The Patent Law School Clinic Certification Pilot Program will allow a limited number of applications to be advanced out of turn each semester beginning with the fall 2012 academic year. This increases the likelihood that applications filed by student lawyers under the guidance of a law school faculty clinic supervisor will receive substantive examination within the school year.
The law school clinical programs "provide patent legal services to independent inventors and small businesses on a pro bono basis." That includes help with "patentability searches and opinions, advice from clinic law students regarding their IP needs under the supervision of a faculty practitioner, drafting and filing of patent applications, and representation before the USPTO."
For more information about the advancement of examination option, see the June 20, 2012 press release. For a list of participating law schools and more details about the student lawyer program, access the Patent Law School Clinic Certification Pilot Program webpage.