Externship resources and information

• Alexandria headquarters
• Alexandria HQ Campus Map 

Texas Regional Office (TXRO)

Rocky Mountain Regional Office (RMRO)

Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Office (MWRO)

Silicon Valley USPTO (West Coast regional office)

On your second day of work, you will be issued a USPTO ID badge which will give you access to USPTO space on the 14th and 15th floors. You will also be provided with information on how to obtain a building keycard to allow you to access the building perimeter outside of security operating hours. Ultimately, you will receive a badge that will allow you access to both the building and to the USPTO space.

Within your first week of work, you will be issued a USPTO ID badge which will give you access to most USPTO-secured space within the building. Certain areas (e.g., MDF room) will require additional authorization to access. Also note:

1. Until you are issued your permanent USPTO ID badge, you will be issued a USPTO temporary badge to allow entry to USPTO spaces on floors 1, 2, and 3.

2. Employees without a USPTO temporary or permanent badge will not be able to access USPTO secured space outside of USPTO protective security officer hours.

3. Employees who lose their USPTO badge must immediately inform the Regional Manager and the USPTO Office of Security. The Regional Manager or Protective Security Officer will provide a temporary USPTO badge to access the USPTO space.

The parking garages listed below are located near the Terminal Annex and provide both monthly parking and daily parking. Also visit www.dallas.bestparking.com  for the latest garage location listings, parking availability, and rates.

• Ace Parking – H Lot; 525 S. Houston Street; 214-748-5535; $55 per month

• Ace Parking – Union Station; 300 Reunion Boulevard; 214-761-6400; $65 per month

• Star Parking; 501 N. Houston Street; 214-871-2283; $60 per month

• LAZ Parking; 1015 Elm Street; 214-747-7675; $85 per month

While parking is not available in the Byron G. Rogers Federal Building for USPTO employees or visitors, there are a number of parking garages located within a few blocks of the building which are listed below. Employees are responsible for obtaining parking as needed. Metered parking is also available on the side of the building for $1 per hour with a 2-hour maximum.

Nearby Daily and Monthly Parking:
Ambassador Parking Management offers surface parking at the corner of 20th Street and Champa Street; $8 per day, $120 per month; telephone: 303-972-4510.

Century Link Building at 1890 Stout Street offers garage parking at $14 per day (early bird rate is $8 per day - in by 9 a.m., out by 7 p.m., first-come, first-served); $180 per month with one-time $25 activation fee; telephone: 303-292-6126.

24-Hour Public Parking offers surface parking at the corner of 20th Street and Stout Street directly across from the Byron G. Rogers Federal Building; $8 per day, no monthly parking.

There are a number of parking garages located within a few blocks of San Jose City Hall that USPTO employees, contractors, and visitors can use.
Note: street parking on all sides of San Jose City Hall is prohibited.

• Fourth Street Garage; 44 S. Fourth Street; 408-279-8782;
               Monthly: $100 (non-resident); Daily max: $20

• Second & San Carlos Street Garage; 280 S. Second St.;
              408-298-8852; Monthly: $100 (non-resident); Daily max: $20

• Third Street Garage; 95 N. Third Street; 408-794-1090;
               Monthly: $100 (non-resident); Daily max: $20

• Third & Santa Clara Street Garage; 25 S. Third Street;
              408-314-8249; Monthly: $110 (non-resident); Daily max: $20.

The Metro is accessible.  The King Street or Eisenhower Avenue stations are the two stations within walking distance to the complex.  However, the King Street station is the closest to the Madison Building.  

If traveling by the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), you will get off at the Alexandria station.

Towing is enforced in designated areas.  If you have any questions, please call 571-272-4109.

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) buses and light rail make traveling in San Jose and surrounding cities easy. A VTA station is located just two blocks west of City Hall (Santa Clara Station) and there is a public bus stop at City Hall Plaza. A VTA Light Rail map is included in your Welcome Kit, or you can go to www.vta.org for complete routes, schedules, and fares.

Direct access is available from San Francisco via CalTrain.  From San Francisco, take the CalTrain headed south to San Jose Diridon Station.  Take the free DASH shuttle bus line number 201 to the S. 4th Street and San Fernando Street stop. The San Jose office is one block away at the corner of Santa Clara Street and S. 4th Street.

Externs can participate in a variety of networking events hosted by the various Technology Centers (TCs) and Business Units throughout their externship.

Additional information may be accessed through the Extern SharePoint site.

An assortment of engagement opportunities will be available over the course of your externship.

Engagement opportunities are designed to allow externs to get to know USPTO employees and connect with other externs within your cohort. These opportunities may be hosted by your Technology Center, Business Unit, or the Office of Human Resources.

Additional information may be accessed through the Extern SharePoint site.

• Commissioner for Trademarks
• Commissioner for Patents 
• Chief Administrative Officer
• Chief Financial Officer 
• Director of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity
• Deputy Chief Information Officer
• Chief Policy Officer and Director of International Affairs

USPTO externs may have the opportunity to participate in trainings such as:

• Emotional intelligence
• Conflict management 
• Customer service
• "Dominance, influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness" (DiSC) personal assessments
• Program management

Topics, dates, and additional information may be found on the USPTO Extern SharePoint site.

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) is created by statute, and includes statutory members and Administrative Patent Judges. The PTAB is charged with rendering decisions on: appeals from adverse examiner decisions, post-issuance challenges to patents, and interferences.

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) is an administrative board that hears and decides adversary proceedings between two parties, namely, oppositions (party opposes a mark after publication in the Official Gazette) and cancellations (party seeks to cancel an existing registration). The TTAB also handles interference and concurrent use proceedings, as well as appeals of final refusals issued by USPTO trademark examining attorneys within the course of the prosecution of trademark applications.

Over the course of your extern experience you may have the opportunity to observe oral hearings. Past oral hearings have consisted of large companies such as Apple Inc., BMW of North America LLC., Facebook Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. LTD, and a host of other businesses.

For questions about PTAB hearings you may contact PTABHearnings@uspto.gov.

For questions about TTAB hearings you may contact TTABHearnings@uspto.gov or 571-272-8500.