The Patent Clinic

The Patent Clinic provides free, limited legal help to inventors, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations in San Diego County seeking assistance with the patent process. Supervised law students work with clients to help them understand their options and move their ideas forward through the United States

The Patent Clinic provides patent legal assistance in the following areas:
• Client counseling
• Patentability search and opinion
• Patent application preparation
• Patent application filing (administrative fees paid by client)

The Trademark Clinic

The Trademark Clinic offers free, limited legal assistance to individuals, small businesses, nonprofits, and organizations in San Diego County seeking federal trademark protection. Under attorney supervision, law students help clients navigate the trademark process and take steps toward securing and protecting their brand.

The Trademark Clinic provides legal assistance in the following areas:
• Client counseling
• Trademark clearance searches
• Trademark application

The Patent & Trademark Clinic does not represent clients in court or before administrative boards, such as the TTAB. Additionally, the clinic cannot file international patent or trademark applications and cannot manage or administer maintenance fees for issued patents and trademarks.

To qualify for services a business or inventor seeking a patent should have a developed idea for an invention, and those seeking trademarks should have an operating business with products or services in the stream of commerce or a functioning organization, such as a community group.

All clients must have the resources to pay all USPTO fees but lack the means to hire a patent or trademark attorney to advise them. Potential clients are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the USPTO administrative fee structure.

The Nonprofit & Business Law Clinic (NBLC)

The Nonprofit & Business Law Clinic provides free, limited legal assistance to eligible nonprofit organizations and small businesses in San Diego County. Supervised law students help clients address common legal issues that arise when forming, operating, and managing an organization or business.

Nonprofit organizations and small businesses seeking clinic services should have on-going operations or a well-developed business plan.

The NBLC provides legal assistance in the following areas:
• General business advice
• Business formation and operation
• Contract review and negotiation
• Commercial leasing
• Nonprofit tax exemption
• Independent contractor and employment issues
• Permitting and licensing

The NBLC provides a wide variety of legal assistance, but does not represent clients in court.

The Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic

The Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic provides free legal assistance to military veterans in San Diego County. Law students, supervised by experienced attorneys, work directly with veterans to help them understand their legal options and move forward with civil legal matters.

Former members of the United States Military may obtain legal assistance in a variety of areas, including:
• Divorce
• Child Custody/Visitation
• Name Change
• Stepparent Adoption
• Guardianship/ Conservatorship
• Wills
• Powers of Attorney
• Discharge Upgrade
• Criminal Record Expungement
• Certificate of Rehabilitation
• Pardons

The Veteran’s Legal Assistance Clinic generally does not provide representation in on-going criminal law matters.

The Probate Limited Assistance Clinic

The Probate Limited Assistance Clinic provides free, limited legal help to individuals in San Diego County who are handling a probate case pro per (self-represented) Supervised law students assist clients with reviewing probate notes and curing probate defects. The clinic is designed to help self-represented individuals move their cases forward more smoothly.

For more information, please visit our dedicated website for probate matters: probateclinic.com