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Patently Obvious: Fast-Growing Legal Careers

By Kate McIntyre
Learning & Life Columnist
December 1, 2006

Because the technology industry is growing and changing so rapidly, careers in the fields that support it are keeping pace--for example, patent law. High-tech companies rely on patent attorneys to keep their inventions safe from their competitors. If you'd like to help protect intellectual property rights as a lawyer, paralegal, legal assistant or and legal secretary, right now is a great time to embark on a career in patent law.

Education and Training for Your Legal Career

The amount of education you need to get started in patent law varies widely. Most successful patent lawyers in the tech field have not only graduated from law school, but also have earned advanced degrees in relevant topics such as electrical, mechanical, or chemical engineering, biotechnology, or computer science. Sometimes, patent lawyers can get by with an undergraduate degree in one of these areas. If all of those years of schooling sound discouraging, you should consider a career as a paralegal or legal secretary. Legal secretaries often can get started after only a short training program. After a few years on the job, they can earn professional certificates that show their aptitude in necessary job skills. Nearly all paralegals have earned an associate's or bachelor's degree. If you know that you are interested in being a patent law paralegal, you should consider taking engineering and technology courses that will help you in your future career.

Financial Rewards of a Legal Career

Average salaries vary by career path. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for attorneys is $94,930. Paralegals make around $39,130 per year, and legal secretaries make $36,720 per year. The more education you have, the more money you can earn.

New technological innovations happen every day, and patent lawyers and their support staff are constantly called upon to protect companies' rights to the innovations. A career in patent law is a great choice if you have strong analytical thinking skills and enjoy working with quickly changing technology.

Sources

• "Fastest Growing Occupations," U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• "Lawyers," U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• "Paralegals and Legal Assistants," U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• "Secretaries and Administrative Assistants," U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the Author
Kate McIntyre, a fiction writer in Portland, Oregon, holds an M.F.A. in fiction writing from Oregon State University.

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