JOB OVERVIEW
As has been mentioned, lawyers can also take different specilaties depending on their interest. There are we we call, probate lawyers, real estate lawyers as well as patent lawyers to name a few. Patent lawyers are hired lawyers to represent clients in cases that involve infringement in copyrights . Since the creation of the U.S. Constitution, individuals, groups as well as corporations or companies have obtained patents. Patents are used as rights to reserve and retain full control and authority over the production, utilization as well as outsourcing or sales of knowledge, ideas or products as well as processes.
This is where the job of patent lawyers revolves. Patent lawyers are legal professionals who specialize and are proficient in the ins and outs of the patent law,. They use this expertise to counsel, guide as well as rotect the client's enterprise through a smoth patent application and use along with thelegal processes embedded in it.
EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
It is not easy to acquire a title of a patent lawyer. An aspiring candidate to be lawyer must first take a pre law degree. Pre law degree are courses that can be useful should one wants to advance to a Law school after. This includes BS Political Science, BS Communicaton Technology, BS Economics, BS Social Science and many others which will vary on the state law and a specific country of application. After passing a pre law degree, there is another gate to pass which is the law entrance examination which requires a minimum of satisfactory rating before being recommended to a specific law school. Upon entering the law school, all the instruction,s and the trainings will be learned, As a partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation, an on the job training wtih a certain number of hours of training on a law firm must be completed. This will also correspond to the number of cases handled and dictate how prepared the applicant to take the bar examination. The bar examination is required to obtain a license. If a candidate aspires to become a patent lawyer in specific, he has to take trainings and work in a law firm specializing in patent cases.
ABILITIES AND SKILLS
Patent lawyers should have the following skills and abilities, in addition to their expertise in the field of law more specifially in patent cases: they should possess a highly analytical skill, communication skills meaning that they could be both effective in written and public-speaking and problem solving skills meaning they should be able to present effective and creative solutions for new cases and unusual legal issues as well.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Patent lawyers are advocates, advisors and consultants on patent laws. They shoud be able to represent clients with issues and applications of patents in courts. They should also provide guidance or legal counseling/advice to inventors, investors, manufacturers regarding patent rights and associated tems and conditions for their products, ideas or inventions. Some of the responsibilities of patent lawyers are as follows: interpreting patent laws for clients, preparing documents and passing patent applications to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and lastly, asserting sides of clients in court cases with patent infringement lawsuits.
EARNINGS AND JOB OUTLOOK
Lawyers have lucrative practice in the United States. On the average, a patent lawyer can earn around $110,590 on a yearly basis. However, salaries for lawyers differ greatly across ithe location or state of practice and the employer type. Lawyers who are employed by the federal government can earn around $126,080. while those are working for private companies and other corporate firms can earn around $145,770. A top patent attorney can even earn approximately around $199,576.
In summary, a patent attorney applies, obtains and enforces intellectual property rights on behalf of the client which is either an individual inventor or a company or an organization. Patents are granted by the government and give inventors the right to prevent the commercial use of inventions by other parties for a limited period. They are the ones who draft and facilitate as well as carry through initiatives and applications to secure patents and act to enforce inventors’ rights should patents be in case, infringed.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of the opportunities and trainings for skills and practice upgrading.