Education is important in any of the law jobs in intellectual property because the laws and procedures are complex and specific. How much education and what kind depends on the intellectual property law jobs you plan to pursue. Intellectual law jobs are available for paralegals, associates, patent attorneys and more. The right training and knowledge can open doors in this very lucrative field.
Intellectual property law jobs for paralegals are lucrative but very demanding. Unlike attorney's formal education and exams are not required by the state; however, intellectual property law firms and attorneys usually demand at least an Associate's degree in intellectual property law paralegal studies in order to hire the person. The associate's degree and the skills included in this will provide the successful student with the background necessary to function in a law office as a paralegal. It is also advisable to brush up on office management skills as much of the running of the office is performed by the paralegal.
An intellectual property paralegal will help perform research on applicable intellectual property laws and cases.
The paralegal will also possibly interview parties in cases involving a dispute.
The paralegal will assist in filing necessary documents, patents and paperwork to protect client's intellectual property rights.
These are highly specialized paralegal specializations and law jobs in intellectual property for qualified candidates are much easier to find.
Jobs in intellectual property law for attorneys require the law degree, which is 4 years of law school as well as passing the state bar. Specializations such as Patent Attorney will also require a specialized examination covering aspects of patent laws. Other specializations such as Intellectual property litigation law jobs require other courses and the law student interested in specialization can begin to take extra coursework while still in law school to help give them a broader knowledge of the field.
Intellectual property law jobs require more preparation than other jobs may but they can be more rewarding. The law student who has successfully passed the state bar examination and has an intellectual property specialization or taken a Patent attorney examination may find the job search easier by joining an Intellectual Property association and attaining any certifications available in their area. The associations can also help keep the attorney as well as the paralegal up to date with the ever-evolving law.
The Search for Jobs in Intellectual Property Law
Law jobs in intellectual property are abundant because both private and public institutions have intellectual property concerns. A very fast growing field with many new Intellectual property jobs is the information technology field. Patent attorneys, intellectual property paralegals and associates as well as intellectual property managers are used in the technology and IT fields.
The job search can also extend to the internet as well as to local technology firms and law firms that specialize in intellectual property.
On the internet, there are job search sites that specialize in intellectual property jobs and the first place to start is one of those sites. Most specialized job sites offer email notifications as well as a search.
Search engines are a possibility however; they usually produce a more results that are not applicable to law jobs in intellectual property than those that help a job search.
Resumes can often be emailed to the prospective employer and interviews set up via email or telephone. When using the internet as an adjunct to your search for jobs in intellectual property laws then you also have the freedom to access jobs in other areas, which is usually far more difficult when trying to use other means.
Reading technology news is a good way to spot companies that utilize intellectual property law professionals. Offering to intern with an intellectual property law firm is another way to find those hidden jobs in law.
Whether your perfect job appears immediately or it takes you some time, your best strategy is to continue your search 2 – 3 hours a day and interviews. Those are the keys to landing those dream law jobs in intellectual property.
- See Top 10 Reasons Most Law Firms Have No Idea How to Hire and Evaluate Patent Attorneys for more information.
