caseykuks3

Hi,

I currently have three semesters left until I finish my B.S. in bioengineering (emphasis in biomaterials) and I am trying to weigh my options for post-undergraduate education. My ultimate goal is to pursue a career in patent law but I am unsure as to what path to take to get there. I have a 3.9 GPA which I am hoping to maintain and I am currently involved in two research projects, one related to synthesis of chemotherapeutic drug derivatives and one more bioengineering-related, both of which should hopefully lead to publications before I graduate.

From what I have read I will need to get a Ph.D or MD as well as a JD in order to do biotechnology or pharmaceutical patent work, and if I decide not to go that route then I would need to get a masters in something like electrical engineering in order to make myself more desirable for job applications after law school. I would prefer to go straight to law school but that could be postponed if further engineering education is truly necessary.

Can anyone offer more information on biotechnology / phamaceutical patent law job requirements? Also, outside of biotechnology / pharm, what other specific job opportunities are there in patent law as a bioengineering major?

Thanks for the help!

sakky

Really? Then somebody forgot to tell that to R. Joseph Trojan, who apparently not only was one of only 13 attorneys in California named as 'Top Prosecutors' in in the pharma/bio area as measured by the legal analytics firm Patent Buddy, but also started his own law firm specializing in biotechnology and pharmaceutical intellectual property despite his only technical degree being a bachelor's degree in biology.

crankyoldman

Not sure what you've been reading, but you've been getting bad information. To practice patent law, there's no need to get a PhD or MD; heck, if you're planning on getting an MD, I'd skip the whole law business and go practice medicine-but that's another story.
With your current undergrad degree, get your JD and you'll be in good shape for patent practice. But to get a job after law school graduation, you may want to start investigation patent law practice now, so that you can see if it's something you're truly interested in.

dadofsam

Sakky: Your example, as usual, is out of date. In 1988, when Mr. Trojan graduated from law school, it still was possible to obtain an entry-level position in patent law with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences. Not so now, 24 years later. Most candidates for those positions have at least a Master's degree and many have Ph.D.s plus post-doctoral or industrial experience.

cartera45

I am working on several openings right now for IP lawyers. I am a headhunter for attorneys. The hottest areas now are for electrical engineering and computer science. I also have a number that are looking for chemical engineering That is for both IP litigation and prosecution. For IP litigation, the prominence of the law school matters more than in prosecution and there is typically more flexibility with regard to undergrad degrees. For prosecution, the undergrad degree often outshines the law degree. I tend to work with top law firms and IP boutiques and many of my clients expect advanced degrees, but with the right combination of law school and undergrad, I can certainly place attorneys without the advanced degree. Some are willing to pay signing bonuses for the right background. One of the jobs I am working lists biomedical engineering as a sought after major. They are not requiring advanced degrees but many of the top candidates have them.

sakky

Dadofsam, your response is not only irrelevant, but, ironically, seems to supports my position. The issue on the table is not whether most candidates even need a master's degree - a degree that the OP never once mentioned (having specifically mentioned only the PhD or MD) - let alone whether many have a PhD. The issue on the table is whether you need a PhD or an MD. That is what the OP is concerned about. Heck, even your response strongly implies that most candidates even today do not need a PhD or an MD.

dadofsam

Sakky: As usual you try to slant a post to support what you want people to believe, but as usual you don't know what you're talking about. One can qualify for the PTO examination with a bachelor's degree in biology, but that degree is pretty unlikely to enable one to land a job in the field. That's what the OP is interested in.

sakky

Dadofsam, as usual you try to slant a post to support what you want people to believe, but as usual you don't know what you're talking about. I see that you conveniently now dropped your prior discussion of master's degrees, which the OP never once discussed. More importantly, you've just conceded my central point, which is that you don't need even a master's degree, let alone a PhD or an MD, to become a patent attorney, and that is what the OP had specifically posited.

Now, would it be helpful to obtain additional science training if you want to be a patent lawyer? I don't think anybody here once argued otherwise. Heck, I'm sure winning a Nobel Prize would be helpful. But the interesting question is what you need to have.

cartera45

I just did a quick review of patent attorneys in DC with degrees in biology. There are certainly those practicing at excellent firms with only undergrad degrees in biology, but the majority have advanced degrees and many have PhDs and there are quite a few MDs.

dadofsam

Dear Sakky: What the OP asked was whether an advanced degree in biology was needed to do patent work. We both know that an advanced degree isn't needed to qualify to take the PTO exam, but with only a bachelor's degree the OP isn't likely to get a job so as to be given any patent work to do.