In order to qualify for the Patent Exam, you will need at least a bachelor's degree in one of the specified fields of science or engineering. As others have indicated, to practice before the U.S. Patent Office you must have a science or engineering background, not just a law license.Even in terms of patent litigation, you don't need a science background. Take, for example, Association for Molecular Pathology v. There are a number of areas in IP that don't require a science background. As rayiner mentioned, there is IP litigation. However, no technical background is needed for other areas of patent law such as patent litigation or transactional work. Find more details here. Can I work in Patent Law without a STEM background? Yes, you do not need a background in STEM to practice Patent Litigation or Technology Transactions.