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Hi all,

I recently graduated in May and I specialized in IP. Unfortunately, I do not qualify for the patent bar because my undergrad degree was in life science (biology and psychology).

Without passing the patent bar, it really limits what I can do in IP, so my goal is to pass the patent bar eventually.

Now I understand there are two ways to go about it. I can either try to pass the Fundamental Engineering Exam test that's administered every year (I plan on taking it in Michigan where anyone with a bachelor can take the exam). Or I can go back to undergrad to get a degree in engineering.

The former is likely to be faster and cost less money, but it is obviously much harder to accomplish. Not to mention without a solid engineering degree, it is still unlikely for firms to hire me even if I pass the patent bar.

However, how realistic is it for me to pursue a bachelors in engineering after I already obtained a JD degree? Does anyone here know people who have done something similar?

My LSAT instructor went back to do an engineering degree after jd, so its definitely been done before

Anonymous User wrote:My LSAT instructor went back to do an engineering degree after jd, so its definitely been done before

And now he's an LSAT instructor.

rad lulz wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:My LSAT instructor went back to do an engineering degree after jd, so its definitely been done before

And now he's an LSAT instructor.

Yea that's not very encouraging.

rad lulz wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:My LSAT instructor went back to do an engineering degree after jd, so its definitely been done before

And now he's an LSAT instructor.

Maybe he's doing it as a part-time thing...hopefully.

It's possible but I would not recommend.

It happens. I've met and know of some attorneys who have done this. They all got Electrical Engineering degrees, which is not a trivial thing. They all work in patent prosecution. Some of them wanted to switch from patent litigation to patent prosecution.

I imagine you would only be looked at by patent prosecution boutiques, so you really need to ask yourself if you want to enter that field. It's not for everyone.

Also, are you sure that biology doesn't qualify you for the patent exam? It might be tough getting a job with that as your technical background, but I think it might qualify.

Setting aside whether you should do this or what your career options might be:

A bachelor's degree in Biology allows you to sit for the patent bar. If you mean that you have a single degree in some interdisciplinary thing like biology-and-psychology (combined), then you might want to look at Category B, option II to sit for the patent bar to see how far off you are.

General Requirements Bulletin from USPTO Website wrote:ii. Option 2:
32 semester hours in a combination consisting of the following:
8 semester hours of chemistry or 8 semester hours of physics, and
24 semester hours in biology, botany, microbiology, or molecular biology
The 8 semester hours in chemistry or 8 semester hours of physics must be obtained in two
sequential courses, each course including a lab. Only courses for science or engineering majors
will be accepted.

yeah, that's what you need: more school (greedy Boomer academic)