Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 24, 2024

Title 37 - Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights last revised: Nov 20, 2024
§ 234.2 - Pro bono representation directory.

(a) Publicly available directory. The Board shall make a directory available on its website of law school clinics and of pro bono legal services organizations with a connection to a law school that have advised the Board that they are available, on a pro bono basis, to provide law student representation to clients in proceedings before the Board, and wish to be listed in the directory. Listing in the directory is not a requirement for eligible law school clinics or a pro bono legal services organizations to represent clients in Board proceedings.

(b) Form for inclusion. To be included in the public directory, the director of the law school clinic or pro bono legal services organization shall submit a form providing the following information for public dissemination:

(1) The name of the participating clinic or organization;

(2) The name of the law school where the clinic is based, or with which the organization is connected;

(3) The name of the director of the clinic or organization;

(4) A general contact email address and phone number;

(5) The geographic area from which the clinic or organization may accept clients;

(6) Whether the clinic or organization has handled copyright matters in the past two years;

(7) The nature of any copyright matters handled by the clinic or organization in the past two years;

(8) Whether the clinic or organization has experience in handling litigation matters;

(9) If the clinic or organization does not have litigation experience, whether it has a partnership with a litigation clinic or experience supervising law students in litigation matters;

(10) A brief statement describing the clinic or organization's interest in handling matters before the Board; and

(11) A certification that student representatives participating in Board proceedings in affiliation with the clinic or organization will meet all requirements of § 234.1(a).

(c) Standards for inclusion. Subject to paragraph (d) of this section, the Board will accept for inclusion in the public directory any law school clinic or pro bono legal services organization with a connection to a law school that certifies that its law student representatives will meet all requirements of § 234.1(a) and provides sufficient information pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section for participants in Board proceedings to evaluate whether representation is available and appropriate.

(d) Removal from directory. The Board may, in its discretion, remove a clinic or pro bono legal services organization from the directory if it determines that the clinic or organization is not suitable for representing clients before the Board, including, without limitation, if it determines that the clinic or organization has failed to properly update its information in the public directory.

(e) Duty to update directory. Participating clinics and pro bono legal services organizations, which have been listed in the directory, have a duty to maintain current information in the directory and shall confirm the currency of the information on an annual basis.

authority: 17 U.S.C. 702,1510
source: 87 FR 20713, Apr. 8, 2022, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 37 CFR 234.2