Is it worth taking Patent Bar after law school? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I graduated law school last year, and I am hoping to move into patent lit, as I do not really enjoy my current practice area.

My question is this: Is it worth spending the money/effort in taking the patent bar after law school? Will it make me much more marketable?

Total cost of investment is ~$2k for PLI, ~$500 for registration, and ~200 hours of prep time.

[jhett]

Don’t do it. The patent bar is only for patent prosecution and post grant work. You don’t need it for patent lit.

[QContinuum]

Don’t do it. The patent bar is only for patent prosecution and post grant work. You don’t need it for patent lit.

True, you don't need it to litigate, but you can't call yourself a "patent attorney" unless you've passed the patent bar. I know litigators who've taken the patent bar expressly so they can market themselves to clients as a "patent attorney."

In this case, since OP's looking to switch practice areas, taking it may help demonstrate his/her commitment. It may also highlight OP's technical expertise, as many/most attorneys aren't even eligible to take the patent bar.

Finally, I don't think it's necessary to shell out for PLI. I passed with OmniPrep.

[Anonymous User]

I’m a rising 2L so take this with a grain of salt.

I just got an SA at a V50 firm which requires all IP attorneys to take the patent bar. I took it before I went to law school but I want to do lit. Taking th patent bar will allow you to participate in post grant proceedings, which is an increasingly large part of lit. I think taking it is very smart

Most firms will pay For PLI won’t they?

[QContinuum]

I’m a rising 2L so take this with a grain of salt.

I just secured an SA at a V50 firm which requires all IP attorneys to take the patent bar. I took it before I went to law school but I want to do lit. Taking th patent bar will allow you to participate in post grant proceedings, which is an increasingly large part of lit. I think taking it is very smarty.

Most firms will pay For PLI won’t they?

OP's looking to switch practice areas, so it's unclear whether s/he'd be able to get reimbursed. But great point about how post-grant is increasingly important in lit. I agree OP should bite the bullet and take the exam.

[fatedreality]

If you're paying for this out-of-pocket, consider shopping around for cheaper options. I started off with PLI but didn't care for it very much (too much like Barbri - throwing a lot of material at you and not enough practice questions). I ended up switching to Wysebridge (https://www.wysebridge.com) and passed (used it almost exclusively to practice questions - but did spend a week reviewing summaries before hand, which were quite helpful). There are other options as well. But my point is not to just default for PLI, which is crazy expensive and not necessarily the most helpful prep program for this exam.

[kyle010723]

I graduated law school last year, and I am hoping to move into patent lit, as I do not really enjoy my current practice area.

My question is this: Is it worth spending the money/effort in taking the patent bar after law school? Will it make me much more marketable?

Total cost of investment is ~$2k for PLI, ~$500 for registration, and ~200 hours of prep time.

IPR requires a reg number and that is a big part of lit nowadays. So yes.

[trmckenz]

Unless you're a baller trial attorney, take the patent bar.