We received this letter from a 1981 graduate of our BA program:
I have been working as a commercial litigation lawyer since graduating.
I am pleased that two recent BA graduates (Joanne Gold and James Harrington,
1998) are entering law school. I still find my physics background
useful, though I did not enter a "technical" field of law. I write
to suggest that you mention to your physics majors that intellectual
property law is evolving favorably for job prospects. This field has
an inherent advantage for physics majors, in that one sub-field--patent
law--essentially requires an undergraduate science degree in order
to sit the examination to practice.
I have been in law practice 14 years, and have never seen a legal
market like today's for intellectual property attorneys. It has turned
into a boom I do not see deflating for some years. This market results
from the high tech and internet explosion over the past years. Although
some law schools are difficult to get into, many fine schools emphasizing
intellectual property law do not require astronomically high grades
or prodigious law school admission (LSAT) tests. Two such fine programs
are at the University of Houston School of Law and the John Marshall
Law School in Chicago.
I agree wholeheartedly with your newsletter that a physics BA is
good preparation for a non-physics career (Spring 1996, pages 1-3).
But I'm not sure that the word is out among students that intellectual
property lawyers not only use their science background, but frequently
earn more than other physics graduates. Some of your students might
not be aware of this field. There are no "required" courses or pre-requisites
for taking the LSAT or for admission to law school. While undergraduates
are well-advised to practice their written and oral presentation skills,
there is no reason why any BA or BS physics major making about a "B"
average or better could not excel in the exam and in law school.
Robert Nunnally
