Frequently Asked Questions
System Requirements
The professional trademark paralegal
Trademark administration is a very demanding area of legal administration. There are rules to master, abstract concepts to understand and always deadlines to meet. Qualified trademark paralegals (also called trademark specialists or trademark secretaries) are in high demand and are well paid. A trademark paralegal works with one or more trademark attorneys and handles all the administrative work involved in the long and complex process for trademark clearance (searching), application, surveillance and enforcement. This usually involves a lot of formal correspondence between the trademark attorney and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It's a profession that requires intelligence, initiative and good organizational skills. Regular paralegals cannot do this work and a considerable degree of training is required. Experienced trademark paralegals are often given a great deal of responsibility for day-to-day trademark matters.
About the IPlegalED course
The IPlegalED trademark paralegal course is the first complete self-contained course designed to teach you how to confidently handle the administrative side of trademark practice. It is written in plain English, with the minimum of unnecessary legal jargon to make it clear and easy to follow. 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.
The course will provide you with complete, clear, step-by-step directions to guide you through the often bewildering maze of trademark administration procedures, showing you how to fill out forms, docket dates and file documents with the Trademark Office. In short, we teach you how to confidently handle everything necessary to support one or more trademark attorneys, either at a law firm, corporation, government department or university.
The course is designed to be useful for all levels of experience, from novice to highly trained trademark paralegals with many years of experience. If you are highly experienced you will no doubt cover the early chapters quickly. A novice will have to spend more time learning the fundamental principles of trademark law which are covered in detail early in the course using a simple, plain-English style of prose. No matter what your level of experience, you will find this course useful, informative and helpful in your day-to-day trademark paralegal practice.
If you are an experienced trademark paralegal...
The course will provide you with a valuable and comprehensive refresher of your skills, will help you remember what you may have forgotten, and will bring you up to date with all the new rules.
If you have just a couple of years experience...
The course will provide a clear, step-by-step guide to trademark administration, and teach you all that you need to know to confidently handle the administration of a trademark portfolio, in a law firm or in a corporate trademark department. The course book will be a valuable reference source.
If you are new to trademark administration...
The course been carefully designed from the ground up to explain all terms and principles that you will need to understand the more complex elements of trademark administration. It requires no specific prior knowledge, just a willingness to learn. Of course, the less experience you have, the more time you may want to spend on the early chapters, but that should not be a problem. The IPlegalED course has been designed so that you can work at your own pace and stop, start, or repeat sections as often as you wish.
What happens if I have questions?
Unlimited, expert support from trademark 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 50 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 $1395. There are absolutely no hidden or additional costs.
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.
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.
What does the IPlegalED certificate mean to an employer?
The IPlegalED course is a nationally recognized, specialist, professional course designed to teach trademark administration. The IPlegalED course is not just about getting a certificate, it is about becoming an excellent, highly competent and sought after trademark paralegal, someone who really understands the complexities of trademark work. That is what employers are looking for. 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. IPlegalED is nationally recognized, used by many corporations, law firms and government departments. The course is approved for paralegal continuing education credit by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (the largest paralegal organization in the US). The IPlegalED course has been designed and written by expert practitioners to be the very best course possible - the gold standard of trademark paralegal education. Upon completing the course and passing the final exam, you will be awarded a certificate showing that you successfully completed the IPlegalED Trademark Paralegal Certificate Course and passed the final exam.
Are printed reference materials provided?
Yes. The entire text of the course is designed to be downloaded and printed out to provide a useful day-to-day working reference with step-by-step instructions covering all aspects of trademark administration.
Can I save the course to more than one computer?
Yes. Many students save the course to their work computer and also to their home computer to allow them the flexibility of studying at both locations. You are allowed to download the course to two (but no more than two) computers. The course may only be used by the registered student of record. All materials are copyrighted and the copyright is strictly enforced.
Is the course accredited by any national organization?
Yes. The IPlegalED course is accredited for self-study paralegal continuing education credits by the 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 IPlegalEd?
The IPlegalED intellectual property training courses are used by many top international corporations, law firms, universities and government departments, as well as individuals.
Additional Information:
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 trademark paralegal skills and are of little value to a law firm or corporation looking for a professional trademark paralegal. The IPlegalED course is a specialist, professional course designed to teach trademark 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).
About IPlegalEd, Inc.
IPlegalEd, Inc 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 & Bradstreet. The IPlegalEd course was originally created in 2000 by IP attorney Dr. Adam W. Bell and IP paralegal Crystal L. Susa to address the long unmet need for an effective, comprehensive and easy-to-use resource for training professional IP paralegals. Because of its consistently high quality, the thoroughness of its materials and unlimited customer support, IPlegalED has become the number one provider of online training to IP paralegals and is highly respected amongst IP professionals in law firms, corporations, universities and in government.