<p>The vast majority of patent attorneys do not handle litigation, which is a highly specialized area. I always refer that type of work to others with that specific experience. And one case typically takes years to settle. Most of the time, patent disputes are settled out of court. It can be very risky to go to trial especially when a jury without any technical background is going to decide a case. </p>
<p>In regards to what areas of engineering or science you are trained in, it does not really matter. Obviously if you are going to handle biotech patents, it helps if your background is in chemistry or biology. Same thing with software patents: it helps to have a software engineering background. There are many patents applications on manufacturing related processes and machines, so that is an area where an industrial engineer may feel very comfortable.</p>
<p>One way to find if patent work is for you is to start as a patent agent. You can do that straight out of college. You just need to take the patent bar. If you really like it, you can always go back to law school after a few years. Many patent attorneys worked as scientists or engineers in industry before becoming lawyers.</p>