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Intellectual Property Legal Clinic

The Intellectual Property Clinic gives students hands-on experience helping clients protect their brands, creative work, and innovations through supervised legal practice.

Message from the Clinic Director

Mimi Afshar Intellectual Property Legal Clinic Director headshot

Welcome to the Intellectual Property Clinic at North Carolina Central University School of Law. Our clinic is dedicated to expanding access to intellectual property (IP) protection for innovators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses, particularly those from underrepresented and underserved communities from all 50 states.

Through our United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)-certified Patent and Trademark Clinics, law students work directly with real clients under faculty supervision to secure patent and trademark rights. This hands-on experience not only equips our students with practical legal skills but also empowers creators to protect and commercialize their ideas.

Our mission is twofold: to train the next generation of IP attorneys and to promote innovation by removing barriers to intellectual property protection. To date, the clinic has assisted clients in obtaining patents and successfully navigating the trademark registration process, contributing to economic growth and innovation in our community.

We are proud of the impact our students and clients make together, and we look forward to continuing to serve as a bridge between legal education and meaningful community engagement.

Mimi Afshar
Clinic Director and Supervising Attorney

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Student Information

Enrollment in the Intellectual Property Clinic is open to law students who have completed at least one year of law school (1L year) and demonstrate a strong interest in intellectual property. Preference is given to students who have completed, or are concurrently enrolled in, foundational IP courses such as Patent Law or Trademark Law.

Students are selected through an application process that considers academic performance, interest in IP, and commitment to client service. The IP Clinic maintains a small, intensive cohort of six students per clinic (Patent Clinic and Trademark Clinic), allowing for close supervision and meaningful hands-on experience.

As part of this for-credit experiential course, students work directly with real clients under the supervision of a registered patent attorney. They engage in all aspects of representation, including client intake, legal analysis, drafting, and USPTO filings, while adhering to professional and ethical obligations.

This cohort-based structure ensures individualized mentorship and provides each student with a substantive role in advancing client matters.

Through the Intellectual Property Clinic, students work with real clients on patent and trademark matters, including assisting both new clients and individuals who previously filed applications pro se. Under faculty supervision, students gain practical experience reviewing, revising, and preparing filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) while applying concepts learned in intellectual property coursework to real-world legal issues.

The IP Clinic is designed to strengthen students’ professional communication, client counseling, problem-solving, and ethical decision-making skills. Students also develop experience managing client matters from intake through filing, helping prepare them for the practice of law while expanding access to intellectual property services within the community.

Enrollment in the Intellectual Property Clinic is open to students who have completed their first year of law school and demonstrated a strong interest in intellectual property law. Students must have completed, or be concurrently enrolled in, a foundational intellectual property course, such as Patent Law or Trademark Law.

Students are selected through an application process that considers academic preparation, demonstrated interest in intellectual property, and commitment to client service. Prior to registration, applicants also participate in an interview with the supervising attorney to discuss the expectations of the clinic and the responsibilities associated with serving as a student attorney.

Students enrolled in the Intellectual Property Clinic are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times, including in their communications with clients, faculty, supervising attorneys, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Students are expected to take ownership of their assigned matters by meeting deadlines, following through on responsibilities, and maintaining consistent communication with supervising attorneys and clients.

The clinic also requires students to maintain client confidentiality and comply with all applicable ethical obligations governing the practice of law. Students are expected to arrive prepared for client meetings, supervision sessions, and classroom discussions, and to produce clear, accurate, and timely written work, including trademark and patent-related filings and supporting documents. Throughout the semester, students are expected to be receptive to feedback and demonstrate continued professional and practical growth in their role as student attorneys.

Potential Client Information and Clinic Services

The Intellectual Property Clinic serves individual inventors, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and startups, with particular attention to individuals and communities that may otherwise have limited access to intellectual property legal services. The Clinic provides students with the opportunity to work on real-world patent and trademark matters while expanding access to intellectual property resources for underserved and underrepresented communities.

The Intellectual Property Clinic works with both new clients and pro se applicants who have previously filed applications and are seeking assistance reviewing, revising, or improving their filings. The Clinic’s representation is limited to United States filings and does not include litigation matters. In addition, trademark services are limited to filing and registration matters and do not extend to post-registration maintenance or enforcement proceedings. Where a client’s needs fall outside the clinic’s scope or expertise, referrals may be made to other legal service providers or clinics when appropriate.

Prospective clients interested in assistance through the Intellectual Property Clinic should email [email protected] to request the appropriate Request for Service form for either the Patent Clinic or the Trademark Clinic. After the completed form is submitted, the Clinic will review the request and may contact eligible clients to schedule an intake meeting, depending on Clinic capacity and the nature of the requested services.

The Intellectual Property Clinic does not accept new clients during the summer term and instead focuses on pending matters and ongoing client representation during that period.

For information regarding office hours, eligibility requirements, appointment scheduling, or clinic services, please contact the Intellectual Property Legal Clinic at [email protected] or 919-530-7166. Our team is committed to providing professional, community-centered support and responding to inquiries in a timely manner.

Clinic Highlights

The Intellectual Property Clinic has a strong track record of outcomes, including multiple issued patents and successfully registered trademarks for clinic clients.

The Clinic has also supported strong career outcomes, with student experience contributing to positions at the United States Patent and Trademark Office and intellectual property law firms.