Quote:
Originally Posted by Dirty Harry
Don't lawyers specialize (kind of like doctors) during law school?
I read on the internet that patent lawyers are in high demand.
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No. Depends on the school on how many electives you even take or if a clinic is even available.
IM caught the correct with the patent lawyer. There are a few specialized courts that require a special license. The Patent Trademark Office is one of them. And it does require a hard science bank ground or equivalent to even take the damn thing. I think the US Tax office is another. All that said, IM could practice in the Eastern District of Texas (oddly enough an incredible hot bed of patent and pharmaceutical cases), simply by being admitted to that Court regardless if it's patent, taxes, or whatever so long as it is in that court. However, IM could not assist in an application for a patent because that is exclusively limited to the PTO and requires the special admission. The practical aspect is that having the PTO blessing is a seal of approval that you know what the fuck you are doing.
I've heard California is worse off than the States I'm licensed in for Lawyers. A lot of that has to do with California being one of the few states that allows graduates of non ABA law schools to take the California Bar Exam and will issue a "California Only" license. Wisconsin I heard does something similar in that graduates of Wisconsin law schools do not even have to take a bar exam and are automatically admitted (I really don't know all the details on this or if it's still going on). I recall the State of Washington also having some kind of apprentice program at one time where non ABA law school grads could take their bar exam.
The legal job market goes in cycles. It's been down here for a while, but it's picking back up at the bigger places I hear.