What It Is
The Law School Clinic Certification program allows law students enrolled in a participating law school's clinic program to practice Intellectual Property Law before the USPTO under the strict guidance of a Law School Faculty Clinic Supervisor. The program currently consists of students practicing in both patent and trademark law before the USPTO. The program is administered by the Office of Enrollment and Discipline. The Director of the Office of Enrollment and Discipline grants the law students limited recognition to practice before the Office.
Students gain experience drafting and filing either patent applications or trademark applications for clients of the law school clinic. Further, as they are authorized to practice before the USPTO, they gain experience answering Office Actions and communicating with either patent examiners or trademark examining attorneys for the applications they have filed.
Participating Law Schools
The law schools listed below participate in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program. Please contact the school at the listed e-mail address if you wish to make general inquiries or request legal services.
**ACCEPTANCE AS A CLIENT IS
SUBJECT TO THE LAW SCHOOL’S
REQUIREMENTS AND DISCRETION
Participating Law Schools |
E-mail Address |
IP Practice Area |
Geographic Area** (from which the law school may accept clients) |
---|---|---|---|
American University, Washington College of Law |
Patents and Trademarks |
District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Only | |
Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Conner College of Law |
patent_clinic@asu.edu (patents) Trademark_clinic@asu.edu (trademarks) |
Patents and Trademarks |
All United States |
Baylor Law School |
patents@baylor.edu (patents) trademarks@baylor.edu (trademarks) |
Patents and Trademarks | Texas Only |
Boston College Law School | Commencing participation August 1, 2018 |
Trademarks | |
Brooklyn Law School |
Patents |
All United States | |
California Western School of Law |
Trademarks |
All United States | |
Case Western Reserve University School of Law |
Patents |
Northern Ohio Only | |
Florida International University College of Law | (Commencing August 1, 2018) | Patents | |
Fordham University School of Law |
Patents and Trademarks |
Northeastern United States Only | |
Howard University School of Law |
Patent clinic email (TBD) |
Trademarks |
District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Only |
Indiana University Maurer School of Law |
Patents and Trademarks |
Indiana Only | |
Indiana University |
Patents and Trademarks | Midwestern States Only | |
Lewis & Clark Law School |
Patents and Trademarks |
Oregon Only | |
Liberty University School of Law | (Commencing August 1, 2018) | Trademarks | |
Lincoln Law School of San Jose |
Patents and Trademarks |
All United States | |
Mitchell Hamline School of Law |
Patents and Trademarks |
Upper Midwestern United States Only |
|
New York Law School |
ptoclinic@nyls.edu (patents) trademarkclinic@nyls.edu (trademarks) |
Patents and Trademarks |
All United States |
North Carolina Central University School of Law |
Patent and Trademarks |
North Carolina and South Carolina Only | |
Northeastern University School of Law | ipcolab@northeastern.edu | Trademarks | Massachusetts |
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law |
Trademarks |
Illinois Only (preference to Chicago, Illinois Area) |
|
Roger Williams University School of Law | bsuc@rwu.edu |
Trademarks |
Rhode Island and surrounding States Only |
Rutgers Law School |
Trademarks |
All United States | |
Saint Louis University School of Law |
Trademarks |
Missouri and Illinois Only | |
Seattle University School of Law | TMclinic@seattleu.edu | Trademarks | Washington, Alaska, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming |
South Texas College Of Law |
patent@stcl.edu (patents) trademark@stcl.edu (trademarks) |
Patents and Trademarks |
Texas and Louisiana Only (Patents) All United States (Trademarks) |
Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law |
patentclinic@smu.edu (patents) trademarkclinic@smu.edu (trademarks) |
Patents and Trademarks |
Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas and Northern Texas on a limited basis |
Southern University Law Center | sulctechclinic@gmail.com | Patents and Trademarks | Louisiana Only |
Suffolk University Law School | ldarden@suffolk.edu | Patents and Trademarks | Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island |
Syracuse University College of Law | trademarks-cdlc@syr.edu | Trademarks | New York Only |
Texas A&M University School of Law |
patc-info@law.tamu.edu (patents) tmc-info@law.tamu.edu (trademarks) |
Patents and Trademarks |
Texas Only |
The George Washington University School of Law | sbced_uspto_intake@law.gwu.edu | Trademarks | District of Columbia Only |
The John Marshall Law School |
patentclinic@jmls.edu (patents) trademarkclinic@jmls.edu (trademarks) |
Patents and Trademarks |
All United States (preference to Illinois and Midwest States) (Patents) All United States (Trademarks) |
Thomas Jefferson School of Law |
PatentClinic@tjsl.edu (patents) TrademarkClinic@tjsl.edu (trademarks) |
Patents and Trademarks |
Southern California and Baja, California (Patents) San Diego County, California (Trademarks) |
Tulane University Law School | TLSIPLab@tulane.edu | Patents and Trademarks | Louisiana Only |
University of Akron School of Law |
Trademarks |
Northeast Ohio | |
University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law | Patents and Trademarks | Arizona Only | |
University of California, Irvine School of Law | (Commencing August 1, 2018) | Trademarks | |
University of California, Los Angeles School of Law |
Patents and Trademarks |
All United States (preference to Southern California) | |
University of Colorado Law School |
Patents |
Colorado Only | |
University of Connecticut School of Law |
Patents and Trademarks |
Connecticut Only | |
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law |
Patents |
All United States (preference to Michigan and Ohio) and Ontario, Canada | |
University of Idaho College of Law |
Trademarks |
Idaho Only | |
University of Maryland School of Law |
Patents and Trademarks |
Maryland and District of Columbia Metro Area Only | |
University of Miami School of Law | dravicher@law.miami.edu | Patents and Trademarks | All United States |
University of Missouri School of Law | Commencing participation August 1, 2018 |
Trademarks | |
University of Nebraska College of Law | eclinic@unl.edu | Trademarks | Nebraska Only |
University of New Hampshire School of Law |
Trademarks |
All United States | |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law |
Trademarks |
All United States | |
University of Notre Dame Law School |
Patents and Trademarks |
Midwestern United States Only | |
University of Pennsylvania Law School | Commencing participation August 1, 2018 |
Trademarks | |
University of Puerto Rico School of Law |
Patents and Trademarks |
Puerto Rico Only | |
University of Richmond School of Law | ipclinic@richmond.edu | Trademarks | All United States |
University of San Diego School of Law | Commencing participation August 1, 2018 |
Patents | |
University of San Francisco School of Law |
Trademarks |
All United States | |
University of St. Thomas School of Law | Trademarks | Minnesota Only | |
University of Tennessee College of Law |
Trademarks |
All United States | |
University of Washington School of Law |
Patents and Trademarks |
Washington Only | |
Vanderbilt Law School |
Trademarks |
All United States | |
Washington University in |
Patents | Missouri and Illinois | |
Wayne State University Law School |
Patents |
Michigan Only | |
Western New England University School of Law |
Trademarks |
Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut Only |
USPTO Law School Clinical Certification Program Participating School Map
2016-2017 EXPANSION
The 2016-2017 expansion of the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Law School Clinic Certification Program is now closed and is not currently accepting any new applications from law schools for participation therein. It is uncertain when the Program may open for expansion in the future.
For reference, a copy of the application packet from the 2016-2017 expansion can be found at:
2016 Law School Application Packet
Questions regarding the Program may be directed to the Office of Enrollment and Discipline:
James M. Silbermann, Staff Attorney, OED
Jennifer A. Harchick, Staff Attorney, OED
Email: lawschoolinformation@USPTO.GOV
Phone: 571-272-4097
2016 REPORT TO CONGRESS
As required by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) Law School Clinic Certification Program Act (P.L. 113-227), the Office of Enrollment and Discipline of the USPTO submitted a report to Congress on behalf of the Director of the USPTO on December 14, 2016. This report fulfilled the requirements of the act by describing the number of law schools and law students participating in the Law School Clinic Certification Program (“Program”), the work done through the Program, the benefits of the Program, and any recommendations for modifications to the Program.
A copy of the Report to Congress can be found at:
2016 Law School Clinic Certification Program Report
WEBINAR
- USPTO Webinar for Patent Pro Se, Pro Bono, and Law School Clinic Certification Programs
Webinar May 21, 2015 2:00-5:00pm (Eastern Time)
Request to Make Special Program
Additional Information
Law Schools interested in participating should continue to monitor this website for announcements of an expansion.
Questions regarding the program may be directed to the Office of Enrollment and Discipline:
Phone: 571-272-4097
E-mail: lawschoolinformation@uspto.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions