Requirements for participation in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program.
37 C.F.R. § 11.17
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) Each law school participating in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program must provide its patent and/or trademark services on a pro bono basis.
(b) Each law school participating in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program shall, on a semi-annual basis, provide OED with a report regarding its clinic activity during the reporting period, which shall include:
(1) The number of law students participating in each of the patent and trademark practice areas of the school's clinic;
(2) The number of faculty participating in each of the patent and trademark practice areas of the school's clinic;
(3) The number of persons to whom the school's clinic provided assistance in any given patent or trademark matter but with whom no practitioner-client relationship had formed;
(4) The number of client representations undertaken for each of the patent and trademark practice areas of the school's clinic;
(5) The identity and number of applications and responses filed in each of the patent and/or trademark practice areas of the school's clinic;
(6) The number of patents issued, or trademarks registered, to clients of the clinic; and
(7) All other information specified by the OED Director.
(c) Inactivation of law schools participating in the USPTO Law School Certification Program. (1) The OED Director may inactivate a patent and/or trademark practice area of a participating law school:
(i) If the participating law school does not have an approved Faculty Clinic Supervisor for the relevant practice area, as described in § 11.16(c);
(ii) If the participating law school does not meet each of the requirements and criteria for participation in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program as set forth in § 11.16, this section, or as otherwise established by the OED Director; or
(iii) For other good cause as determined by the OED Director.
(2) In the event that a practice area of a participating school is inactivated, the participating law school students must:
(i) Immediately cease all student practice before the Office in the relevant practice area and notify each client of such; and
(ii) Disassociate themselves from all client matters relating to practice before the Office in the relevant practice area, including complying with Office and State rules for withdrawal from representation.
(3) A patent or trademark practice area of a law school clinic that has been inactivated may be restored to active status, upon application to and approval by the OED Director.
(d) Removal of law schools participating in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program. (1) The OED Director may remove a patent and/or trademark practice area of the clinic of a law school participating in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program:
(i) Upon request from the law school;
(ii) If the participating law school does not meet each of the requirements and criteria for participation in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program as set forth in § 11.16, this section, or as otherwise established by the OED Director; or
(iii) For other good cause as determined by the OED Director.
(2) In the event that a practice area of a participating school is removed by the OED Director, the participating law school students must:
(i) Immediately cease all student practice before the Office in the relevant practice area and notify each client of such; and
(ii) Disassociate themselves from all client matters relating to practice before the Office in the relevant practice area, including complying with Office and State rules for withdrawal from representation.
(3) A school that has been removed from participation in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program under this section may reapply to the program in compliance with § 11.16.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-37.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026