like everyone else.

[source: salary.com]


Just sayin'

dramaticpaws wrote:
[source: salary.com]


Just sayin'

Congrats, patent lawyers can expect to make more than the 75th- percentile just starting out.