Have any of you taken the patent bar exam?

[AzBigE]

I'm contemplating becoming a patent agent. Have any of you sat for the patent bar exam? Did it help you with your current employer or to get a new job?

If you took the patent bar exam, how did you study? Did you buy the materials from the private companies? Did you take one of the non-lawyer degree programs offered at universities? Or did you do something else?

Any feedback is much appreciated. Thanks.

Big E

[PinkertonD]

Big E, I have had some experience using Patent Agents and I have to say they were not good experiences, not one. To be professional at Patent writing, you need to have an almost Savant-like ability with things Mechanical and Electronic. If you do not have this as a basis, then you will be of little value to someone wanting to Patent a design. If they are wanting to Patent a medicine or chemical process, then it gets even more difficult for you.

Writing Patents is not just writing up what the client provides, you have to able to think ahead and about what it being described. If you have not spent your youth tearing apart and successfully rebuilding car engines etc, then this may not be for you.

The caveat is of course, if you are contemplating being a Patent Troll, then pretty much any experience with the seedier side of life will be adequate.

I suspect on that latter subject that the days of Patent Trolls are fast coming to a close as the Courts look at the abuses and rabid performances to date by a few less than stellar folk.

[AzBigE]

Big E, I have had some experience using Patent Agents and I have to say they were not good experiences, not one. To be professional at Patent writing, you need to have an almost Savant-like ability with things Mechanical and Electronic. If you do not have this as a basis, then you will be of little value to someone wanting to Patent a design. If they are wanting to Patent a medicine or chemical process, then it gets even more difficult for you.

Writing Patents is not just writing up what the client provides, you have to able to think ahead and about what it being described. If you have not spent your youth tearing apart and successfully rebuilding car engines etc, then this may not be for you.

The caveat is of course, if you are contemplating being a Patent Troll, then pretty much any experience with the seedier side of life will be adequate.

I suspect on that latter subject that the days of Patent Trolls are fast coming to a close as the Courts look at the abuses and rabid performances to date by a few less than stellar folk.

I agree with you that an understanding of the technology is important. I hope that my time and experience as an engineer has given me a solid foundation in that area.

My main concern is learning how to best draft patents and translate my technical understanding into the legal language necessary to protect the invention. That's why I sought feedback here. I don't know any patent agents, engineers and scientists that practice patent law but didn't go to law school. I am wondering about their experiences drafting applications, taking the exam, etc.

Thanks for the response.

[PinkertonD]

Hi BigE,

OK, didn't know you were already an Engineer. I would be very surprised if the Bar exam had very much (if anything at all) to do with the descriptive wording of Patents, just the legality and defense of them, I would guess. Bar exams generally are about your understanding of the current Laws and how they are applied, not the guts of the Laws themselves.

On the many occasions I have dealt with Patent Attorneys and Agents, I have had to pretty much lead them by the hand in pointing out what could be considered an improvement and part of a natural development cycle which we should cover in the Patent. In general a good Attorney or Agent is very hard to find. With your Engineering background, I would say you will be a valuable soul after a few years of learning the jargon-ese of Patent language.

I would surmise that most of them get their training on the job so maybe see if you can find some Patent Attorneys looking for an Intern. You may have to move to Arlington, VA as they seem to be mostly clustered there around the USPTO. You are not going to like the Winters.

[AzBigE]

Hi BigE,

OK, didn't know you were already an Engineer. I would be very surprised if the Bar exam had very much (if anything at all) to do with the descriptive wording of Patents, just the legality and defense of them, I would guess. Bar exams generally are about your understanding of the current Laws and how they are applied, not the guts of the Laws themselves.

On the many occasions I have dealt with Patent Attorneys and Agents, I have had to pretty much lead them by the hand in pointing out what could be considered an improvement and part of a natural development cycle which we should cover in the Patent. In general a good Attorney or Agent is very hard to find. With your Engineering background, I would say you will be a valuable soul after a few years of learning the jargon-ese of Patent language.

I would surmise that most of them get their training on the job so maybe see if you can find some Patent Attorneys looking for an Intern. You may have to move to Arlington, VA as they seem to be mostly clustered there around the USPTO. You are not going to like the Winters.

A couple school are offering masters-level degrees for non-lawyers that want to practice patent law. For example, my alma mater, Arizona State, just launched one: law.asu.edu/patentpractice. I'm considering this for the "training" in patent law because there is nobody at my current employer to mentor me if I go down this path. There is no way they'll pay our patent attorney his hourly rate to train me, for sure!

I am hoping to bring some new skills to my current employer while also "moonlighting" to help entrepreneurs file applications cheaper.

[Kelly_Bramble]

I did a search for "patent bar exam" and found a wealth of information. The process seems simple and self study and passing the patent bar exam is likely.

[jasperrupp]

I suggest that you take that masters degree if you want to. It sounds like a good idea but if you can and if you have the materials to do a proper self study then why not? You’ll be able to save some cash as well and I assume that you’re smart enough to do it, too.

[lancevincent]

Search for the patent bar exam material on internet you will find many data. Comprehensive 190-page guide explaining everything currently tested on the patent bar exam in crystal clear detail. Read on this page to know more.