A child doesn't have to be an IT professional to require computer skills. There are still some jobs out there that don't require the sophisticated use of technology... but what do they pay?
Well, for patent law, you generally only require the following tools:
1) A word processor
2) A fax machine
3) A telephone
4) A technical illustrator
5) The U.S. Postal Service
6) An inventor
If I understand correctly, a patent attorney requires a degree in the STEM field relevant to the individual patent, because they need to understand the invention. Here's where the patents are going:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/cbcby.htmNotice how particularly active the 700 series is, which all have to do with information systems, compared to the rest of the categories. Information technology advances are also embedded in a lot of the other patent categories, ex: surgery, internal combustion engines, photography, telecommunications, etc.
