What qualities make a good patent attorney?

Here are my top 3…

1. A Good Writer ✍️

Patent attorneys do a lot of writing on the regular…

• office action responses,

• patent applications,

• opinions,

• articles,

• and a whole lot of emails!

Plus, in this field, words really matter. For example, the words you choose in the claim section of the patent application could end up being scrutinized in litigation down the line. I have heard of disputes essentially coming down to the meaning of one word used in an application!

So patent attorneys aren’t just doing regular old writing…it’s precise, strategic, and highly thought-out.

2. Quick Learner 💡

By definition, patent attorneys are working with subject matter that is new to the world. So you need to be able to listen to a brief explanation from an inventor of how their invention works and understand it pretty fast. Or skim over a patent application and get the gist of it quickly. The job involves constant learning, which keeps things interesting!

You may also need to work with inventions that are out of your area of expertise. Have a biomedical engineering background? Be prepared to work on niche inventions in software, computers, electrical, etc. Most firms have clients in all sorts of fields and need you to adapt accordingly.

3. Analytical 🧐

Getting patents for clients means trying to convince a patent office that you deserve one. Usually this entails preparing written arguments. Coming up with these arguments requires analysis of the application, the patent office’s opinion, the prior art, and the law. You will need to consider all these things to develop a strategy for how to overcome the patent office’s rejection. It can sometimes be difficult, and often requires some level of creativity.

Thanks for reading this issue of The Patent Pivot! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you. See you next week! 💌