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Patent lawyer talks to UA science majors

As science and technology students search for future vocations in their fields of study, some have no idea that the UA science majors can potentially open doors into the legal field.

Patent attorney Robert Rose, a 1971 University of Arizona physics and astronomy graduate, described his journey through science studies and law school to about 60 students yesterday.

Rose's interactive speech, "What Is A Nice Scientist Like You Doing In A Place Like This," was presented to an audience made up primarily of UA chemistry, physics and biology students.

Rose not only wanted to introduce the students and faculty members to the world of patent law, but to also explain why science majors are especially prepared for the rigors of law school.

"Law school was easy for me because I could discern patterns in the law which I was taught as a science major," he said. "I found that in law, there is a very precise way of reading a case."

He attributed his law school proficiency to the understanding of a fundamental truth while studying astrophysics at Colorado University.

"Psychology is biology, biology is chemistry, chemistry is physics, and physics is math," he said in an e-mail interview. "I decided to try law school, with the agreement from CU that if after the first year it didn't work out, I could return to Boulder."

Rose said his decision to enter the field of law was almost accidental.

"I took the LSAT pretty much on a whim," he said. "Then I told my professor that I was going to try law school for a while."

Rose said after his first year, he finished in the top 10 of his class, and decided that his future was in law.

Although he gained his initial start in law at Colorado, he said his interest was spawned during the Vietnam conflict, while he was studying at the UA.

He also detailed the influences of other student protests, most notably the Kent State University murders and the UA ROTC demonstrations, which enhanced his intrigue with the laws governing U.S. citizens.

Given his unique perspective on the relationship between science and law, Rose said there were some inconsistencies between the two in modern society.

"There were three things that we were taught that were actually fallacies," he said. "I'd like to debunk them now."

Rose said that a common misconception is that scientists make their major discoveries before the age of 30. He also said the idea that theoretical physics, as opposed to experimental physics, is the only worthwhile type of study. Lastly, he told the audience that modern society, in his opinion, has little respect for the world and the need for science.

For these reasons, Rose said many science majors do not realize the myriad of doors that are open to them in the workplace.

"There's a niche for everything," he said. "Last year the rage was bio-chemistry. Now we're looking for software specialists."

Rose also explained that patent law has been misunderstood. He said people think it involves endless paperwork and mindless conversation with clients.

"That is not what it is like at all," he said. "You have to make yourself an expert in that area. Patent law is actually quite interesting and intellectually stimulating."

He said the majority of his time is spent learning how a product works and why it should be considered new and innovative.

Rose later said that patent law is also alluring in financial terms, which are on the same level of most other attorney salaries. "Starting out, a first year patent attorney makes around $90,000 a year. Eventually, if you are in a big firm, you'll average approximately $150,000."

Some of the students in attendance said the presentation opened their minds to the possibility of occupations in the law field.

"It went well," said Katherine Hay, an environmental geology junior. "I knew a lot about environmental law, but I had no idea how you could relate patent law to science."