Becoming an attorney

Working with us

Whether you are in your final years at university or whether you are looking for a change in career, the following steps provide guidance as to how you may attain professional qualification in the intellectual property arena.

Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick hires both qualified patent attorneys and people seeking this qualification.

In order to become a patent attorney, a science or engineering degree is required. This is a requirement set by the Professional Standards Board for Patent and Trademark Attorneys. It is also very helpful to have a PHD.

You must be a person of good character, and you must not have committed an offence against Intellectual Property legislation in the last five years.

Study

You are required to study 9 subjects related to intellectual property in order to qualify. These subjects are undertaken usually via an “intensive” course over about one week, commonly through the University of Melbourne or Monash University.

Registering as a Patent Attorney

For registration as a patent attorney, a person must meet requirements 1 and 2 above as well as have been employed in a position that provides experience in all areas of patent attorney work.

You must have had two years of employment in an intellectual property practice, and must have had exposure to a number of different skills that are required of a patent attorney.

Application for registration as a patent attorney is made to the Professional Standards Board for Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys.