man2010 t1_iujjpf5 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 8:25 PM

Reply to comment by Barred4Life in Boston Jobs for someone with a law degree? by Barred4Life

FYI, without a science background you won't be able to get into patent law. I'm not an attorney but I'm familiar with the field and you're right that there is a separate licensing exam through the USPTO, in addition to needing a science/engineering degree. There are other areas of IP law where you don't necessarily need that science/engineering background, but you might struggle to break into them in Boston. The common path for patent attorneys is science/engineering first, and then using that knowledge to practice law rather than the other way around. Trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and transactions would be your avenues into IP.

And if you have a bachelor's or higher in a science or engineering field then you can ignore this entire comment and look into patents

Barred4Life OP t1_iujmz71 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 8:48 PM

That sounds about right from what I've heard. I was a criminal justice/legal studies major, so I don't think that science backgrounds exists for me unless through osmosis I can grab it from my wife.

man2010 t1_iujp1uj wrote on October 31, 2022 at 9:02 PM

Unfortunately I don't think the USPTO accepts osmosis as the basis for a science background, but if your wife wants an equally grueling but higher paying job than a medical residency she could always look into it. Of course the pay tips back to favor doctors after residency, and she has probably spent close to a decade working towards just her residency, but I guess it's an option nonetheless