Braxton K. Davis
Patent Attorney, Turocy & Watson, LLP
Although the Dual Degree Engineering Program provided me with the foundation to be a solid engineer, I ultimately decided to become a patent attorney, where I could balance my engineering degree with my interest in the law. An underrepresented fact about this industry is that you can actually practice patent prosecution by becoming a patent agent without going to law school. You just need a science or engineering degree and to successfully pass the patent bar. Neither of which require going to law school.
After graduating from Morehouse and the Georgia Institute of Technology, I worked as an engineer prior to taking the patent bar to become a patent agent and facilitate my goal of eventually becoming a patent attorney. Since then, my mission has been to educate others on how they can become a patent agent or patent attorney and provide them with the skill set to do so.
So, I founded the Patent Institute of Training to directly address the need for practical experience in this field. Because this area of law is so unique and the opportunities are boundless, my other mission is ensure that DDEP students know about this field so that they too can have alternative career options.
For instance, the average electrical engineering starting salary is $70,000, but the average electrical engineering patent agent starting salary is $90,000. The other benefit to practicing as a patent agent prior to going to law school is that you don’t have to invest three years of your life in a degree only to find out that the patent practice is really not what you thought it was.
Alternatively, those who practice as a patent agent and then make the informed decision to go to law school can nearly double their salary by investing the three years in law school.
