Biotechnology Patent Lawyers Job Description, Duties & Salary

Outlook

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment for all lawyers will grow faster than the average for all careers through 2032, although competition for the best jobs will be intense. Biotechnology patent attorneys should have a good future based on several factors: the limited number of trained biotech patent lawyers, the increased need for new biotechnologies, and industry growth. Because the legislation allowing for the patenting of biological organisms has only been in existence since the early 1980s, the pool of trained biotech patent attorneys is still relatively small. Many of the practicing biotechnology patent attorneys came to the field as a second career once they had already obtained their scientific training. In addition, demand for sophisticated biotechnology tools has spurred growth in this industry. Protecting the rights of clients with new ideas and products and protecting the rights of clients who currently have patents should create many job opportunities for these specialty lawyers.

As with other law fields, the development of biotech patent law is closely tied to the development of the industry it supports. In recent years, many biotechnology corporations have begun merging with and buying out smaller companies, resulting in fewer and larger companies. If this development continues, more companies will be large enough to hire their own in-house counsels.

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