<p>I am a patent attorney with a background in computer science and medical imaging with a degree from MIT. I switched to patent law late in my career after having applied for multiple patents myself. Despite anecotal comments to the contrary from posters who have no clue, it is currently a VERY ACTIVE field. In Silicon Valley and the Boston Area there are dozens of openings for patent attorneys. </p>
<p>The problem is that there is a very limited supply of patent lawyers with less than 20,000 out of 1.2 million lawyers. Many are also close to retirement and not enough are being trained. Despite the glut of lwyers, extremely few of them qualify to pass the patent bar, because of the science background requirements. </p>
<p>You can work for a boutique patent firm or work or as a solo practitioner. Most law firm don’t have their own patent practice and refer the work to specialized firms. I run my own solo practice and simply can’t keep up with the demand. I get referrals from other law firms as well as a network of venture capital firms. </p>
<p>The real opportunity is not handling patent work for large corporations which is low margin and highly competitive but with emerging technology companies. It is virtually impossible to raise venture capital today without strong patent protection. Even in the software field which did not typically rely on patents , it is now routine to seek patent protection. Companies such as Google, IBM, Microsoft and Apple are among the highest volume applicants.</p>
<p>The work can pay extremely well if you know what you are doing. In general, companies will seek more than one patent, so I work typically for several years with each client and become imbedded in their organization working with their executives and scientists. With ealy stage companies, you can also be paid in part in equity which is attractive if the company is fast growing. </p>
<p>Starting patent attorneys are typically trained at specialized boutique firms. Unlike associates at big law firms, the work hours are very reasonable. Because of the very high cost of training, firms are very reluctant to let you go. Patent attorneys with 5 or more years of experience can easily make $200k-$300K in a boutique firm and partners and the best solo practitioners can make much more. Not as much as top litigators, but still more than most attorneys. Best of all, the work can be truly exciting if you like to be involved with innovation!</p>
<p>I would recommend the field in a heartbeat to bright young engineers and scientists. There is strong demand in fields from software to nanotechnology to medical devices and chemistry. A BS in science or engineering is typically sufficient for most fields except biotech or pharma where a PhD in biochemistry or equivalent is the norm. Some companies will pay for law school at night. Where you go to law school is completely irrelevant as your technical background is what matters most. Unlike other fields of law, it is a very fast growing market where demand will outstrip supply for many years to come.</p>