Haynes and Boone, LLP Associate Angela Oliver talked with Law360 about her participation in a recent virtual mock hearing designed to give next-generation attorneys experience arguing before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).
Here is an excerpt:
USPTO Director Andrei Iancu, along with Administrative Patent Judges Michael Kim and Rama Elluru, presided over an hour-long video hearing concerning a patent covering electronic controllable suitcases, after which the panel evaluated the performances of the four arguing attorneys.
The goal of the mock hearing, the director said before it got underway, was to give the attorneys real practice in a lower-pressure environment, to familiarize them with how the board operates and to give them feedback, which he suggested would be critical in their professional development and future success.
The mock hearing and feedback session was part of the PTAB's new Legal Experience and Advancement Program, or LEAP. The program launched on May 18 and is designed to give newer attorneys arguing experience, which Iancu has said he and the USPTO have recognized can otherwise be difficult to come by.
Haynes and Boone, LLP Associate Angela Oliver argued on behalf of the mock patent owner during Friday's hearing and told Law360 the experience was a valuable one for further developing her oral advocacy skills.
"I appreciate the PTAB Bar Association's efforts to organize this event and am grateful to Director Iancu and the PTAB judges for taking the time to attend and provide helpful feedback to each advocate," Oliver said.
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