How to Become a Patent Paralegal

If you are interested in legal work, but not in devoting years to law school, a paralegal career may be right for you. As a paralegal you will work under the direct supervision of an attorney. In other words, you will assist the attorney in all legal matters. However, as a paralegal you can not offer clients legal advice or represent them in court.
A paralegal may work in many different areas of law including but not limited to, family law, corporate law, business law etc. This article will concentrate on patent law. Patent law is a very lucrative field, and patent paralegals are some of the highest paid in the industry, with salaries ranging anywhere from $50,000 to $90,000 + annually. Here is how to become a patent paralegal.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paralegal Certificate
• Internship

1. EDUCATION
   Once you have made a decision to pursue a career as a paralegal you must enroll in an ABA (American Bar Association) accredited paralegal program. To find an accredited paralegal program in visit the American Bar Association website, (link provided below). Many community colleges offer paralegal programs at cheaper rates.
   It typically takes students 2 years to complete the program, and upon graduation students are given a paralegal certificate.
   
   Paralegal certification, although not required, demonstrates to potential employers a mastery of certain skills and knowledge necessary to work in the field, and provides the job applicant with a competitive edge in the job market. Paralegal skills include: advanced knowledge of legal procedure, ethics, substantive law, legal research, interviewing, communication and writing skills.
   
   Although there is no specific, additional certification for patent paralegals, taking a general course in intellectual property law ((in addition to required paralegal classes) is recommended.

2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
   The United States Patent & Trademark Office defines intellectual property as: Creations of the mind - creative works or ideas embodied in a form that can be shared or can enable others to recreate, emulate, or manufacture them. There are four ways to protect intellectual property - patents, trademarks, copyrights or trade secrets
   
   A patent paralegal should be familiar with all areas of intellectual property, however, her/his specialty is in patents. According the PTO, a patent is a property right granted by the Government of the United States of America to an inventor “to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into the United States” for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted.

3. PATENT PARALEGAL JOB DESCRIPTION
   A patent paralegal assists patent attorneys, agents and/or legal analysts in preparing and filing documents with the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), and around the world.
   A patent paralegal maintains contact with inventors, clients and other vendors.
   She/he also assists with calendaring and docketing correspondence and action due dates to and from the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) and/or foreign associates.

4. PATENT PARALEGAL EXPERIENCE
   A common way to gain patent law experience is to intern at law firms or corporations while attending school. Most law firms or agencies specializing in patent law are more than happy to hire unpaid or in some cases paid (at a lower scale) interns full or part time. This is a great way to gain experience in patent law, as well as network for jobs upon graduation. Your school should be able to provide you with internship opportunities, and in some cases even job placement after graduation.
   
   Good luck in your new career as a patent paralegal!

Resources

• Directory of ABA Approved Paralegal Education Programs

[amysmarts]

on 11/14/2009 Great article on How to Become a Patent Paralegal. Great advice and tips. Very well-written and very informative. Thanks for sharing. 5*