Pursuing Patent Lawyer Jobs

Becoming a lawyer is a long and challenging process that requires many years of dedication. Pursuing patent lawyer jobs is even harder, because there are additional steps required above and beyond becoming a regular lawyer.

Only after graduating law school and satisfying all patent lawyer requirements, such as passing the state bar exam, can you become a patent lawyer. Unlike a regular lawyer, a patent lawyer must pass a second, intellectual property bar exam that is unique to patent attorneys. After passing this second exam you will be legally able to practice intellectual property law, in addition to other areas of law.

When an attorney first starts out as a patent lawyer, his or her patent lawyer salary will be low. It will be low because just like every entry-level position in every profession, the less experience you have, the lower your salary will be. Therefore, in order to make more money, the new patent lawyer needs to gain more experience, learn more about the job, and be the best patent attorney possibly. By registering with the local and state bar associations, individuals in patent lawyer jobs can continue pursuing their education by taking continuing education classes, keeping aware of changes in the laws, and by asking questions and being a self-starter in the job.

In addition to graduating from law school, and passing the bar exams to be permitted to practice intellectual property law in your state, there are additional and continuing patent lawyer requirements. You must take an oath to defend the state and U. S. Constitution, and be sworn in under the law and under the penalty of perjury. Along with the benefits of having your patent lawyer salary increasing year after year, a lawyer is ethically and morally obligated to perform pro bono, or free, work for the common good. This can include working for legal clinics, or volunteering time to help those less fortunate with legal services.  

In order for a patent lawyer to get raises and promotions, a patent lawyer must take the job very seriously. A lawyer must ask questions and be able to work independently and with others. Being a patent lawyer requires a lot of quantitative skills, because a lawyer must be able to apply the law to unique situations every day. Since no case will be the same, there is no way to memorize or simply regurgitate the information back. In order to increase the patent lawyer salary, a lawyer must be able to learn from experiences and mistakes, and continue to work effectively and make fewer and fewer mistakes. The lawyer must also have expert analytical, comprehensive and writing skills in order to progress in the career. Since a patent lawyer must be able to generalize and master unique situations, lawyers must be able to think quickly on their feet. Additionally, lawyers must be able to remember, apply, and get their point across, both verbally and in writing. Since all court cases require written briefs, orders, etc. as well as oral arguments, it is essential to be able to communicate both verbally and through writing.

In addition to having great analytical skills, a patent lawyer must have great people and sales skills. Great people skills are essential to deal with people over the phone and in person. Great sales skills are useful when making a case in both writing and orally when arguing in court. Therefore, as part of the patent lawyer jobs, and in order to become a skilled patent lawyer and continue in the job, the lawyer must have a successful combination of education, the ability to think on ones feet, and the drive, motivation, and desire to succeed.