Intellectual property lawyers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Intellectual property lawyers deal with the laws related to inventions, patents, trademarks, and creative works, such as music, books, and movies. For example, an intellectual property lawyer may advise a client about whether it is okay to use published material in the clients forthcoming book.
- Education Required
- Becoming a lawyer usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school4 years of undergraduate study, followed by 3 years of law school. Most states and jurisdictions require lawyers to complete a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). ABA accreditation signifies that the law schoolparticularly its curricula and facultymeets certain standards.
- Job Outlook
-
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 9% (As fast as average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Advancement
- Newly hired attorneys usually start as associates and work on teams with more experienced lawyers. After several years, some lawyers may advance to partnership in their firm, meaning that they become partial owners of the firm. Those who do not advance within their firm may be forced to leave, a practice commonly known as up or out.
- Licenses/Certifications
- Prospective lawyers take licensing exams called bar exams. Lawyers who receive a license to practice law are admitted to the bar.
- Median pay: How much do Lawyers make?
- $118,160 Annual Salary
- $56.81 per hour
Careers for Lawyers
- Agency legal counsels
- Assistant attorney generals
- Assistant corporation counsels
- Assistant counsels
- Associate attorneys
- Attorney generals
- Attorneys
- Attorneys at law
- Brief writers
- City attorneys
- Civil lawyers
- Commonwealth attorneys
- Corporate attorneys
- Corporate counsels
- County attorneys
- Defense attorneys
- Deputy attorney generals
- Deputy chief counsels
- District attorneys
- Environmental attorneys
- Environmental lawyers
- Estate conservators
- Family lawyers
- General counsels
- Insurance attorneys
- Legal counsels
- Probate lawyers
- Prosecutors
- Public defenders
- Real estate attorneys
- Securities lawyers
- Sports attorneys
- Tax attorneys
- Tax lawyers
- Trial attorneys
- Trial lawyers