Education · 1 of 5

The path

Seven years minimum. The patent branch adds a science degree requirement nothing else in law has.

1. 1

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   For trademark and copyright work, any major. For patent work you need a qualifying degree in engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science or similar. Choose this before you choose law school.

2. 2

   The admission test and applications

   6 to 12 months

   The Law School Admission Test, or in some schools an accepted alternative. Your score and your grades largely decide which schools and which scholarships you get.

3. 3

   Law school

   3 years

   Three years for a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree at a school accredited by the American Bar Association. Take patent law, intellectual property and licensing courses, and do a summer at a firm that does this work.

4. 4

   Pass a bar exam

   Months of study, then the exam

   Admission is state by state. Most states use the Uniform Bar Examination, whose score is portable between the jurisdictions that accept it; California and a few others run their own.

5. 5

   Register with the Patent and Trademark Office

   Months

   For patent practice, pass the registration exam: 100 multiple-choice questions over two three-hour sessions, then a character and fitness review. Trademark and copyright lawyers do not need this.