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Law School Clinic Certification Program Information Collection

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Published April 7th, 2026
Detected April 7th, 2026
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Summary

The USPTO published a Federal Register notice announcing a 30-day public comment period for the Law School Clinic Certification Program information collection request submitted to OMB for review and approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The notice invites law schools and other interested parties to submit comments on this information collection activity.

What changed

The USPTO has issued a notice announcing the submission of an information collection request for the Law School Clinic Certification Program to the Office of Management and Budget for review and approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The notice opens a 30-day public comment period ending May 7, 2026.

Law schools operating or considering participation in the Law School Clinic Certification Program, as well as other interested parties, should review the notice and submit comments on the information collection burden, necessity of the information, and ways to improve the program. No immediate compliance action is required; this is an administrative notice seeking feedback on an existing certification program.

What to do next

  1. Review the information collection request for the Law School Clinic Certification Program
  2. Submit public comments by May 7, 2026 via Regulations.gov or the Federal Register portal
  3. Consider providing input on paperwork burden estimates and program necessity

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Notice

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Law School Clinic Certification Program

A Notice by the Patent and Trademark Office on 04/07/2026

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  2. Document Details Published Content - Document Details Agencies Department of Commerce Patent and Trademark Office Document Citation 91 FR 17635 Document Number 2026-06727 Document Type Notice Pages 17635-17636 (2 pages) Publication Date 04/07/2026 Published Content - Document Details
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  • Document Details Published Content - Document Details Agencies Department of Commerce Patent and Trademark Office Document Citation 91 FR 17635 Document Number 2026-06727 Document Type Notice Pages 17635-17636 (2 pages) Publication Date 04/07/2026 Published Content - Document Details
  • Document Dates Published Content - Document Dates Comments Close 05/07/2026 Dates Text To ensure consideration, you must submit comments regarding this information collection on or before May 7, 2026. Published Content - Document Dates
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Department of Commerce
Patent and Trademark Office

AGENCY:

United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (hereafter “USPTO” or “Agency”) will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. The USPTO invites comments on the information collection renewal of 0651-0081, which helps the USPTO assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden to the public. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on December 22, 2025, during a 60-day comment period (90 FR 59798). This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.

DATES:

To ensure consideration, you must submit comments regarding this information collection on or before May 7, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for this information collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on the following website, https://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review-Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function and entering either the title of the information collection or the OMB Control Number, 0651-0081. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

  • This information collection request may be viewed at https://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of Commerce, USPTO information collections currently under review by OMB.
  • Email: InformationCollection@uspto.gov. Include “0651-0081 information request” in the subject line of the message.
  • Mail: Justin Isaac, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.
  • Telephone: Diana Oleksa, Office of Enrollment and Discipline, 571-272-4097.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Law School Clinic Certification Program.

OMB Control Number: 0651-0081.

Abstract: Public Law 113-227 (Dec. 16, 2014) requires the USPTO to establish regulations and procedures for application to, and participation in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program. The Program allows students enrolled in a participating law school's clinic to practice patent or trademark law before the USPTO under the direct supervision of an approved faculty clinic supervisor. Each clinic provides legal services on a pro bono basis for clients who qualify for assistance from the law school's clinic. By drafting, filing, and prosecuting patent and trademark applications, students gain valuable experience that would otherwise be unavailable to them while in law school. The program also facilitates the provision of pro bono services to patent and trademark applicants who lack the financial resources necessary for traditional legal representation. Currently, 74 law schools participate in the program.

This information collection covers the applications from law schools that wish to enter the program, faculty advisors who seek to become a faculty clinic supervisor, and students who seek to participate in this program. The collection also includes the required semi-annual reports from participating law school clinics and biennial renewals required by the program. With this renewal, the USPTO is renumbering the items within this information collection to match their current arrangement.

Forms: (LS=Law School)

PTO-158LS (Application for Limited Recognition in USPTO Law School Program for Law Students to Practice Before the USPTO) ( printed page 17636)

PTO-159LS (Semi-Annual Law School Clinic Certification Program Reporting § 11.17(b) Requirements for Participation in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program) PTO-160LS (Law School Clinic Certification Program Reporting) PTO-161LS (Application by Law School Faculty Member to Become a Faculty Clinic Supervisor) PTO-162LS (Law School Clinic Certification Program Renewal Application) Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved information collection.

Affected Public: Private sector; Individuals or Households.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

Frequency: On occasion; semiannually; biennially.

Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 951 respondents.

Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1,025 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses in this information collection will take the public approximately 30 minutes (0.50 hours) to 30 hours to complete. This includes the time to gather the necessary information, create the document, and submit the completed item to the USPTO.

Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 1,330 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-Hourly Cost Burden: $61. The postage costs have increased since the publication of the 60-day Federal Register notice, from $12.10 to $12.25 for the Priority Mail legal flat rate envelope used for mailed submissions. The estimated postage costs equal $61.

Justin Isaac,

Information Collections Officer, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, United States Patent and Trademark Office.

[FR Doc. 2026-06727 Filed 4-6-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-16-P

Published Document: 2026-06727 (91 FR 17635)

Named provisions

Law School Clinic Certification Program

Classification

Agency
Commerce Department
Published
April 7th, 2026
Comment period closes
May 7th, 2026 (30 days)
Compliance deadline
May 7th, 2026 (30 days)
Instrument
Notice
Legal weight
Non-binding
Stage
Consultation
Change scope
Minor
Document ID
91 FR 17635

Who this affects

Applies to
Educational institutions
Industry sector
6111 Higher Education
Geographic scope
United States US

Taxonomy

Primary area
Intellectual Property
Operational domain
Compliance
Topics
Education Administrative Law

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