Chemical Engineer, IP Law. Need help! Forum

[mmbowling]

Hi All,

I'm currently faced with a tough decision. My two options are:

Go to Ohio State/ Cincinnati full time and take on about $60k in debt.

OR

Go to Toledo part time and work at a job making about $80k per year with no law school debt. Will a law degree at Toledo with 4 years of work experience in engineering be enough to get me a job in IP law or a job as an attorney for a company? or is the Toledo degree that bad?

THANKS!!

[collegebum1989]

depends on the job you will be doing when you are in law school. $80k a year is really good, and if you will be working as a patent agent, you will also be gaining experience, gaining contacts and getting a law degree all at once while getting paid.

But it depends on your career goals after law school. Need to specify that to consider the two options.

[mmbowling]

I would just be working as an engineer, not a patent agent. I ultimately want to be a patent attorney, but am afraid of throwing about pretty much $300k unnecessarily.

[sky7]

I would just be working as an engineer, not a patent agent. I ultimately want to be a patent attorney, but am afraid of throwing about pretty much $300k unnecessarily.

Apply to the PTO, become an Examiner. Suffer through any of the DC area schools at night. Transfer to private sector. Profit.

[collegebum1989]

I would just be working as an engineer, not a patent agent. I ultimately want to be a patent attorney, but am afraid of throwing about pretty much $300k unnecessarily.

Apply to the PTO, become an Examiner. Suffer through any of the DC area schools at night. Transfer to private sector. Profit.

TITCR, I spoke to a friend today who's a patent litigator in DC, and he says night-school at GULC or GW are good options to combine with PTO job if you are not willing to take on debt. Without knowing your numbers, its not possible to predict if you will be able to attend these schools.

[patentlybored]

Yeah, except the uspto pulled their reqs recently so you'll have to wait a couple months (along with me) if u go that route. Then, once you submit an app it might be 5 months til u start, if hired. Or don't do that and give the rest of us a better shot. K thx

[sky7]

Yeah, except the uspto pulled their reqs recently so you'll have to wait a couple months (along with me) if u go that route. Then, once you submit an app it might be 5 months til u start, if hired. Or don't do that and give the rest of us a better shot. K thx

Fair. But it's still the best route.