What Do People Misunderstand About Patent Litigation?

Being a lawyer is not like “Suits.” You can’t just throw a piece of paper on the table and break the case.

The day to day is a lot of work – dotting the i’s, getting the facts you need, getting those facts admitted as evidence, and using them to tell your story.

This can take years. 

For patent law specifically, patent litigators, which is what I do, are not the people who actually get you a patent. We protect the patents you already have.

Typically if you want to be a lawyer who gets people patents, you’d need a specialized degree in engineering, chemistry, or another science, and you’d become a patent prosecutor. 

With patent litigation, though, you can practice it with any background. All you really need is curiosity and willingness to learn, which I hope is reassuring for those interested in it.