There's a third path: be a patent agent. You're empowered to prosecute patents for anyone, and most IP firms employ one or more of them. No law degree needed. I

There's a third path: be a patent agent. You're empowered to prosecute patents for anyone, and most IP firms employ one or more of them. No law degree needed. I was one of those, for about a year. It is not the same as either paralegal OR examiner. Will people pay you? Well, individual inventors will nickel and dime you, and big companies want big IP law firms. So it's tough. So yeah, it's boring, but once you've mastered it, it doesn't change that much.