Patent and Trademark Resource Center at Oklahoma State University: Legal Assistance and Resources

Legal Assistance and Resources

USPTO Legal assistance and resources
Pro Bono Patent Assistance
The Patent Pro Bono program assists financially under-resourced independent inventors and small businesses. For Pro Bono Patent Assistance in Oklahoma, see Patent Pro Bono, administered by Gateway Venture Mentoring Service, a St. Louis, MO based 501(c)(3).
Law School Clinic Certification Program
IP legal assistance provided by participating laws schools. Oklahoma residents can contact Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Conner College of Law.
Clinics, Oklahoma City University, The Collaborative: Law Clinic for Business and Innovation
Students, under close faculty supervision, provide legal assistance in a variety of early-stage legal matters, including entity formation, contract drafting and review, intellectual property protection, and other transactional matters to business startups, entrepreneurs, and community nonprofit organizations to help them establish successful for profit and nonprofit enterprises. The clinic targets entrepreneurs and innovators located in the underserved Oklahoma City community who are not able to afford retained legal counsel.
Filing a Patent Application on Your Own - Pro Se Assistance Program
Pilot program to expand outreach to inventors who file patent applications without the assistance of a registered patent attorney or agent.
Patents Ombudsman Program
Assistance to applicants and attorneys throughout the application process including initial filing, patent examination, and post examination.

Stakeholder Training on Examination Practice and Procedure (STEPP)
Training delivered through STEPP is designed to provide external stakeholders with a better understanding of how and why an examiner makes decisions while examining a patent application.

Detailed Information

Patent Pro Bono Program
- Each regional program has specific requirements for participation: income, knowledge, and invention. To demonstrate “knowledge” of the patent system, an applicant can either have a provisional patent application already on file or take a certificate training course, available in English or Spanish. If an applicant takes the certificate training course, they should capture evidence that the course was completed such as printing to PDF or taking a screen capture. See image below for reference.
- The Patent Pro Bono Program can be contacted at probono@uspto.gov for more information – this includes navigating issues with a regional program.
Law School Clinic program
- Participating Law School Clinics may have less stringent requirements for participation in favor of giving students experience.
- If an applicant doesn’t find a successful match in the Patent Pro Bono Program, they may consider the Law School Clinic program.
- Questions regarding the program can be directed to LawSchoolInformation@uspto.gov – this includes navigating issues with a participating law school.
The Pro Se Assistance Program offers an ample amount of information. Pro se applicants are welcome to schedule an appointment or contact them for assistance.