All-too-true Quote by Paul Goldstein
““Patent lawyers had only lately ascended to the aristocracy of the American bar. Trained not just as lawyers but as scientists or engineers, and working in small, specialized firms, they were at one time rudely dismissed by corporate lawyers as gearheads in green eyeshades, not good enough at science to be scientists, nor sufficiently talented at law to be real lawyers. Then came the intellectual property revolution of the 1990s, and these onetime outcasts found themselves ruling the last vibrant corner of the American economy.””
About This Quote
Source Book: “Patent Law and Policy”, 2nd edition, 2019
Patent lawyers rose from marginalization to become key players in the modern knowledge economy.
In simple terms: Patent lawyers became influential.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the value of specialized expertise.
Themes
law
patents
career evolution
innovation
economy
Mood
analytical
historical
Type
All-too-true:0
Good enough:0
Intellectual property:1
Patience:0
Green Eye:0
Lawyers Scientists:0
Patent Lawyers:1
Lawyers Gearheads:0
Lawyers Lately:0
Lawyers Came:0
When to use this quote
- law firms
- tech startups
- corporate legal departments
- policy making
Key Concepts
intellectual property
professional identity
industry shifts
Questions to Reflect On
- How did the IP boom change legal careers?
- What challenges do patent lawyers face today?
A Different Perspective
Specialization can create siloed perspectives.
