Patent lawyer worth it? Or stick to engineering

The law is not all that interesting either. I would stick with engineering.

There are already far too many lawyers. Stick to engineering.

I think there is actually a high demand right now for a technical specialty like patent law. Do the research, but my impression is that you could find a job and do very well financially. It's a good option if you dont want to actually work as an engineer. Obviously, get into a top 15 law school if possible.

I considered this route too. My advice would be to spend some time in the industry first both to save some $ and to get some experience. You'll learn a lot in the first 2 years and you can then apply to law school (if you so decide) with a better understanding of the world. This way you also have the option to stick with engineering if you decide you like it rather than getting 8 years down the road and 90K in debt and decide you'd rather be an engineer than a lawyer.

I spent 5 years as an engineer before deciding to go back to school for neuroscience. I wouldn't give up my engineering experience for anything though as there are a ton of things I can do that biology majors can't. The same would be applicable in patent law as you'll understand the whole picture much better than someone who went straight from undergrad to law school.

1) There is still very good demand for competent patent attorneys. It is not crazy like it was 7-8 years ago, but it is still very, very good.

2) You are right to have concerns about dropping 100k$ on a career that you know nothing about.

3) Someone upthread mentioned working for a few years as an engineer. That is a good idea-- even if you end up in law school, a few years of work experience will help you get work when you are a lawyer.

4) Another idea would be to work at a law firm doing patent work. Many law firms hire non-lawyers to help out with things like application drafting. This would give you a decent idea as to what patent lawyers do day-to-day and allow you to make an informed decision about going to law school.

5) Also-- look into becoming a patent agent.

Do you enjoy writing and are you good at it? If so, patent law is the way to go. Whatever debt you incur from law school will be but a minor inconvenience after you land your first post-graduate job at a law firm. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT go back to school for an engineering degree- i.e., masters or PhD. The engineering industry has gone bust. The pay isn't competitive because the market is flooded with educated engineers desperate for work.

Take the patent bar. Then work in the industry. If you like it, you can find an employer to pay for law school.

Worked for me. $80k post bar but before J.D.

I think the person who suggested going to work as an engineer and then doing law school made a good suggestion. My advice on top of this would be to broaden the scope of alternative careers you are considering if you are not excited about patent law. I have an engineering degree and manage bond portfolios for a large asset manager. I made that career switch after going to business school (after 4 or 5 years of full-time work).

Engineering is a great base for a lot of careers where your math and analytic skills will give you an advantage over your peers who have had a less rigorous education in these areas.

If you think you can nail the LSAT and do well in law school (long 3 year grind), go for it. Patent lawyers are in demand and will continue to be for a long time. At big firms, they regularly have the highest hourly rates and many go off and start boutiques to keep all the loot. There is no comparison moneywise to engineering. However, you will have long hours.

Taking a few years to work as an engineer is a good idea. Make some contacts so you can get clients when you start working.

don't be a fool wrote:

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT go back to school for an engineering degree- i.e., masters or PhD. The engineering industry has gone bust. The pay isn't competitive because the market is flooded with educated engineers desperate for work.

I am not aware of the engineering industry gone bust or overabundance of engineers. Can anyone else confirm?

You should be able to get a scholarship with a 4.0 gpa, as long as you do well on the LSAT, which I have no reason to believe you wouldn't. And if you can keep a 4.0 in mechanical engineering, you should also at least be able to graduate in the top of your class at most law schools, which will guarantee you a job.

I also understand that most engineering firms won't recruit or hire engineers out of undergrad with high gpas because they assume they will go to grad school (either immediately or within a year of hiring them).

Another alternative would be to go work on Wall Street. You can probably make $150k+ in your first year doing that. If you don't like it, then you can go to grad school and have money to pay for it.

not a lawyer wrote:

Another alternative would be to go work on Wall Street. You can probably make $150k+ in your first year doing that. If you don't like it, then you can go to grad school and have money to pay for it.

Go to work on W-Street doing what with an engineering degree?

Very worth it. Engineers do not get rich. Patent lawyers do.

Plenty of engineers get rich. They start their own companies or patent a successful product.

W-Street Sock Analyst wrote:

Go to work on W-Street doing what with an engineering degree?

Investment banks have a long history of recruiting engineers for analytical jobs. Much of finance is just applied math.

Book smarts are worthless. Make something useful for society than come back and ask for advice.

I levered the hell out of myself to go to law school. . .got a JD/MBA at the same time, because I was sucking so much A$$ in lawschool. . .I always say. . .after having been down the road. . .I would encourage any of the following to consider going:

1) You have a passion to practice law and really do not care how much you will ever earn - i.e. - You are really following your passion. Hell knows, I wanted to be an Air Force Meteorologist/Pilot and fly the C-130's into hurricanes. . .

2) Someone else is paying for it; or

3) You will get into a top 10 or top 5 law school and are levering yourself. . .

With option 3) You will have virtually NO difficulty of landing a high paying job right out of school and can/will be able to repay the debt hanging over your head realtively quickly. . .and if you think practicing law sucks A$$ you can do something else. . .

Those are the only really viable options as I now look back. . .

Just my HO wrote:

Plenty of engineers get rich. They start their own companies or patent a successful product.

Idiot response. Those are outliers. Patent lawyers are rich. I guess unless you start an engineering company or invent something engineers do not get rich.

Before applying to law schools, you should find an internship in the legal business. You might find the general practice of law interesting, or not. Patent law seems pretty boring to me. But engineering is certainly useful background for a lot of other areas; for example, litigation involving technical issues.

If you're willing to work for free, the best way to get some taste of what the practice of law is like would be to go to your local legal aid group and see if they'll find something for you to do.

The market for lawyers is pretty bad at the moment, but I'm not convinced that it's totally bad for people who really want to practice law -- a lot of people go to law school because they want to be lawyers; this is not quite the same thing.