Patent and Trademark Office October 9, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This request for comments seeks public input on proposed guidelines regarding continuing legal education (CLE). Pursuant to the final rule published on August 3, 2020, registered patent practitioners and individuals granted limited recognition to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) in patent matters will be required to biennially submit a mandatory registration statement beginning on March 1, 2022. On the registration statement, practitioners may state whether they have completed 6 credits of CLE within the previous 24 months. The USPTO has prepared proposed CLE guidelines, attached to this request for comments as Appendix 1, which advise practitioners and providers as to the proposed types of CLE courses and activities that will qualify for USPTO CLE credit. In this request for comments, the Office seeks input on the proposed guidelines.