Patent Attorney Career Guide and Counseling

Question: What is the best way to find a reputable patent attorney? What is the best way to find a reputable patent attorney and what criteria would you recommend they meet? Is there a website that deals with the actual inventor/invention - rather than these online sites that just make promises and take your money? There is not a money problem to get a patent - it's the lack of credible information to find help to get the patent - that's the problem! Thanks for any help!

Answer: The best way is, of course, word of mouth. Short of that, I think your best bet is to look at issued patents (or even published applications) through the USPTO website or other service (e.g., Google Patents). In particular, try searching for patents in your technology area. Read a good sample of them. For the ones that you like, write down the firms listed on the front page of the patent. You can then Google the firms' websites and get more information.

Question: How much can I expect to pay for a good, reliable patent attorney? I am a student in sixth form, so on a budget. But I have a money making idea, so i'd like some help filing for a patent. Can you recommend a good patent attorney that provides their services for a good price.

Answer: Before you do that you MUST READ this book. It will save you a lot of time and money on items that either already exist or won't sell. I had lots of good ideas and this book showed me how to avoid wasting my time on ideas that would not sell. And the book is less than $20.00. A real bargain. The book is "Will It Sell? How to Determine If Your Invention Is Profitably Marketable (Before Wasting Money on a Patent) " http://www.amazon.com/Determine-Inventio…

Question: Do you need work experience to be a patent attorney? I am planning on going to law school to study patent law. I am currently getting my B.S. in Electrical Engineering and working part time in the field of power distribution design. One question that comes to mind is if you need a lot of engineering experience in order to get hired as a patent attorney? Do some patent attorneys get hired having little to no engineering experience?

Answer: No, it is not a requirement. In addition to a standard state bar exam, a patent attorney must also pass a patent bar exam administered by the patent and trademark office (PTO). In order to sit for this exam, you have to have taken X number of technical credits. With a BSEE, you qualify to sit for the exam. Having real world work experience in a technical field is a plus on your resume. It, however, is not a requirement. All of the major patent law firms regularly hire kids right out of school who have no real technical work experience. The most important factors for hiring kids out of law school is generally what law school did they go to (i.e., is it a top ten school or a school with a well respected patent law program), how are their grades, and does their personality fit with the firm. So it is not a requirement, just a plus on the resume. That said, I would advise anyone interested in going into patent law to first get some real world technical experience before going to law school (e.g., 2-5 years). It will provide you with an understanding of the engineering/business culture that will help you in the field. Law schools also like it, so it will enhance the likelihood of you getting into a top law school.

Question: How do I become a patent attorney? I am 17 years old and I know for sure I want a job involving law. I've reviewed the different types of lawyers and I've decided I want to become a patent attorney. What are the steps I should know to becoming a patent attorney?

Answer: Hi Dan, Find a patent attorney in the phone book near you, or google how to become a patent attorney. Hopeful he will give you a few minutes of his or her time. It's a start Good Luck!

Question: how do i become a patent attorney in europe? I am a mechanical engineer and I would like to pursue a course to become a patent attorney. Can anyone help me out at least by indicating some university course i can attend?

Answer: To become Patent Attorney in Europe you need to pass an exam called EQE. The best place to prepare it, is the CEIPI in Strasbourg. The most important thing is the previous experience. You must collect working experience for certain number of years in a patent attorney office before. I thing, even for applying to the EQE examination (cf. list sources).

Question: Is it normal for a patent attorney to try to add things to my invention? I am not sure what to think. The attorney already did the search and says he thinks it would be worthwhile to go ahead and begin the process of filing for an application. He also told me about an idea he had and he suggests he write up the application with his idea included. I was just wondering if this is something patent attorneys normally do, and if so why? If he adds an idea to my application and I accept it do I have to pay him for the use of his idea?

Answer: Patent attorneys generally advise on business as well. The idea he has could be an improvement necessary to distinguish it from another patent, or to make for better marketing or it could be just an idea. Patent attorneys tend to be engineers and it might well be a good idea. You do not have to pay for his suggestion other than his normal fee.

Question: What does the future look like for a patent attorney majoring in Biological Engineering? I am currently majoring in biological engineering with an emphasis in biomedical engineering. Is biological engineering a good choice for becoming a patent attorney? Also would my chances of getting a job after graduation from law school be raised if I got a masters in biological engineering before or during law school? Finally would getting a masters in biomedical sciences or another life sciences be a better choice than biological engineering?

Answer: I would expect that you will earn $80,000 a year within 2 years of graduation. There is an explosion in the patent field..

Question: Where can I find a good Patent Attorney? I'm looking for a good patent attorney. Preferably he would hire out someone else to do in-depth patent searches on products similar to mine.

Answer: Why not try the Telephone Book, Yellow Pages, under Patent Attorneys or Yahoo and Google Search engines, for Patent Attorneys. Best of Luck for success .

Question: What is a typical work day like for a Patent Attorney? I'm considering going to law school to get into patent law and I want to get a better understand of what a patent attorney does during their work day. I will have my B.S. in Electrical Engineering.

Answer: I'm not sure there's a universal answer for a "typical" work day for a patent attorney. A substantial factor is whether you are prosecuting or litigating patents. If you're prosecuting patents, you will spend most of your time conferencing/meeting with inventors, drafting patent applications, and responding to office actions. Depending on your litigation experience, you may be doing anything from lowly document review to deposing witnesses. Another significant factor is whether you are working for a large firm or a small boutique. Even for firms that around the same size, the culture of each firm can vary greatly. This can affect the kind of work and the amount of responsibility you have, especially as a junior associate.

Question: Best language to learn for a patent attorney? Hello I am only a high school student but I am looking to become a patent attorney and would like to be able to travel and hopefully work with foreigners. What would the best language be to learn? I was thinking german or japanese, but im really not sure. Also, is it practical to think that as a patent attorney I will be able to travel and work with foreigners?

Answer: Chinese, absolutely. I'm where you want to be, and it's to the point where I'm going to have to learn it. As to your second question - as a patent attorney you can do any darned thing you want to. You may have to accept whatever pay for a while, but if you want to travel, travel. If you are strictly in it for the money, then plan to grind at a big law firm for a while, though. While we're here - I STRONGLY recommend real industry experience before jumping out into the field. You can tell who the barebones lawyers are that never worked as an engineer anywhere. More importantly, so can clients.