Patent Law Forum

[ontopoftheworld]

has anyone NOT a BS science major taken additional science courses to be eligible for patent bar? advice?

[FrancisScottKey]

Personally no, but people have qualified to sit for the Patent Bar exam without a B.S. The USPTO has procedures specifically outlined for those situations.

You can read more about qualifying under "Category B or C" here (Starting on Page 5): http://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/OED_GRB.pdf (I believe this is the most up-to-date General Bulletin - issued in July 2015).

You can read about the specific courses and submittal requirements in the OED pdf.

Good luck!

[skri65]

has anyone NOT a BS science major taken additional science courses to be eligible for patent bar? advice?

Yes, but the "additional courses" was a masters degree. I just didn't have the B.S. I took the patent bar last spring.

I believe I was eligible for category B option 4. The guidelines posted above are fairly specific on the kinds of classes you need to take.

[NY_Sea]

has anyone NOT a BS science major taken additional science courses to be eligible for patent bar? advice?

I personally knew of one girl in my class who really wanted to do patent law and started taking classes at night to get a Chemistry BS (30 credits or something)... Started that during her 2L year, applied for a well paying fellowship, got it and promptly stopped taking Chem classes.

I think it takes a person who seriously wants to get into Patent Law to go back and do something like get a separate degree to be eligible for the Patent Bar... That girl was the closest I've ever heard of anyone doing something like that.

[ontopoftheworld]

Personally no, but people have qualified to sit for the Patent Bar exam without a B.S. The USPTO has procedures specifically outlined for those situations.

You can read more about qualifying under "Category B or C" here (Starting on Page 5): http://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/OED_GRB.pdf (I believe this is the most up-to-date General Bulletin - issued in July 2015).

You can read about the specific courses and submittal requirements in the OED pdf.

Good luck!

just wondering if people actually hire non-BS majors because they usually state they want particular majors for the job...

[ontopoftheworld]

has anyone NOT a BS science major taken additional science courses to be eligible for patent bar? advice?

I personally knew of one girl in my class who really wanted to do patent law and started taking classes at night to get a Chemistry BS (30 credits or something)... Started that during her 2L year, applied for a well paying fellowship, got it and promptly stopped taking Chem classes.

I think it takes a person who seriously wants to get into Patent Law to go back and do something like get a separate degree to be eligible for the Patent Bar... That girl was the closest I've ever heard of anyone doing something like that.

it shows that you don't need a degree "BS" but just classes/credits. Which i can take at any old community college. Of grades C or better, which I dont even have to try.... That part doesnt seem hard but Im just concerned about the actual hiring process and the knowledge of science needed for patent bar.

[SplitMyPants]

Pretty sure passing the FE Exam (Fundamentals of Engineering, formerly Engineer in Training Exam) can make you eligible through a Category C petition. I personally know some people who did this.

The industrial engineering is therefore probably the easiest ticket to patent bar eligibility.

Not sure how marketable you would be with that, though.

[FrancisScottKey]

@ontopoftheworld, the patent bar does not require specific "science" knowledge. It tests your knowledge of the US patent laws.

And would it be more accurate to say your question could be rephrased as one of the following:
(1) Would passing the patent bar, but having qualified under Categories B or C, have any value?
(2) Or alternatively, are law firms more concerned with the underlying B.S. (or appropriate degree) than the actual passage of the patent bar?

And unfortunately, it depends. Patent prosecution typically relies more heavily on the underlying degree. Patent litigation less so.
If you don't know which of prosecution/litigation you prefer - passing the patent bar can serve as a signal that you're very interested in patent law.

[skri65]

Personally no, but people have qualified to sit for the Patent Bar exam without a B.S. The USPTO has procedures specifically outlined for those situations.

You can read more about qualifying under "Category B or C" here (Starting on Page 5): http://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/OED_GRB.pdf (I believe this is the most up-to-date General Bulletin - issued in July 2015).

You can read about the specific courses and submittal requirements in the OED pdf.

Good luck!

just wondering if people actually hire non-BS majors because they usually state they want particular majors for the job...

Firms looking for patent prosecutors will hire you without a BS, at least in my situation (described above). If you want more details, PM me.

[NY_Sea]

has anyone NOT a BS science major taken additional science courses to be eligible for patent bar? advice?

I personally knew of one girl in my class who really wanted to do patent law and started taking classes at night to get a Chemistry BS (30 credits or something)... Started that during her 2L year, applied for a well paying fellowship, got it and promptly stopped taking Chem classes.

I think it takes a person who seriously wants to get into Patent Law to go back and do something like get a separate degree to be eligible for the Patent Bar... That girl was the closest I've ever heard of anyone doing something like that.

it shows that you don't need a degree "BS" but just classes/credits. Which i can take at any old community college. Of grades C or better, which I dont even have to try.... That part doesnt seem hard but Im just concerned about the actual hiring process and the knowledge of science needed for patent bar.

I think people going this route would be doing themselves (and their potential employer/client(s)) a real disservice... I don't know about other areas, but I work for a med device company doing in-house prosecution and if I didn't have a Biology background I would probably hate my job instead of loving it like I do. Even with my Bio background there was (and still is) a pretty big learning curve in terms of the language that's used primarily in med device patents that would probably be unbearable if you didn't have at least that background.

I feel the majority of people who go the route of getting credits after/during law school don't honestly have a passion for science and tech and will end up hating the work... Because as much as I love it, there's no getting around the fact that it's some of the most dense and sometimes (frankly) boring reading you will ever do. I feel people see patent law as a way to increase chances of having a job after graduation instead of an actual interest in the work.

Just from my experiences though... Obviously not every person fits this mold.

[elendinel]

You don't need any scientific knowledge for the Patent Bar. It's all patent rules/laws.

Whether it matters that you got a technical degree or not heavily depends on whether you want to do pros or lit, and also heavily depends on what kind of firm you want to get hired to (biglaw, etc.).