Attorneys

Two ways to connect

PatentConnect offers you two principal mechanisms for connecting inventors with attorneys: The Matching Program, which reviews each inventor's inquiry and matches the inventor with a volunteer attorney whose background matches the invention; and The Marketplace, a list of patent lawyers who offer their services directly to inventors at reduced rates.

To sign up for either program, please complete this simple registration form:

Register here

Choose your connection

The Matching Program

We connect you with the inventor who provides the closest match

The Marketplace

Your name goes on a roster of reduced-fee service providers

A simple, three-step process

Register

It takes only a few seconds to register with PatentConnect. Once we have verified that you are in good standing with the patent bar (and, if relevant, the state bar), we'll provide you with full access to PatentConnect.

Register now

Connect

You can connect with inventors through our matching program or through our marketplace. Under the matching program, we screen inquiries and email you when we have a pro bono client that fits your background. Under the marketplace program, you find inventors yourself, some of whom may not qualify for the matching program but who may be looking for reduced fees or other alternative billing arrangements.

Assist

Both the matching program and the marketplace are designed to provide pro bono patent prosecution services, such as basic counseling, drafting patent applications, and responding to USPTO actions. However, it is entirely up to you to decide the scope of your relationship with the inventor.

The whys and hows of volunteering

  • Regional focus: With the backing of the USPTO, PatentConnect is in a unique position to pair pro bono attorneys with local inventors. If you're going to help, why not help your neighbor?
  • Importance: While inventors are grateful for help, the broader legal community is also beginning to stress the importance of pro bono service. Many firms not only allow for its inclusion in annual billable-hours requirements, but many state bars count it towards your CLE requirements. To further recognize those involved with the program, we plan to maintain a public roster of all attorneys who wish to be listed.
  • Business development: Although these inventors cannot afford your services today, they may be able to in the future. In addition, networking with local inventors in our system could help provide a window into other communities of  local entrepreneurs.
  • It's easy: PatentConnect's innovative platform makes it easy to find the right client. The IU Maurer School of Law Center for Intellectual Property Research will not only match you with a client that fits your background, but we also have built a vibrant marketplace where you can select the client when the time is right for you. In addition, these inventors are often better prepared than most because we require them to complete a USPTO patent prosecution training moduel before they can have access to either program.
  • No strings: Even after registering with PatentConnect, you are under no obligation to participate. You decide if and when you will represent an inventor, and you will remain anonymous until your participation is confirmed. Moreover, we keep emails to a minimum: no more than two contacts per year or one contact every two months.