Illinois

Illinois residents have access to a host of unique resources and assistance in their state. Expand the categories below to see what is available to you. Additionally, our Midwest Regional Office provides additional support and resources for customers in the Midwest region of the United States.

Get free patent and trademark legal assistance

Patent Pro Bono Program

Illinois inventors are served by the Chicago-Kent Patent Hub, part of the USPTO's nationwide pro bono program that matches inventors who qualify (based on income) with volunteer attorneys and patent professionals that will help you file your patent application.

Law school clinics

Illinois inventors and entrepreneurs can obtain free legal help for both patent and trademark matters by contacting the following:

Northwestern Pritzker School of Law (trademarks, with preference to Chicago): elc@law.northwestern.edu
Saint Louis University School of Law (trademarks): LegalClinics@slu.edu
UIC Law School (patents, with preference to Illinois): law-patentclinic@uic.edu (trademarks): law-tmclinicinfo@uic.edu
Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (patents): EIPAssistance@wulaw.wustl.edu.

In addition to the law school clinics listed above, there are 19 law school clinics that provide free patent and trademark services to all residents of the United States regardless of location.

Learn to search for inventions and trademarks at PTRCs

Certain libraries throughout the United States are designated as Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRC), which provide resources and trained staff to help customers use and understand USPTO information and filing systems. Illinois is served by the following PTRCs:

Chicago Public Library - Chicago

Western Illinois University - Macomb

Attend inventor and entrepreneur workshops, trainings, and other events in your region

Every day the USPTO hosts events across the country geared just for aspiring inventors and entrepreneurs, from trademark basics to patent search workshop. Check our USPTO event calendar and find something near you today.

Find a registered patent attorney or agent in Illinois

If you intend to hire an attorney (recommended), the USPTO maintains a roster of active patent attorneys and agents registered with the USPTO. Find an attorney or agent by selecting Illinois from the list of states in the search field.

Network with inventor and entrepreneur organizations in your state

Inventor clubs and organizations can be a great way to connect with local inventors and entrepreneurs and open more doors to resources and opportunities. Below are a list of organizations in Illinois. If you represent an inventor group or nonprofit and would like to have your organization listed here, please email MidwestRegion@uspto.gov.

Illinois Innovators and Inventors
P.O. Box 58
Edwardsville IL 62025
ilinventor.tripod.com

Chicago Inventors Organization
chicago-inventors.org

Do you have suggestions for resources to include on this page? Please contact MidwestRegion@uspto.gov.