Program now accepting law school clinic submissions on a rolling basis
Washington – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that it opened the current Law School Clinic Certification Program (Program) to admit additional schools to commence participation in the Program. This Program allows law students to practice patent and/or trademark law before the USPTO under the guidance of a law school faculty clinic supervisor. Submissions from interested law school clinical programs will be accepted on a rolling basis until June 30, 2017. Applications from interested law school clinics will be examined for admission into the Program as they are received.
Students in both the patent and trademark portions of the Program can expect to draft and file applications and respond to Office Actions. Each law school clinical program must meet and maintain the requirements for USPTO certification in order for law school clinic students to practice before the USPTO.
The Program began in 2008 with 6 schools selected to allow students to practice before the USPTO in patents and/or trademarks. The Program expanded in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Currently 42 law school clinics participate in the Program, 17 clinics participate in both the patent and trademark portions of the Program, 19 clinics participate only in the trademark portion of the Program, and 6 clinics participate only in the patent portion of the Program.
Details on the Program expansion and application materials are available at http://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/ip-policy/public-information-about-practitioners/law-school-clinic-1.
For additional information and application submission guidelines, contact James M. Silbermann or Jennifer A. Harchick, by telephone at (571) 272‐4097 or by e-mail at VOG.OTPSUnull@noitamrofniloohcswal.
