Dave's Patent Bar Forum - Who's Taking the Patent Bar Exam

There are many categories of people that should consider taking the patent bar exam. This includes associates at law firms, law school students, engineering and science majors involved in research and development (R & D), engineering and science majors working as patent liaisons at their company, those involved in technology transfer at a college or university, and others (including retirees) who want to represent persons in their community in patent cases before the USPTO. We know this because we have sold around 8000 patent bar review courses and almost every one fell into one of these six classes.

An associate at a law firm will want to become registered as soon as possible, and we recommend the following approach. Your law firm will usually fall into one of the following two categories.
a. The first one involves a very big production and extravagant expense (around $5000 or more including the course and traveling). If your firm insists that you go this route, you should try to schedule this about one year after you join the firm. During the first year you should purchase the PatBar course right away and begin studying for the patent bar on your own. This will almost guarantee that you pass on your first try and the cost to you will be very minimal ($1295). The PatBar course will provide you with better tools for actually passing the patent bar exam, and a very manageable daily study schedule.

b. On the other hand, your firm (which may be a small one) may allow you to pick a course and take the patent bar exam more or less on your own schedule. In this case you should just buy the PatBar course and begin studying for the patent bar immediately. In about three months you will be fully prepared to easily pass the patent bar exam.

Law schools today have many students that have science and technical backgrounds. These may be any one of many engineering degrees such as electrical, mechanical or chemical, or computer science, chemistry, biology, physics, etc. We have promoted the thinking that a law student with a science or technical degree should take the patent bar exam either before or during law school.

One common approach is to take the patent bar exam after taking the LSAT and before law school begins. Others prefer to take the patent bar exam during the first summer in law school, which is very manageable and still well before any interviews for internships the second summer. The first summer in law school is usually the last time available before interviewing begins for the all-important second summer internships. With this being said, many law school students take the exam during one of the semesters after the first summer and have the advantage of putting "Registered Patent Agent" on their résumé before they graduate.

Many engineers and scientists are involved in projects that lead to patenting, which is usually part of an R & D department or location. Many of these graduate students or employees realize that having a greater knowledge of patenting can be very advantageous in this environment. We highly recommend that, due to the low cost and fairly minimal commitment, to study for the patent bar exam and become registered as patent agents as soon as possible. This will allow you to fully understand the basics of filing a patent application and prosecuting the application to the final issuance of a patent.

Many companies have employees that are involved in the patenting process as a liaison between the inventors and the corporate patent department. This usually involves finding and transferring meaningful information to the patent department, including the names of inventors and specific relevant dates. It may also involve training and educational activities, inspection of laboratory notebooks, and establishing inventorship. Persons involved in this type of work should take the patent bar exam as soon as possible as a necessary part of their job duties.

Many colleges and universities have technology transfer offices associated with their research activities. Their jobs usually involve many things such as a liaison between the research department and a law firm, licensing of patents, and the promotion of certain inventions. These offices usually have the opportunity to promote the research going on at their college or university which may result in sizable rewards. Certain persons within these groups should take the patent bar exam and become registered as a patent agent. This registration will improve their understanding of patents and how the system works.

Many other persons may be interested in representating inventors in their community or they are inventors themselves. They may also be small business owners interested in patents. They want to pass the patent bar exam and more fully understand the process of patenting and apply for patents on their own inventions or the inventions of others. Some retirees who formerly worked in technology have started their own professional businesses and have been very successful in their community and nationwide.