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Topic: Going from JD to Engineering to Patent (Read 4745 times) |
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plex
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Posts: 168
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Re: Going from JD to Engineering to Patent
« Reply #15 on: Jun 10th, 2007, 12:31am » |
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School and work are two very different things, in any field, even with a hands on degree like engineering, they are pretty different. You won't know for sure whether you enjoy practicing law until you actually start doing it.
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| « Last Edit: Jun 10th, 2007, 12:32am by plex » |
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lawyertopatent
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Posts: 6
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Re: Going from JD to Engineering to Patent
« Reply #16 on: Jun 10th, 2007, 12:46pm » |
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on Jun 10th, 2007, 12:09am, guest1040 wrote:
This is a lot of interesting stuff you've said. Is practicing law a lot like law school? Because I enjoy understanding and applying the law, but I can't stand law school.
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Since I'm not licensed yet (taking the bar in July) I really can't say. But from what I've seen with the partners I've worked with as a clerk, it's completely different from law school.
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| « Last Edit: Jun 10th, 2007, 12:46pm by lawyertopatent » |
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squaredeux
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Posts: 4
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Re: Going from JD to Engineering to Patent
« Reply #17 on: Jun 12th, 2007, 6:17pm » |
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i'm in a very similiar situation and we are probably around the same age but am pursuing a different course of action than you are. here is what i've done and will be doing.
went to a top public school, majored in polisci and history but was very math and science oriented throughout my life. i finished calc II when i was 16 and got burned out and didn't want to pursue math/science anymore, hence polisci/history and law school.
i did well in college, bombed the LSAT because i took that when i was 19 (not mentally ready) but still went to a high tier II straight out of college.
graduated law school, took the bar and i've been working for over 2 years now doing litigation. i hated law school but being a lawyer is not that bad. i don't hate it, but i find the kind of work i'm doing unmotivating and i've always wanted to do IP (am just more interested in it than anything else and wanted to do from the beginning of law school but did not have a technical degree.)
i always figured i would go back to school and get a technical degree in CS and weighed my options to pursue either a 2nd bachelor's at a UC (i live in CA) or get a master's at a cal state.
practically speaking, getting a master's makes a ton more sense than getting a 2nd bachelors. why? because a master's in computer science (or ee) are usually geared towards people or way more accommodating to people who have no background in that field. so its usually less prerequisites and the prereq's are usually more relaxed. also a lot of schools don't allow you to get a 2nd bachelor's for whatever reason. almost all of the UC's dont allow it in fact.
with that said, i still have about a year's worth of full-time classes (fall, spring & summer - 4 to 5 classes each semseter) to complete all my prerequisites. by the way, i HIGHLY recommend you retake calculus I and II again as it is something you need to have down cold if you want to have a decent chance getting a degree in EE.
for me, it works out because i am going to be taking most of my prereqs at a community college, along with 2 physics classes and by the time all my prereqs are done (with my physics + lab classes at community college) i'll be able to do my masters AND qualify for the USPTO exam under category B.
in the end, i'll save a ton of money (320 bucks per semester at community college), qualify for the USPTO exam and have a master's in 2 years flat.
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SoCalAttny
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Re: Going from JD to Engineering to Patent
« Reply #18 on: Jun 13th, 2007, 10:38pm » |
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Most law firms rate law school academics first then engineering school. They do not like to pollute the firm's attorney resume book.
Get the engineering degree and you will do fine.
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jjGirl
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Posts: 3
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Re: Going from JD to Engineering to Patent
« Reply #19 on: Jun 14th, 2007, 4:25pm » |
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aa - that's an excellent idea.
You have no idea what you are getting yourself into with EE - Calc 1 isn't even close to the amount of math and theory that goes into it. Besides that, as others have mentioned, it's going to take you ALOT of time to graduate. EE isn't a subject that you can just push yourself through - you have to really like it.
On another note, I have had several people in my classes that were lawyers that were going back to school just to do patent law. So, it is doable. I don't think a law firm would really care about your previous schooling. To be honest, patent lawyers are in such high demand they'll take anyone with a background.
Keep in mind that most all engineering schools are small so all the 1st, 2nd year and alot of the third year courses are during the days. You can't really work fulltime and go to school.... unless you have a very flexible job.
Good Luck!
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