A patent attorney in the United States is a highly specialized type of attorney. In the US, it is one of the only, if not the only area of the law that has a separate bar exam.
Generally, a patent attorney will have a technical degree, most often an engineering degree, or a science degree, as well as a law degree. As attorneys, patent attorneys have taken a State bar exam and are registered to practice law in one or more states of the United States. Additionally, unlike most any other area of the law, a patent attorney has also taken and passed the Patent Bar Exam that is administered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.