Patent lawyers fall into the category of “future” jobs that are needed in the immediate future. As Bloomberg News reported in October, legislation known as the America Invents Act was signed by President Obama in September, setting in motion the largest overhaul of the patent system in six decades. The new law, which changes how patents are processed and reviewed at the U.S. Patent & Trade office (above), has dramatically increased demand for patent lawyers. In fact, according to Bloomberg, the specialty currently accounts for more than 15% of all law firm job openings, while just 3% of lawyers in the U.S. are patent lawyers. Though the need for patent lawyers is now, the demand for people who know and understand intellectual property is not likely to fade any time soon.
