To establish the Law School Clinic Certification Program of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 5108 is legislation designed to enhance the education of law students interested in practicing patent and trademark law while simultaneously helping small businesses, inventors, and entrepreneurs secure patents and trademarks.

I am pleased to partner with my distinguished Judiciary Committee colleague, Representative Chabot, and am thankful for his support and leadership as well as for the support of Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers on this meaningful, bipartisan legislation.

This bill will permanently establish the Law School Clinic Certification Program at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Currently this program exists only in pilot form; however, it has already helped budding intellectual property law students and attorneys and the innovation sector throughout the country.

The pilot program began in 2008 with only six law schools. Over time it grew to approximately 45 schools. To date more than 1,400 law students have participated in this program.

Since the pilot began, law students under the supervision of a skilled and experienced faculty adviser have submitted 220 patent applications and approximately 650 trademark applications for clients on a pro bono basis. Establishing this program in law will both ensure its continuation and permit law schools throughout the country that meet the PTO's qualifications to participate.

Intellectual property, of course, is a highly technical field. Ordinarily, students do not have the opportunity to submit patent and trademark applications until they become practicing attorneys. This program will provide real-world professional training, and expanding it will enable law students throughout the country to obtain invaluable practical experience that will not only enhance their legal education but will give students who participate in these clinics an opportunity to more meaningfully engage in the job market upon their graduation.

Beyond the advantage to law students, however, this program also provides significant benefits to inventors, entrepreneurs, and small businesses that qualify for pro bono assistance. Some of these inventors or small businesses may not be able to afford patent or trademark attorneys.

In the absence of this program, they may be forced to navigate the complicated legal terrain without technical and professional assistance. The small inventor or start-up company of today may very well become the next major American business of tomorrow in part due to the assistance of the student practitioners and their faculty advisers who participate in the PTO Law School Clinic Certification Program.

This legislation has the support of key stakeholders in the field including the Association of American Universities as well as the International Trademark Association.

In conclusion, let me again thank the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) for his leadership on this bipartisan legislation. H.R. 5108 will help students, small businesses, inventors, startups, law schools, as well as the innovation economy.

I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan, meaningful legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5108) to establish the Law School Clinic Certification Program of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 5108, currently under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 5108, a bill to establish the Law School Clinic Certification Program of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

This bill has bipartisan support. I would like to thank the gentleman from New York, Congressman Jeffries, for his leadership on this issue, and I know that he will be speaking here on this matter shortly. It is my pleasure to be the principal Republican cosponsor of the bill which would make this successful pilot program available to law schools all across the country.

This program was first established by the Patent and Trademark Office in 2008 and has allowed law students at 45 participating schools to practice patent or trademark law before the Patent and Trademark Office under the guidance of a supervisor. This practical experience is invaluable and is a worthwhile investment in our Nation's future attorneys.

Expanding this program will also benefit our Nation's small businesses. Through this program inventors and entrepreneurs will gain access to quality legal services and protections that they otherwise often could not afford. Additionally, establishing this program will improve the quality of applications submitted to the Patent and Trademark Office thereby hopefully streamlining the review process.

I am pleased to say that several universities from Ohio, my home State, were already selected to participate in the current pilot program. Those are Case Western Reserve University School of Law in the Cleveland area and the University of Akron School of Law.

The CBO has examined and scored this bill finding that the costs are quite reasonable, about $200,000 a year to operate in all 45 participating schools so we are really getting a bang for our buck with this program.

I look forward to following the successes of this worthwhile program as it unfolds, and I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Once again I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries) for his leadership and the fact that this is a bipartisan bill. It is a good thing to see this type of bill move its way through the House.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, having no further requests for time, I will yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, today, the Senate has acted to ensure that law school students can gain valuable experience providing legal assistance to inventors before the United States Patent and Trademark Office--USPTO. This legislation is a clear win-win: students will gain tangible, hands-on experience in a vital area of the law, and inventors and small businesses will receive valuable legal assistance with their patent and trademark applications. By promoting innovation and helping creators turn their inventions into reality, the American public benefits from the results.

The USPTO plays a key role in driving the engine of our economy. Close to 600,000 patent applications and 450,000 trademark class applications are filed with the Office each year. I am proud that Vermont routinely ranks among the most innovative States that have the highest patents per capita each year. By serving America's innovators, the USPTO helps Vermonters and citizens across the country build their businesses and bring their inventions to the global marketplace.

Three years ago, Congress came together to pass the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011, the greatest transformation to our patent system in over 60 years. We worked for 6 years to pass this legislation to bring our patent system into the 21st Century. It helped simplify the process for patent approval, reduced backlogs at the USPTO, harmonized the U.S. patent system with the rest of the world, and improved patent quality.

Importantly, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act also contained key provisions to help inventors when they appear before the USPTO; something this law school clinic legislation builds on today. Because of the America Invents Act, the USPTO now has four satellite offices around the country to make the Office more accessible to inventors and businesses. The USPTO's pro bono program is expanding nationwide to provide resources to individuals who appear before the Office without counsel. The Patent Ombudsman for Small Businesses provides patent filing support and services.

The Law School Clinic Certification Program established by this legislation expands the USPTO's strong efforts to support inventors and small businesses, while training our next generation of lawyers in how this important agency operates. After 6 years of a successful pilot program run by the USPTO, it is time to pass this legislation and make the program permanent. Representative Hakeem Jeffries should be congratulated for his work on this bill in the House. I thank my fellow Senators for joining me in support of this sensible program and continuing our work to support innovators in our home States and across the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5108, the ``USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program Act,'' would make a law school clinic certification pilot program at the USPTO available to all law schools that provide an IP clinic program. I want to thank Rep. Jeffries and Rep. Chabot and all the co-sponsors for putting forth this legislation.

Law school clinic programs provide practical hands on experience to law students, preparing them for the real world, and provide individuals and small business with an avenue for legal representation they may otherwise be unable to afford.

I expect that as the USPTO implements this program that they will continue to maintain rigorous standards, to ensure that these clinic programs meet the highest requirements and that the students participating meet the standard educational and professional criteria for practice before the office.

These IP law clinics are an essential part of law school and they are an important way for schools to help innovators and small businesses and start-ups in their local communities. I think this is a good bill and I support its passage.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, September 15, 2014, I was unavoidably detained attending representational activities and thus unable to return in time for rollcall vote No. 497.

I would like the record to reflect that, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 497, H.R. 5108, to establish the Law School Clinic Certification Program of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and for other purposes.