USPTO Offers Free Oral Advocacy Training Under the Legal Experience and Advancement Program

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (PTAB) first Legal Experience and Advancement Program (LEAP) webinar on oral advocacy will take place today, Thursday, May 14, from noon to 1 p.m. ET. Judges will offer training on oral advocacy to help prepare LEAP practitioners to argue before the Board. The training will cover topics such as use of demonstratives, effective use of hearing time, decorum, and logistics of an oral hearing. Deputy Chief Judge Jackie Bonilla, Vice Chief Judge Janet Gongola, Lead Judge Stacey White, and Judges Amanda Wieker and Christa Zado will present. According to the USPTO, LEAP is designed to encourage the professional development of patent attorneys and agents appearing before the PTAB through increased opportunities for oral advocacy in ex parte appeal and AIA trial proceedings. Accordingly, the PTAB will grant up to 15 minutes additional argument time to parties that choose to participate in LEAP, depending on the length of the proceeding and the PTAB’s hearing schedule.