Intellectual Property Attorney
Protect inventions, brands and creative work — patents, trademarks and copyright.
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- Typical pay
- €40k–€100k
- Usual education
- Degree plus professional exams
- Outlook
- Strong, especially with a science or engineering background.
A day in the life
Draft a patent claim with an engineer, argue a trademark objection, and advise a startup on what it actually owns.
Ways in
- Science or engineering degree plus IP exams
- Law degree plus IP specialism
- Trainee patent attorney role
What to study at 16
The subjects you choose for the final years of secondary school can shape which degrees, exams and careers are easiest to reach. This is about choosing courses, not choosing a school.
Spain
Bachillerato de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales
Portugal
Línguas e Humanidades
France
Bac général — spécialités
Italy
Liceo classico / scienze umane
Netherlands
Profiel Economie & Maatschappij
Ireland
Leaving Certificate subject choice
Skills that matter
Best courses to take
The study routes that lead most directly into this career.
LLM Intellectual Property Law
Patents, trademarks and copyright, often paired with a science background.
Specialist qualification for patents and trademarks.
Helpful school subjects: Law, Science
BSc Computer Science
Programming, algorithms, systems and theory — the widest door into tech.
A science or tech first degree is usually required.
Helpful school subjects: Maths, Computer science, Physics
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DLA Piper
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Linklaters
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Uría Menéndez
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