A lawyer with an E&E Engineering Degree with no Background in Intellectual Property

Question

I am a lawyer with an E&E Engineering Degree and want to do Intellectual Property work online (Upwork & Fiverr) however I have no experience in the field. I want to learn as much as possible and as quickly as possible. Which certification would you recommend for me to pursue. Thanks.

Answer 1

united-states

The process involved in becoming a patent practitioner in the U.S. and the scope of practice that a non-attorney patent practitioner is allowed to engage in is described by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

All told there are about $2000 of filing fees (U.S.) involved (mostly to pay for the cost of having a background check done on the applicant) and a quite rigorous test that you need to pass. Most applicants buy some form of test preparation materials and take a test preparation course at additional expense. It takes, at a minimum, a few months in most cases.

Becoming a patent practitioner

Learn about applying for registration to practice in patent matters before the USPTO, including requirements, forms, and exam information.

All attorneys and agents practicing before the USPTO in trademark or patent matters are subject to the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct set forth in 37 C.F.R. §§ 11.101 et. seq. and disciplinary jurisdiction under 37 C.F.R. § 11.19(a). Additionally, unauthorized individuals who represent others before the USPTO are subject to the disciplinary jurisdiction of the USPTO. See 37 C.F.R. §11.19(a).

Registration examination

Learn about the contents of the examination for registration to practice before the USPTO, updates to the exam, exam statistics, and review sessions.

General Requirements Bulletin

Individuals seeking registration or recognition must meet the requirements of 37 CFR § 11.7, including the legal, scientific, and technical qualifications, as well as good moral character and reputation. General instructions for demonstrating possession of the necessary qualifications can be found in the General Requirements Bulletin. The bulletin also contains information regarding applicable fees and includes the application form (PTO 158) and credit card authorization form (PTO 2038).

Occupational regulations vary from country to country, so countries outside the United States would usually have a process that is not exactly identical to the one in the U.S.

Better practice is to work under the supervision of and in association with an experienced practitioner for a few years, before trying to practice on your own, so that you learn the unwritten realities and best practices in this field before trying to figure it all out from scratch.