Resources

Patent Agencies:

• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
• PCT Page at USPTO
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Patent Statutes and Regulations:

• 35 U.S.C. (US Patent Statutes)
• Title 37 C.F.R., Chapt. I (US Regulations: Rules of Practice in Patent Cases)
• Database of Intellectual Property Laws (Database of International Laws Provided by WIPO)

Patent Related Courts and Judicial Decisions:

• Supreme Court of the United States (SCotUS):
  • Recent SCotUS Patent Decisions
  • SCotUS Homepage
• United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC):
  • Recent CAFC Patent Decisions
  • CAFC Homepage

Patent Searching Resources:

• USPTO Patent Search
• USPTO Public PAIR (Patent Application Information Retrieval)
• Google Patents
• www.pat2pdf.org

Local Pro Bono and Non-Profit Organizations

I am committed to being a contributing member in the local pro bono community.  Below are two local organizations which I support and would like you to know more about.

Lawyers for the Creative Arts
LCA is the only pro bono legal service organization in Illinois benefiting individuals and organizations in all areas of the arts. I’ve worked with clients through the LCA on a number of matters over the past several years and have found each experience to be very personally rewarding. I highly recommend supporting the LCA, whether by volunteering or through financial support.

Ladder Up
Ladder up is a service organization dedicated to assisting low income students and families achieve financial stability. I have volunteered through Ladder Up since 2005 through their Tax Assistance Program. You don’t need to be a lawyer to volunteer; in fact, you don’t need any business or finance experience at all. Ladder Up provides the training and enables you to help your community in a casual and enjoyable group setting. There are many good reasons that Ladder up has grown from 90 volunteers in 1994 to now over 1,800 and I encourage you to add to those numbers.