Sorry if this topic has been beaten to death, but this is bugging me. I know I definitely want to major in chemistry. I like it, I’m good at it, and I find it really interesting. I know it’s not as marketable (or as easy to “fall back on” should I not go to law school) as majors like comp sci, physics, and engineering, but that’s a trade I’ll make. My question is, how hard is it to be a patent lawyer in chemistry with only a BS? The limited research I’ve done says that a PhD is almost necessary if you want to get hired in bio/chem. Is this the case? If so, then I think I’ll major in something else since 12 years of school sounds like way too much. I know patent law is a pretty niche field and there’s a huge demand, but does this not apply if I just have a BS in chem? Would a master’s be a good compromise for this weakness? It seems much more doable than a PhD and 2 more years doesn’t sound that bad.
If you had read the many posts on this question, you would know that a BS in chemistry is not sufficient to get an entry level position as a patent attorney. That is because your competition will have more advanced degrees.
In fact, nowadays, unfortunately a BS degree in chemistry will usually only get you a job as a technician, not even a research chemist.