The Intellectual Property Forum

Thanks for the input.
Guess I'll find out this weekend!

Just wondering if any patent examiners from the USPTO out there can give any indication of what its like to work for the USPTO as an examiner and how difficult it is to get hired.

I'm going to one of their Job Fair's this weekend and hope that I've got a shot at getting hired!

Thanks,
John

Well this was the next topic I was going to bring up but since you mentioned it...

I am taking my program through Concord Law School online. They are owned by the Washington Post and have had an almost unbelievable track record in getting students to pass the California Bar.

The reason that I decided to go with them is that I currently am working on a contract in the Cleveland Ohio area and plan to relocate back to California within a couple years. Taking the courses online gives me the freedom to move back to California and to keep on working towards my degree.

The only negative is that they are not currently ABA Approved due to the classes being online (although they are working on it and they are accredited). I realize that this is not a preferred approach but I hope that it will not be a show stopper for me down the line.

All I can say is that I love to program. I have had a desire to build things and see them through to completion since I was young. It’s been very satisfying to me. Unfortunately, with the changes in the economy and the ability to offload work overseas accelerating, I decided that I needed to look at my skills and decide what path made the best sense.

I decided to go the J.D. route since I also saw from this forum and searches on many websites that jobs appear to be limited for Agents. I am sure that there are many people out there that have made a very good career out of being an Agent, but for me with my late start into law, I felt that having the formal education would help down the road. Also, the law and its many interpretations have always fascinated me and I guess I just got burnt out from all the long hours of coding.

In four long years I will know if I was correct  

You are correct; I did not fully understand his point. Thank you for clearing that up.

One can only hope that U.S. Companies will not want to take IP on the cheap for fear of something going wrong and losing everything they have built.

As a software consultant, I can safely say that the work that has come from overseas is not of the same caliber as U.S. Software Developers. Generally what happens is software is received from overseas and then U.S. Consultants are brought in to correct defects or performance problems.

Since correcting Patents is more difficult than software, and so much is riding on them, companies will hopefully think twice before saving a buck.

Lois,

Glad to hear someone else is going the same direction as I am planning. I have found many listings in Silicon Valley for this type of work and since that is exactly where I would like to end up, I believe it’s a wise choice.

Best Wishes!
John  

Hello,

I am currently in the process of getting into Law School and was hoping to get some advice before I make the leap. I have a B.S. in Physics and have worked in R&D mostly in optical and electronics while helping to write two patents in my early years after college. For the past 12 years I have been working as an independent software developer and have decided that I had better make a career change due to the eventual extinction that is happening due to outsourcing.  

Two questions that I have are:
1. How is the job market for Patent Attorneys with Physics and Software development experience?

2. How difficult will it be for me to make this transition due to my age (currently 45 and will be 48 upon graduation)  

My plans are to volunteer to work with a local law firm that specializes in patents during the summers but I still worry if I'm getting a little too old to be making this major of a career change in my life. Hopefully someone out there has made this change later in life and can shed some light on it.

Thanks in Advance,
John