DD with PhD suddenly interested in becoming a patent attorney

[Anonymous]

What's with all the posts lately with parents of adult children worrying over their careers? They're ADULTS. They need to figure these things out themselves and do their own research and come to their own conclusions. Are they really going to make big life decisions because their mommy tells them "Someone on the internet said ....."?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD has a stem PhD from a very competitive program. She's doing fine as a researcher, but doesn't make a lot of money. She likes the work, but can't afford to buy a house. Someone told her that she could make $500k or more as a patent attorney. Suddenly, she thinks she wants a law degree.
I want to encourage her, but is this a good idea? She's smart, so would get into a good school, but would it be worth it?

Several people from my PhD and even postdoc cohorts are now patent attorneys and are making good money. But it’s long hours and it helps to really like law.
Most of them joined IP law firms as technical specialists and the firm paid for them to go to law school part-time over 4 years, but it was tough. This was from 15 years ago though. I don’t know how it is currently.

[Anonymous]

She should move to NYC or DC or similar and get a job as a paralegal, preferably in an IP department for a year or two while she prepares for the LSAT and takes the bar. No, it’s no beneath her. If she spends a year in that environment and decides THAT is what she wants from her life and that she’d been good at it, then go for it.

You bur PP are right. Reality is IP attorneys making the big bucks are those bringing in big clients. Sitting in an office doing the actual work day after day, 80 hours a week, will only take you so far. And it’s stressful AF. And she’ll have no choice but to stay in that environment. Because loans.

[Anonymous]

She’ll make 500 k. If she brings in clients. After three years of law school—unpaid and racking up loans. And several years of being an associate doing grunt work 80 hours a week. And, of course, after she pays off the $350k in debt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Possibly, but only if she wants to be an attorney.

What sort of stem degree? It matters.

It used to be you could become a patent examiner at the pto and they would pay for your law school. Not sure if that is still the case

No, they stopped paying for law school a while ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She has a PhD in CS

Why PhD in that field? She could have gotten a well-paying job straight out of undergrad.

[Anonymous]

If she is really interested in this path, ask her to apply to be a technology specialist (tech spec) at any IP firm. They are always looking for more PhDs, especially CS/CE majors. I have a PhD and worked at a law firm for a couple of years. The work a tech spec does is very similar to an attorney. They offered to pay for law school. The pay was amazing but the work was so hard, I had kids and was miserable there so I quit. It’s a great career for most, though.

[Anonymous]

Be sure you give her a dose of reality on financial side. 3 years of tuition and living expenses will alter her life for a decade of loan repayments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She should move to NYC or DC or similar and get a job as a paralegal, preferably in an IP department for a year or two while she prepares for the LSAT and takes the bar. No, it’s no beneath her. If she spends a year in that environment and decides THAT is what she wants from her life and that she’d been good at it, then go for it.

You bur PP are right. Reality is IP attorneys making the big bucks are those bringing in big clients. Sitting in an office doing the actual work day after day, 80 hours a week, will only take you so far. And it’s stressful AF. And she’ll have no choice but to stay in that environment. Because loans.

This is 100% wrong. She should not get a job as a paralegal. She has a PhD. She could get a job as a technical specialist and make good money and have her law degree funded. She could also get a job as a parent examiner and try the field out that way. It would be less money, but would let her decide if she is interested in IP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She should move to NYC or DC or similar and get a job as a paralegal, preferably in an IP department for a year or two while she prepares for the LSAT and takes the bar. No, it’s no beneath her. If she spends a year in that environment and decides THAT is what she wants from her life and that she’d been good at it, then go for it.

You bur PP are right. Reality is IP attorneys making the big bucks are those bringing in big clients. Sitting in an office doing the actual work day after day, 80 hours a week, will only take you so far. And it’s stressful AF. And she’ll have no choice but to stay in that environment. Because loans.

This is 100% wrong. She should not get a job as a paralegal. She has a PhD. She could get a job as a technical specialist and make good money and have her law degree funded. She could also get a job as a parent examiner and try the field out that way. It would be less money, but would let her decide if she is interested in IP.

*parent examiner

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's with all the posts lately with parents of adult children worrying over their careers? They're ADULTS. They need to figure these things out themselves and do their own research and come to their own conclusions. Are they really going to make big life decisions because their mommy tells them "Someone on the internet said ....."?

How's that working for you?

[Anonymous]

She needs to apply to the patent office for a job as an examiner or she can apply to jobs at law firms submitting patents to the patent office.

It's a very lucrative job, I have 2 family members who were patent attorneys.

One did more back office for a large firm and was never in court. She was good with clients but not because she is a sales type but because she is cool and calm.

The other was more gregarious and he did lots of customer focused work.

It's worth a try nobody in STEM should be making such a terrible salary they can't buy a house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She should move to NYC or DC or similar and get a job as a paralegal, preferably in an IP department for a year or two while she prepares for the LSAT and takes the bar. No, it’s no beneath her. If she spends a year in that environment and decides THAT is what she wants from her life and that she’d been good at it, then go for it.

You bur PP are right. Reality is IP attorneys making the big bucks are those bringing in big clients. Sitting in an office doing the actual work day after day, 80 hours a week, will only take you so far. And it’s stressful AF. And she’ll have no choice but to stay in that environment. Because loans.

IP litigation makes big bucks. Patent prosecution is a loss leader that big law is increasingly backing away from.

[Anonymous]

If she's motivated by money, she should understand that she has lots of options in front of her with a CS degree, PhD or undergrad. Most of those options will require less up-front costs than going to law school and grinding their way to a $500k job.

She should be good at math. Tell her to run the numbers.

[Anonymous]

I've never understood the extreme emphasis on stem degrees on this forum. In my experience those with stem work low-mid level jobs.

Business people who generate income streams in any field are the ones bringing in the incomes.