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Patent Clinic

The Patent Clinic provides students with hands-on experience representing clients in protecting their inventions through patent searches, patentability analyses, and patent prosecution under faculty supervision.

Message from the Clinic Director

Headshot image of Patent Clinic Director Mimi Afshar

Welcome to the Patent Clinic at North Carolina Central University School of Law. Our clinic is dedicated to expanding access to patent 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 Clinic, law students work directly with real clients under faculty supervision to secure patent protection. 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 patent attorneys and to promote innovation by removing barriers to intellectual property protection. To date, the clinic has assisted clients in obtaining patents, 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

Student Information

Through the Patent Clinic, students work with real clients on patent matters under faculty supervision. Students gain practical experience reviewing, revising, and preparing filings with the USPTO while applying concepts learned in intellectual property coursework to real-world legal issues.

The Patent Clinic is a for-credit experiential course with a small, intensive cohort structure. This Clinic is limited to six students, allowing for close supervision, individualized mentorship, and meaningful hands-on experience.

  • Work directly with real clients on patent matters under faculty supervision.
  • Help clients move ideas, brands, and business goals closer to protection through USPTO-related filings.
  • Assist new clients and pro se applicants with reviewing, revising, and preparing patent materials.
  • Build practical skills in client interviewing, counseling, legal analysis, drafting, filing preparation, and matter management.
  • Learn how to translate complex intellectual property concepts into clear, client-centered advice.
  • Receive close guidance and feedback in a small clinic setting designed for hands-on learning.
  • Develop professional judgment through ethical decision-making, confidentiality, timely communication, and careful written work.
  • Gain experience that connects classroom learning to the real practice of intellectual property law.

Through participation in the Patent Clinic, students will:

  • Apply intellectual property law concepts to real client matters involving patent issues. 
  • Work with new clients and individuals who previously filed patent applications pro se. 
  • Review, revise, and prepare filings with the USPTO. 
  • Conduct client intake and counseling with professionalism, clarity, and sound judgment.
  • Analyze client goals, legal issues, USPTO requirements, and relevant intellectual property materials.
  • Develop problem-solving skills through case planning, legal analysis, drafting, and client-centered representation.
  • Communicate clearly and professionally with clients, faculty supervisors, supervising attorneys, and the USPTO.
  • Demonstrate ethical judgment, including confidentiality, competence, diligence, and professionalism.
  • Manage client matters from intake through filing under faculty supervision.
  • Expand access to intellectual property services within the community.

  • Completion of the first year of law school.
  • Completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, a foundational intellectual property course, such as Patent Law.
  • Interview with the supervising attorney.
  • Selection through the Clinic’s application process.

Students enrolled in the Patent Clinic are expected to conduct themselves professionally in communications with clients, faculty, supervising attorneys, and the USPTO. Students are also expected to maintain client confidentiality, comply with applicable ethical obligations, meet deadlines, arrive prepared for clinic-related meetings and discussions, and produce clear, accurate, and timely written work.

Potential Client Information and Clinic Services

Prospective clients interested in assistance should email [email protected] to request the appropriate Request for Service form for the Patent Clinic. After the completed form is submitted, the Patent 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 Patent Clinic does not accept new clients during the summer term. During the summer, the Clinic focuses on pending matters and ongoing client representation.

Services provided by the Patent Clinic may include: 

  • Patent-related client intake and case assessment.
  • Review of existing pro-se patent filings.
  • Legal research and analysis.
  • Client counseling.
  • Preparation and revision of USPTO filings.
  • Drafting supporting documents related to patent matters.
  • Communication with clients regarding filing strategy, requirements, and next steps

The Clinic’s representation is limited to United States filings and does not include litigation matters. Patent 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.

The Patent Clinic may assist:

  • Individual inventors.
  • Entrepreneurs.
  • Small businesses.
  • Startups.
  • Pro se applicants seeking help reviewing, revising, or improving prior filings.
  • Individuals and communities with limited access to patent-related legal services.

Clinic Highlights

The Patent Clinic has a strong track record of outcomes, including successfully registered patents 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.

The Intellectual Property Clinic helped NCCU Music Lecturer Robert Trowers secure a patent for an innovative brass instrument mouthpiece accepted by the USPTO on its first submission. The matter gave clinic students hands-on experience with patent preparation, filing, and prosecution while supporting creativity and innovation within the NCCU community.

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Contact Information

For information regarding clinic services or eligibility requirements, please contact the NCCU Patent Clinic:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 919-530-7166

We are committed to providing professional, community-centered service and responding to inquiries in a timely manner.