Frequently Asked Questions

What does a patent paralegal do?

Patent administration is one of the most interesting and best remunerated areas of legal administration. Qualified patent paralegals (also called patent specialists or patent secretaries) are in high demand. A patent paralegal works with one or more patent attorneys or agents, and handles all the administrative work involved in the long and complex process of patenting inventions, either at a law firm or within the patent department of a corporation or university. This usually involves a lot of correspondence between the patent attorney and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Much of the correspondence takes the form of legal documents, drafted and filed in accordance with Federal patent rules. It's a profession that requires intelligence, initiative and good organizational skills. Regular paralegals cannot do this work. It's a specialty of its own that requires a considerable degree of training. There's a lot to learn, but experienced patent paralegals are often given a great deal of responsibility for day-to-day patent matters, and with that comes a commensurate degree of respect and financial reward. 

 How can I become a patent paralegal?

There is a huge demand for people with patent paralegal skills, but amazingly enough, no standardized college credential is (yet) required or expected. This may well change. Many patent paralegals enter the field from general secretarial or administrative work, often, but not always, in a law firm. Almost all traditional training has been done as an informal apprenticeship, with the trainee receiving instruction from a senior paralegal or an attorney. A few sporadic live seminars have sprung up around the country, but because of the complexity of the subject matter, these seminars have either been very long, requiring live attendance after work and on weekends, or they provide no more than a short review for experienced patent paralegals. No previous course has provided a convenient but thorough step-by-step guide to US and foreign patent administration, until now. Most importantly, the IPlegalEd course teaches you to understand patent procedures, not just how to fill out forms.

 What will the IPlegalEd course teach me?

The IPlegalEd course is the first complete self-contained course designed to teach you how to handle the administrative side of patent practice. Whether you're taking it to refresh your skills, catch up on new or infrequently used rules, or are embarking upon an entirely new career, you'll find all you need to know right here. To see a complete course outline [CLICK HERE]

 The course will provide you with complete, clear, step-by-step directions to guide you through the often bewildering maze of patent administration procedures, showing you how to fill out forms, docket dates and prepare documents for filing with the Patent Office. In short, we teach you how to confidently handle everything necessary to support one or more patent attorneys - either at a law firm, corporation or university.

 I've been a patent assistant for quite a while, what will this course do for me?

This course will provide you with a valuable and comprehensive refresher of your skills, help you remember what you've forgotten, and will bring you up to date with all the new rules.

 I'm pretty new to the patent field, what will I learn from this course?

If you have some, but not a lot of, experience, the IPlegalEd course will provide a clear, step-by-step guide to patent administration, and teach you all that you need to know to confidently handle the administration of a patent portfolio, in a law firm or in a corporate patent department.

 I'm a complete novice to patent work, is this course too advanced for me?

You'll be just fine. Of course, the less experience you have, the more time you may want to spend on certain sections, especially the early introductory chapters. The IPlegalEd course has been designed so that you can stop, start, or repeat sections as often as you wish. The course requires no specific prior knowledge, and has been carefully designed from the ground up to explain all terms and principles that you will need to understand the more complex elements of patent administration.

 What does the IPlegalEd certificate mean to an employer?

The IPlegalEd course is not just about getting a certificate, it is about becoming an excellent, highly competent, and sought after patent paralegal, someone who really understands the complexities of patent work, and that is what employers are looking for. The IPlegalEd course on its own cannot give you experience, but it will provide the foundation which, in combination with your professional experience, will help you to excel as a patent paralegal.
The IPlegalEd certificate provides a valuable and recognized formal qualification awarded for having successfully taken the course and passed the final exam. It is not simply a certificate of completion. It is nationally recognized, used by many corporations, law firms and government departments, and the course is fully approved for 60 units of paralegal CLE credit by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations.
The IPlegalEd course has been designed and written by expert practitioners to be the very best course possible - the gold standard of patent paralegal education. Upon completing the course and passing the final exam, you will be awarded a certificate showing that you successfully completed the IPlegalEd Patent Paralegal Certificate Course and passed the final exam.
The IPlegalEd course is not designed to provide general, non-specific paralegal training, and does not provide a general paralegal certificate. Many courses exist to provide such general paralegal training and are often offered at community colleges; but these general courses do not teach patent paralegal skills and are of little value to a law firm or corporation looking for a professional patent paralegal. The IPlegalEd. com course is a specialist, professional course designed to teach patent administration only. It should be noted that ABA only approves courses that include "General Education", which is defined by the ABA as "an academic college-level course designed to give students a broadly based liberal arts education", so the IPlegalEd course cannot be approved by the ABA under the current rules which are not designed for approval of such specialized professional courses. Whether or not you are technically entitled to call yourself a "paralegal" in any given state varies from state to state. In many states the term has no fixed meaning and is simply a commonly used work descriptor meaning someone who supports an attorney. In some states, the word "paralegal" has been codified in the state's legal code (e.g. in California see the business and professions code section 6450-6456 which requires a certain number of years of experience and/or academic qualifications).

 Are printed reference materials provided?

Yes. The entire text of the course is designed to be downloaded and printed out to provide a useful working reference with step-by-step instructions covering all aspects of patent administration. This text is designed to be used as a study aid throughout the course, as well as a valuable reference guide in your day to day patent practice.

 What happens if I have questions?

Unlimited, expert support from patent professionals is available on-line. Additionally, the course has been carefully designed to anticipate and answer the most common questions that you may have.

 Does my computer have to be "online" to take the course?

No. The course is designed to be downloaded to your computer and / or printed out, so you do not have to be logged on to study. In fact, if you choose to print out the course, you do not even have to use a computer to study. Only the quizzes and the final exam must be taken and graded online.

 Can I repeat sections if I need to?

You can stop, start, or repeat sections and quizzes as often as you need. For the quizzes, only your most recent score is recorded.  The final exam may be retaken up to three times (see below).

 Will there be tests?

Yes. The IPlegalEd course is an interactive course, designed to teach, reinforce and test your knowledge. A multiple-choice quiz is given at the end of each chapter. When you've completed all the chapters, there is a final exam. A score of 70% or above is required to pass the course, and a certificate is awarded upon passing.  If you do not pass the final exam within three (3) attempts, you will be allowed to retake the final exam an additional three times for a fee of $250. 

 How long will the course take?

The entire course should take between about 60 and 100 hours, possibly longer if you are a novice. You have 100 days from the date of course activation to complete the course, so you should have plenty of time.

 How long do I have to complete the course?

You will have 100 days from the date the course is activated to complete the course, including taking and passing the final exam. You will receive an email as soon as the course is activated. This should be plenty of time (only about 3-4 hours per week are needed). If, however, you are unable to complete the course in that time, you may contact us to obtain an extension for a fee.

 Is there a deadline for registration?

No. Registration is ongoing, and you can register at any time you like, 365 days per year. Simply use the on-line registration process found on the IPlegalEd.com homepage.

 How much does the course cost?

The cost of the entire course is $1975. There are absolutely no hidden or additional costs.

 What is the refund policy?

A full refund will be given promptly if, for any reason, you find that after having signed up, you cannot use the site or cannot take the course. In order to get a refund, you must contact us, explain the problem, and specifically request a refund within one week (7 days) of signing up. Note that if you have paid by credit card, there will be a credit card fee charged by the credit card processor (not by IPlegalEd) of up to 5% that will not be returned.

 Can I pay in installments?

Yes. We do have an installment plan for individual registrants. If a business, corporation, or law firm is paying, the installment plan may not be used. If you would like to use the installment plan, please contact us at questions@iplegaled.com. We will send you the forms you need to apply. The forms are not available on the web site.

 Is the course accredited by any national organization?

Yes. The IPlegalEd course is fully accredited for 60 credit hours by NFPA (The National Federation of Paralegal Associations), which is the largest paralegal organization in the US. It is important to note that in compliance with NFPA policy only 4 hours of this class may be credited to their CLE credentialing. The IPlegalEd course is also endorsed by the IP Society of Silicon Valley. 

 Who uses the IPlegalEd course?

The IPlegalEd Patent Paralegal Certificate Course is used by top international corporations, law firms and government departments. Some of our clients include:

 
About IPlegalEd

IPlegalEd.com is a U.S. corporation based in the Silicon Valley of California. It is registered with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the Federal Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system and Dunn and Bradstreet. The IPlegalEd.com course was originally created in 2000 by patent attorney Dr. Adam W. Bell, and patent paralegal Crystal L. Susa to address the long unmet need for an effective, comprehensive and easy-to-use resource for training professional patent paralegals.