Trademark law is a complex mixture of federal statutes and regulations. The trademarks are protected under the federal laws. Amongst the various types of lawyers practicing law, anyone can determine himself as trademark lawyer, provided he has a thorough understanding of the trademark laws and its practical implementation.
Unlike some countries where a special qualification is required to start practicing trademark law, the United States encourages a law graduate, who has practical exposure to the trademark law and has knowledge about the intellectual property matters can opt to take trademark lawyer's profession.
Steps to Get Started as a Trademark Lawyer
The first ever step to start any legal career is to undertake a regular four years undergraduate course and then seek admission to a law school affiliated to the American Bar Association. While pursuing education in the undergraduate school and the law school, select courses related to intellectual property laws.While in law schools, apply for internships with law firms that work in trademark law domain. This will give you practical exposure of the law implementation.
You may seek basic understanding of the intellectual property and trademark laws, via courses in the law schools. However, basic knowledge will not suffice to take up the profession in this sphere. Hence, if you have decided to practice trademark laws, then you will need to familiarize with the regulations, procedures and federal statutes surrounding the domain.
Pursue a master's degree in law, with specialization in intellectual property rights and trademark laws. Such a course will help you attain thorough understanding of the topic required to practice law, counsel and serve clients with trademark related problems.
Seeking admission to the federal district court may help your purpose. Unlike other types of lawyers, who get admitted to a state bar, a trademark lawyer should take admission into the federal jurisdiction, as the intellectual property and trademark laws are governed by federal regulations.
Trademark lawyer is a challenging legal profession and does not need any different academic qualifications other than finishing a law degree. However, to be successful in this field and to prove the competency, you have to gain detailed knowledge by familiarizing with the trademark laws. You may count on legal firms working in this domain for practical exposure of the field.