North Carolina Bar Foundation, Patent Pro Bono Program

Founded in 2007 as a project of the NCBA’s Business Law Section, NC LEAP is the only program of its kind in the United States that serves clients statewide. Since it began providing services to low-wealth entrepreneurs, NC LEAP has assisted more than 3,000 small business owners through education and legal representation. In collaboration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, NC LEAP has expanded its scope of services to include a regional Patent Pro Bono Project designed to help qualified inventors and small businesses in North Carolina gain pro bono access to the services of registered patent professionals.

Attorneys who volunteer for the NC LEAP Patent Pro Bono Project provide pro bono assistance for inventors in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee who lack the financial capacity for adequate patent counsel. The Inventor Assistance Program is a collaborative effort between NC LEAP and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Register for the NCLEAP Patent Pro Bono Project on the NCBA website.

  • State(s) of Volunteer Opportunity: North Carolina
  • Area of law: Patent
  • Populations Served: Inventors
  • Opportunities For: Lawyers
  • Hours for Pro Bono Opportunities: Evenings, Flexible, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Weekends
  • Malpractice insurance is provided for volunteers: Yes
  • Training Provided: No
  • Training Required: No
  • CLE credit for trainings: No
  • CLE credit for pro bono: No
  • Mentoring or supervision offered: No
  • Volunteer lawyers need to meet a caseload or hours requirement: No
  • Types of projects in need of Pro Bono help: Client counseling (e.g., brief advice), Draft legal documents (e.g., briefs), Transactional work
  • Volunteers may participate long-distance: No
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