Agents and attorneys: Learn to think like a patent examiner with STEPP's four-day course

If you are a USPTO registered patent attorney or agent from Europe, it helps to think like a patent examiner. Get a better understanding of how examiners make decisions at the Stakeholder Training on Examination Practice and Procedure (STEPP)  agent/ attorney four-day course. Registration is currently closed.

Virtual courses are led by USPTO trainers and based on material developed for training new patent examiners. Training focuses on how our examiners review patent applications according to the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP). Prior to attending, those accepted will be required to review several computer based training (CBT) modules and read resource materials as pre-activity homework. The training is broken into four separate modules that build on each other from days one to four.  Similar to the training of new examiners at the USPTO, each trainee will receive a sample application that will be the focus of exercises during each module.

•    Day one focuses on the role of an examiner and the steps an examiner takes when reading an application for the first time. 

•    Day two uses the information gathered during day one to plan and conduct a search, as well as a focus on, 35 U.S.C. 101 and 112. 

•    Day three uses the information gathered during day two to map prior art to claims using 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103. 

•    Day four finishes the mapping of prior art to claim discussion, and focuses on drafting an examiner’s office action. 


Registration is currently closed. If you are interested in attending this course, please email STEPP@uspto.gov.

For an exemplary detailed schedule, please view the Agent/attorney 4-day course general schedule. Note that this schedule may not reflect the actual times for this event. Please, refer to the event summary above for the actual start and end times.

For more information, visit our webpage to learn more about STEPP or email STEPP@USPTO.gov.

This event is part of a series: Continuing legal education (CLE)