Graduating Law School in 2 Weeks - Reflections

[axelfox]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: axelfox

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: axelfox

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: SuperTool
What about patent law? If you are an engineer, is it easy to get into patent law in your field if you go to lawschool?
Just evaluating my options.

I posted about it before in this thread, check out my post. Not sure how much of it is valid though, it's just a bunch of rambling thoughts patent lawyers have told me.

Patent litigation is where the action is. All others in the patent field are boring as hell.

Are you trying to get into patent law? I'm pretty interested in the other form of patent law, including the strategy side of it all.

I am a legal clerk for a patent attorney. I do not have a hard science background, so working in patent law is pretty much nixed. Besides, after taking Patent Law this semester, I'm rethinking the whole IP field anyways.

My boss does mainly patent applications and some IP litigation. The cool thing is that he's got a room full of samples that he's patented or working on.

So, how hard is it to get into patent law? Is what the other people saying true, that you basically have to graduate in the top 10% of your class? Does your boss like it? How did you find it (even though you can't enter that field)?

I'm getting my MS in Electrical Engineering and I really want to go law school to pursue patent law.

It really just depends who you want to work for.

If you want to work for "the man" AKA "Big Law", by that I mean big patent law firms, I wouldn't be surprised if they required 10 ten school and graduatation near the top of your class. This usually means 60+ hours a week and mean billing requirements.

If you want to work on your own and set up your own shop, its not that hard to get into (you can really go to any school; it don't have to be top tier). Generally, you want to practice under someone else for a few years to learn the ropes, even if that means working in another field for awhile (my boss did some estate planning back in the day, I think). Then its just a matter of going out on your own and getting your own clients.

I highly suggest that you make sure you want to go to law school first (many times I've wanted to just saw my arm off). Then, find out what's it like working in patent law (claims drafting, etc). You can become a patent agent before you go to law school and that might give you some insight.

I was all gung-ho about IP and patent law until I took the class and found out how boring it is. But hey, thats just me.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: axelfox

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: axelfox

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: axelfox

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: SuperTool
What about patent law? If you are an engineer, is it easy to get into patent law in your field if you go to lawschool?
Just evaluating my options.

I posted about it before in this thread, check out my post. Not sure how much of it is valid though, it's just a bunch of rambling thoughts patent lawyers have told me.

Patent litigation is where the action is. All others in the patent field are boring as hell.

Are you trying to get into patent law? I'm pretty interested in the other form of patent law, including the strategy side of it all.

I am a legal clerk for a patent attorney. I do not have a hard science background, so working in patent law is pretty much nixed. Besides, after taking Patent Law this semester, I'm rethinking the whole IP field anyways.

My boss does mainly patent applications and some IP litigation. The cool thing is that he's got a room full of samples that he's patented or working on.

So, how hard is it to get into patent law? Is what the other people saying true, that you basically have to graduate in the top 10% of your class? Does your boss like it? How did you find it (even though you can't enter that field)?

I'm getting my MS in Electrical Engineering and I really want to go law school to pursue patent law.

It really just depends who you want to work for.

If you want to work for "the man" AKA "Big Law", by that I mean big patent law firms, I wouldn't be surprised if they required 10 ten school and graduatation near the top of your class. This usually means 60+ hours a week and mean billing requirements.

If you want to work on your own and set up your own shop, its not that hard to get into (you can really go to any school; it don't have to be top tier). Generally, you want to practice under someone else for a few years to learn the ropes, even if that means working in another field for awhile (my boss did some estate planning back in the day, I think). Then its just a matter of going out on your own and getting your own clients.

I highly suggest that you make sure you want to go to law school first (many times I've wanted to just saw my arm off). Then, find out what's it like working in patent law (claims drafting, etc). You can become a patent agent before you go to law school and that might give you some insight.

I was all gung-ho about IP and patent law until I took the class and found out how boring it is. But hey, thats just me.

So, if you don't want to work for the "Big Law" what are the employment options?

I took a course in IP for Engineers that was taught by an IBM patent lawyer and a professor. I think it was the most interesting course I ever took.

 

[Greg03]

Originally posted by: DigDug
Hey Greg, thanks for being a good sport. My tone was a bit harsh in that message.

I am just annoyed with the legal industry. There was so much I thought I'd learn that I didn't, and so much that I didn't care to learn about, that I had to. From my limited experience, law school is not even close to the real world. Noone gives two craps about your policy discussion on property allocation out there.

Right you are. Most lawyers hate policy discussion. In fact, most lawyers I know talk zero shop with other laywers because of the futility of it all. Get two smart people with opposing viewpoints and maybe, maybe, 1 in 1000 discussions you'll have one change their mind. Most of the time we have another person (judge/arb.) solve our problems. This is why so many lawyers hate talking with others. Now, those policy discussions will come in handy if you want to be professor, then all the wide eyed students will glady engage you.

I can tell you that nothing I have done as a lawyer has approached the level of difficulty of law school.

Hang in there, the ride sucks, but in the end I like it. If nothing else, law school will bring all kinds of maturity that comes from having to deal with pure evil.

 

[Greg03]

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
I have been out of law school for 2 years now, and I have a little bit of a different take on things.

We shall all own Jaguars and laugh at the little people. j/k

I once saw a red porsche 911 with a bumper sticker that read "thank God I'm not you" on the left side and a 12ft key mark on the right.