2017 Report of the Economic Survey

AIPLA Report of the Economic Survey 2017

RESPONDENT BACKGROUND

 A total of 1,160 individuals participated in the Individual survey.  Similar to the 2015 survey, over half (54.3%) of all respondents were Private Firm, Partner and Private Firm, Associate. Another 9.6% were Solo Practitioners and 9.4% were Corporate IP Department, Attorneys. Corporate IP Department, Head represented 7.1% of all respondents.  Most respondents (88.9%) had been admitted to the patent bar.  Respondents were split almost in half in terms of age – 48.0% were under the age of 50 and 52.0% were 50 or older. In 2015, 53.9% were under the age of 50 – 11.8% of respondents in 2015 were under 35, while in 2017 only 6.9% were in this age bracket. Additionally, 28.2% of respondents in 2015 were between 50 and 59 while in 2017, 32.4% were in this older age bracket.  Survey participants were typically white/Caucasian men (86.3% and 78.5%, respectively).  Other than a law degree, 55.8% of respondents reported holding a bachelor’s degree, and 26.7% reported holding a master’s degree.  Slightly lower than in 2015, 58.4% of all respondents reported having fewer than 20 years’ experience practicing Intellectual Property Law. In 2015, 61.3% had less than 20 years of experience. In addition, only 7.1% reported having fewer than 5 years of IP law experience while in 2015 12.2% reported having fewer than five years’ experience, continuing the decline from proportions reported in previous years.  About one-third of respondents (34.7%) practiced in the Mid-Atlantic or New England area, including 14.7% in the Washington, DC, Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA). The Central region represented 26.2% of all respondents, and one in five (18.9%) were located in the West, and 4.9% were Non-U.S. respondents.  The most prevalent IP technical specializations (over 50% of time) were mechanical (31.2%), computer software (16.3%), chemical (15.3%), and electrical (12.7%). No other specialization produced a double- digit response.

ETHNICITY (P. I-1, Q6)

GENDER (P. I-1, Q5)

White/Caucasian 86.3%

Male 78.5%

Other 1.8%

Blended 1.4%

N.A. Indian/ Native Canadian 0.3%

Female 21.5%

Asian/Pacific Islander 6.4%

Black/African American 1.2%

Hispanic/Latino 2.6%

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