Patent Bar study plan
Patent Bar · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 8 hours per week
Patent application preparation and prosecution (claims, specification, drawings, filing, examination, appeals, allowances) & Statutory and regulatory compliance (patentability, novelty, obviousness, disclosure)
Draft an independent apparatus claim and a dependent claim from a one-paragraph fact pattern, applying antecedent-basis and claim-definiteness checks
Distinguish 35 U.S.C. 101, 102, 103, and 112 rejections by writing a one-line issue statement for each of ten short scenarios
Outline the required specification sections under 37 C.F.R. 1.77 and identify which sections carry the written-description and enablement burden
Build a personal claim-drafting checklist of at least twelve items drawn from statute and rule text
Your checkpoint
A 10-scenario rejection-classification worksheet with issue statements, plus one original drafted claim set (independent plus three dependents) annotated against the checklist
Patent application preparation and prosecution (claims, specification, drawings, filing, examination, appeals, allowances) & Patent laws, rules, and procedures under 35 U.S.C. and 37 C.F.R.
Sequence a complete application filing under 37 C.F.R. 1.51 through 1.63, listing each required component and its governing rule
Compute and apply claim fees, excess-claim surcharges, and application-size fees from a hypothetical filing
Explain the drawing requirements of 37 C.F.R. 1.84 and identify the three most commonly tested drawing objections
Trace the filing-date requirements of 35 U.S.C. 111 and 37 C.F.R. 1.53, including the provisional-to-nonprovisional conversion path
Your checkpoint
A filing roadmap covering a provisional, a nonprovisional, and a continuation, with a completed fee-calculation table for one hypothetical application
Examination practice and procedure under the MPEP & Patent laws, rules, and procedures under 35 U.S.C. and 37 C.F.R.
Order the steps of initial examination from filing through first Office action, citing the controlling MPEP chapter for each step
Apply the restriction and election-of-species rules to a multi-invention hypothetical and justify the election made
Draft a response to a non-final obviousness rejection that includes a claim amendment, arguments, and a terminal-disclaimer consideration
Distinguish final from non-final Office actions and identify the response options available after each
Your checkpoint
A complete mock response to a non-final Office action, including amendment markup and a two-page argument section
Examination practice and procedure under the MPEP & Patent application preparation and prosecution (claims, specification, drawings, filing, examination, appeals, allowances)
Prepare and file a mock notice of appeal and appeal brief under 37 C.F.R. 41.31 through 41.41, sequencing each deadline
Compare ex parte reexamination, reissue, and supplemental examination by trigger, timing, and scope
Apply the after-final practice options, including an after-final response with a proposed amendment and a pre-appeal brief conference request
Identify the requirements for an allowable application, including issue-fee payment and the examiner's reasons for allowance
Your checkpoint
A mock appeal package (notice of appeal plus appeal brief outline) and a one-page comparison table of post-prosecution and post-grant options
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 75% on a self-made 25-question quiz covering filing requirements, fees, and claim format
Week 4: Complete a timed 3-hour mock exam section on domains 1 and 3 and score at least 70%, with a written list of missed rule citations
Week 6: Score at least 80% on a 30-question ethics and compliance quiz drawn from the Rules of Professional Conduct and 37 C.F.R. Part 11
Week 8: Complete a full-length timed practice exam under test conditions and score at least 75% overall with no domain below 65%