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engineer/lawyer

engineer/lawyer

engineer/lawyer

(OP)
Hey guys,

Does anyone here have both an engineering degree and is also a lawyer? I am thinking about going to school to get a law degree and maybe become a patent lawyer. Any thoughts?

Thanks

RE: engineer/lawyer

Lots of people.  You'd be surprised how common this actually is.

It's a good idea. The world will be a much better place with more lawyers and fewer engineers.

RE: engineer/lawyer

Lawyers are only worthy when we need them to get our arse out of a sling whether it be personal or professional.  Lawyers are experts in the field of Situational ethics.

I have a good friend that practices Tort Law and the stories he has told me it's no wonder lawyers have a bad image.

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SWx 2007 SP 3.0 & Pro/E 2001
XP Pro SP2.0 P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
      o
  _`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

(In reference to David Beckham) "He can't kick with his left foot, he can't tackle, he can't head the ball and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that, he's all right."  -- George Best

RE: engineer/lawyer

I have a good friend who got a 1st in engineering and then did a 2-year law conversion course.  A few years of asset securitisation (whatever that is???) later, he's now retired, a house husband living in a huge Sussex country pile.

Me, I'm waiting for the clock to tell me when I can start my weekend.

RE: engineer/lawyer

Hey SomptingGuy,

You ain't the only one waiting for that. I'm sitting here watching ProE take two and a half million years to regen and just waiting, waiting, waiting......

Roll on 5:30, off to watch my son play cricket (always good for a laugh), a couple of bears once the kids are in bed and maybe a film...

Kevin

“Insanity in individuals is something rare, but in groups, parties, nations and epochs it is the rule” Nietzsche

RE: engineer/lawyer

Damn, damn, damn.....

I'm going to have a couple of BEERS, not some sort of maniacal carnivore

Kevin

“Insanity in individuals is something rare, but in groups, parties, nations and epochs it is the rule” Nietzsche

RE: engineer/lawyer

Prohammy,
I was pretty sure you were some kind of super mountain-man, one bear is tough, two is amazing.

David

RE: engineer/lawyer

(OP)
Thanks for the response guys, it seems that its way easier to make money as a lawyer than as an engineer haha. I'm looking at a 3 year course at the university of toronto, if this law thing somehow falls through and i get screwed over...do you guys think that I'll be able to get back into engineering after having missed 3 years?

RE: engineer/lawyer

Without a doubt you would be able to get back into engineering.....just don't tell them you left engineering to go into law school....tell them you served in the Peace Corps or whatever the Canadian's call it.

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SWx 2007 SP 3.0 & Pro/E 2001
XP Pro SP2.0 P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
      o
  _`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

(In reference to David Beckham) "He can't kick with his left foot, he can't tackle, he can't head the ball and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that, he's all right."  -- George Best

RE: engineer/lawyer

Do it.  I think you need BS degree and law degree to be a patent lawyer.  You cant do it if you have a BA.  You will make a lot more money!  But I think you should get some experience first in engineering before you go to law school (to make you a better patent lawyer) because you obviously dont want an engineering job after you finish law school.  OR just go straight to law school because you will be patenting stuff that is not in your field anyway.

RE: engineer/lawyer

(OP)
Yeah that's true, experience can never hurt. I've been hearing friends who have friends that are chemical engineers and are making 200,000 - 300,000 a year, is this representative of the field? Or are they just BSing?

RE: engineer/lawyer

I have been thinking about taking the patent attorney route.  Does anyone know what kind of degree I would need on top of my BSME (I live in the US)?  It would be nice if it was only a 2 year.

200-300k is not out of the question if they are consulting and busting their butts doing it.  But i think its rare.  I know a CAD operator that charges 150/hour for freelance work and does quite well.  He has a nice 7 bedroom house ;)  Wish it was still the good ol days of working for Automotive.  I miss those times ;)

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