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Topic: Switching from Patent law into another field (Read 1290 times) |
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Jackson
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Switching from Patent law into another field
« on: May 23rd, 2006, 6:08pm » |
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So I am about to embark on the very crappy journey that is law school. I have a BSEE and will be attending a top 100 school (although it is in the basement of those rankings). Anyhow, at this moment I have cold feet. Do I really want to go to school for three years and stress about finding a job in the end? And what if there is no job for me? Regardless, I will go to school because patent law seems like a good fit for me (somewhat interesting work, not too terrible of hours, and good pay).
But what if I end up hating the job? Are there other good careers where a law degree and an engineering degree can be combined to create a good candidate? Does experience in a law firm or working in-house look good on a resume for management positions? Or if I end up hating patent law, do I have to start over again as a meager little engineer with only one year of experience?
Please help me with comments, stories, suggestions (mba + jd maybe?). Thanks.
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Isaac
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Re: Switching from Patent law into another field
« Reply #1 on: May 24th, 2006, 8:49am » |
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on May 23rd, 2006, 6:08pm, Jackson wrote:| So I am about to embark on the very crappy journey that is law school. I have a BSEE and will be attending a top 100 school (although it is in the basement of those rankings). Anyhow, at this moment I have cold feet. Do I really want to go to school for three years and stress about finding a job in the end? And what if there is no job for me? Regardless, I will go to school because patent law seems like a good fit for me (somewhat interesting work, not too terrible of hours, and good pay). |
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Any prospective law school student ought to have cold feet moments.
I'd suggest talking to some patent attorneys about what they do. If you can find an alumnus of the school you plan to attend that might be the ideal patent attorney to talk to.
Quote:| But what if I end up hating the job? Are there other good careers where a law degree and an engineering degree can be combined to create a good candidate? |
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Of course there are. For me personally, all of those other possibilities were distant second and third choices, but engineers make just as good advocates and litigators as anyone else, and in some areas of practice (like environmental law and products liability) an engineer may even have a leg up.
For the most high paying opportunities, employers generally require really good credentials. You will want to do really well if you attend a law school well out of the top 14.
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Isaac
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jackson
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Re: Switching from Patent law into another field
« Reply #2 on: May 30th, 2006, 2:38pm » |
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Is there any fields outside of law that you can think of?
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Isaac
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Re: Switching from Patent law into another field
« Reply #3 on: May 30th, 2006, 7:32pm » |
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on May 30th, 2006, 2:38pm, jackson wrote:| Is there any fields outside of law that you can think of? |
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I don't have a good answer to that. There are a number of books on the subject of non law careers you can do with a law degree. Here's a link to one I came up via a quick internet search.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0940675463/103-9329289-6931036?v=glance &n=283155
This is not an endorsement of the book. I haven't read it.
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Isaac
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ColdFeet2
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Re: Switching from Patent law into another field
« Reply #4 on: Jun 7th, 2006, 5:44pm » |
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Jackson, I'm in the same position as you.. I have a fairly comfortable EE job with pretty reasonable hours.. but am craving more out of work. I've been accepted to law school and would start this fall if i decide to go.. but my cold feet are archoring me down. I don't really have much advice to offer you.. but just wanted you to know you're not in this boat alone.
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