Patent Paralegal Certification and Careers Inventors need patent law paralegals to file patents to protect their creations.
An inventor’s best friend just may be a patent lawyer, but a paralegal is integral to the patenting process.
In this specialized field, patent paralegals follow through on the necessary steps to file patents with the Patent Trademark Office. If intellectual property interests you, consider a patent paralegal career.
About Patent Law Paralegal Careers
Intellectual property law can be complex, but much of the legal work in patent law can be done by a paralegal. They cannot give advice to a potential client, but their role includes these duties:
- Conducting research about copyright law
- Helping with patent applications
- Assisting with patent infringement litigation
- Tracking due dates
- Reviewing filings to find errors and notifying the attorney
Strong computer skills and familiarity with intellectual property law are absolutely necessary. Because patent law often involves litigation, they’ll also need familiarity with the topic.
Patent Paralegal Education
You can enroll in an associate’s degree program in paralegal studies from a two-year community college, or get your education through more intensive post-baccalaureate paralegal certificate programs after having earned a bachelor’s degree.
Admission requirements for paralegal programs can vary, with some requiring a bachelor’s degree or related college courses, and some only requiring a high school diploma or equivalent.
Additional patent law education for paralegals can also provide an advantage to gain entry into this specialty.
Patent Law Paralegal Experience
A common way to gain patent law experience is to intern while attending school. Most firms or agencies specializing in patent law are more than happy to hire unpaid interns. This is a great way to gain patent law experience as well as network for jobs upon graduation.
Salary and Job Growth
The median national annual salary for paralegals and legal assistants is $60,970, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics. Actual salaries may vary greatly based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience, and a variety of other factors. National long-term projections of employment growth may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, and do not guarantee actual job growth.
The BLS projects paralegal employment to grow 4.2% through 2032, much faster than average for all occupations. Because paralegals are taking on more duties, law firms and companies hire them as a cost-saving measure.