<p>Hi guys I'm thinking about pursuing ip law as a career and just had a couple questions:
1. I have heard that graduate schooling for your undergraduate major is required (I'm doing biochem) is that true?
2. There are many mba jd joint programs being offered, will enrolling in those be helpful rather than just a jd?
3. Are there many jobs for IP attorneys?
4. Is going to a top top law school required and if so what are my chances of getting in if going to a decent state school undergradaasking my my grades are decent?</p>
<p>I'm interested in patents by the way
Thanks</p>
<ol>
<li>in biotech, they are pretty much looking for ph.d.</li>
<li>not helpful.</li>
<li>yes, if you can work in the right arts. biotech (see above) is looking for doctorates; few candidates means not much competition for the work. electrical/computer just has plenty of work (apple, samsung, ibm, MS, etc.). if you are a mech eng and work in structures, not so much available.</li>
<li>no, not important at all. go to the state school, save your money, take any state bar (or two, over 3 days), and get your PTO registration number. it helps a little if you know ahead of time where you want to work and plan to join that bar (for example, DC and/or virginia if you expect to work near the PTO, california if you expect to work silicon valley, etc.).</li>
</ol>
<p>what matters most (besides your undergrad major) is work experience (both in your technology and in patent law), and what i will generally call “the ability to do the work”, which means WRITING, reasoning, critical reading, constructing airtight logical arguments, the ability to persuade examiners in interviews, the ability to pull out new features from the disclosure when examiners are unreasonable, imagination to expand the point of novelty beyond what the inventor recognized, and the flexibility to clear one complex thing out of your head to learn a completely different complex thing every day (sometimes twice a day).</p>
<p>the name of your school might make the difference in getting you an interview with some firms. and maybe some alumni contacts from when you were a student. that’s all.</p>