The Lisa Foundation Patent Law Clinic is the brainchild of prominent Chicago patent attorney Steven G. Lisa, a 1984 ASU Law alumnus. To date, through Lisa's foundation, the clinic has received $200,000 in donated funding.
Students receive hands-on experience in real-world patent and trademark prosecution, and learn skills needed to recognize and obtain valuable and enforceable patents and trademarks for clients that may later be successfully licensed or litigated. Regardless of whether students plan to practice transactional patent and trademark law or intellectual property litigation, the clinic gives students insight into both areas of practice so that they may understand the impact that actions taken during the patent and trademark procurement processes have during a subsequent litigation.
The clinic is a member of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO)’s Law School Clinic Certification Program in which students receive limited recognition practice numbers. Those who have a science or engineering background represent both patent and trademark clients whereas those without a technical background practice only on the trademark side of the clinic. The limited recognition practice numbers permit students to represent clients directly before the USPTO including signing and filing patent and trademark applications, office actions, maintenance and renewal documents, conducting examiner interviews and other official correspondence on behalf of clients.
