There is no patent for the exceptional attorney, as it would never be approved, but there are some patent attorney requirements that most attorneys meet. Listed below is a list of important things you require to become a patent attorney.
Undergraduate Degree in Hard Science or Engineering Course
If you have interest in becoming a patent attorney, you must have a degree. Because of the scientific and technical knowledge needed vast of patent attorneys have an engineering or scientific background. It is quite safe to hedge your bets on pursuing a degree in chemistry, engineering, physics, and electrical engineering among others, although it is good to talk to your adviser if you have any questions.
Academic qualifications are very important, so you will want to aim at scoring at least 2:1 from a recognized university.
Postgraduate Achievement
You do not need to be a genius to practice as a patent attorney, but academic achievements are crucial. You may have to deal with some very complex and technical patents in your work. It is not a surprise that around 60% of patent attorney trainees have completed their postgraduate and about half of them have PHD.
This does not imply that a postgraduate qualification is crucial. If you wish to work for a certain patent firm, it is ideal to check their entry requirements to see if they have specified a preference.
The vast of potential attorneys will pursue a postgraduate degree to further technical know how, although a few might prefer study for a postgraduate certificate or LLM in Intellectual Property Law.
High Interest In Law
The focus is not all bout technical stuff and science; patent attorneys also belong to the legal industry and are experts in intellectual property law. So, a high interest for law is very vital. You will not be required to have a law background, but you should be in a position to structure an argument, be more persuasive and keen to details. Even after a patented is granted, there are legal requirements to maintain the patent. If do not have interest in law, then you need to rethink about your choice of career.
Commercial Knowledge
You are not only required to know your way around patents, but also be aware and support the commercial objectives of your customers. These customers could be big business or commercial enterprises. This is where a huge understanding of commercial enterprises comes in handy.
Patent attorneys also require commercial skills such as business development and client care. The vast of patent attorneys work in private practices. Having an understanding of commerce will assist your practice to grow and will come in handy if you opt to become a sole practitioner.
Passion for Language
A huge part of the job is the ability to put across technical matters clearly. Creating comprehensive legal documents, following and creating legal complex arguments all need an excellent command of both written and oral language. Patent attorneys are not just national, they are also international.
So there you have it: patent attorney requirements to factor in prior to deciding on whether to embark on patent attorney career path.