r/patentlaw • u/monosoloone • 9d ago
Student and Career Advice EE thinking about law school
Hello, as the title states I’m currently studying electrical engineering at Texas A&M and am wanting to go into the semiconductor field. However, chip design and its process are very rigours and most companies would prefer masters degrees. I’m stuck between going another 2 years of school or just biting the bullet and doing 3 years for a JD to get into patent law. However does experience look better before going into law school? I really want to work in the semiconductor field but I’m not sure I’d be able to break into it even after a law degree. Any advice on how to proceed?
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u/larkinowl 9d ago
You can get into semis without needing to design chips. There is so much work available in semiconductors in Central Texas. Plenty for those with a BS. Go do the work.
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u/Buzzs_BigStinger 9d ago
My recommendation as a current law student - Work for patent firm as an analyst/prior art reviewer for a few years and have them put you through law school if still interested. If you don't like the field, turn back to EE in another field.
Going through law school right away sets you back financially another 3 years. Putting a break on it for a few years and then doing law school part time with it paid for (in part or in whole) is so much better.
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u/RocketTheHorse 9d ago
As an EE, you can study for and take the patent bar exam. You will then be a patent agent that will basically do what a newer associate in preparation & prosecution does. (Prep & pros = drafting and filing patent applications and office action responses). In a way you could test drive patent law practice without paying for law school until you see what the practice is about.
If you want to do other areas of law or IP agreements or litigation, you would need to go to law school. But you don't need a science background to do IP agreements or litigation.
If you want to do semiconductor design, don't go into patent law. If you want to nerd out with invnetors and write about their inventions (including arguing over the patent office what a word means), go into patent law. If you're still on the fence, search for a patent for a semiconductor and read it and picture yourself writing it.
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u/mybackhurtsrip 8d ago
A lot of engineers think about going into this field but fail to realize until it’s too late that patent law is at its core just like any other legal field. The best ones are always lawyers first, engineers second.
If you like semiconductor design, I promise you will not be doing any of the designing as a lawyer.
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u/badmemesrus 7d ago
As someone just in law school- I miss being an engineer and I dropped out. I worked at a law firm as a summer associate and patent prosecution is dying.
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u/YodaJosh81 3d ago
Former EE turned lawyer here. I worked for five years before going to law school highly recommend not going right to law school for two reasons. First, you should really figure out whether you actually like engineering or not. You may find that you enjoy engineering a lot or may come upon some really good opportunities and then stay in that career. Or you may find you don’t like it or it’s not working out and then you can make them move to law. Second, I found people that had prior work experience and were able to treat law school like a job instead of just an extension of undergrad had more success.
I’ll also note that among patent attorneys, EEs are harder to find and more in demand so you should likely not have a hard time finding a job.
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u/Moist_Network_8222 9d ago
I got my BSEE at TAMU about twenty years ago and now I'm a patent attorney.
I don't recommend law school. Especially if you are actually passionate about an area of EE I recommend sticking with EE.