If you are a United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) registered patent attorney or agent, it helps to think like a USPTO patent examiner. Get a better understanding of how examiners make decisions by attending the Stakeholder Training on Examination Practice and Procedure (STEPP) virtual agent-attorney four-day course, April 22-25. This program is open to registered agents and attorneys who live in the United States.
Those who want to attend must submit an interest form and meet certain criteria, including:
- Have an active USPTO registration number
- Hold a USPTO registration status showing residence in the United States
Space is limited. Interest forms are being accepted until April 15, or until full.
Virtual courses are led by USPTO trainers and are based on the same training material developed for new USPTO examiners. The training focuses on how examiners review patent applications according to the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP).
Selected attendees are encouraged to complete pre-activity homework, which includes several computer-based training modules and reading of resource materials. Similar to the training of new USPTO examiners, the sample application will be the focus of exercises during each session.
This STEPP course has four sessions that build on one another.
- Day one focuses on the role of an examiner and steps they take when reading an application for the first time.
- Day two uses the information gathered during day one to plan and conduct a search, emphasizing relevant legal statutes.
- Day three builds on day two in applying relevant statutes to the mapping of prior art to the sample claims.
- Day four finishes discussing the mapping of art to claims and focuses on writing an office action.
A detailed course schedule is available. Learn more about STEPP at the program webpage or by emailing STEPP@uspto.gov.
Accessibility accommodation
If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please submit your request to the contact information listed above.