More Patent Paralegal References – For the Beginner!

in this bad economy of ours, my quest for finding a job has become a full time job.  It is not an easy task to accomplish with big company layoffs every day and with the stock market crashing lower and lower every other day.  One good thing, right now, the price of gas is down to $2.25 per gallon, where this time last year gas was almost $4 per gallon.

One book I’ve studied from cover to cover, and continually practice the lessons inside of it, is in the Seven Steps to Inner Power, by Dr. Tae Yun Kim; who I’ve also had an opportunity to personally train with.  Dr. Tae Yun Kim and her positive life lesson philosophy has taught me to set my goals, and strive no matter how hard the challenges are until I reach my goals.  This book can be found in NorthStar products or in Jung SuWon.

With regards to finding patent paralegal training and a job here in Silicon Valley, I received a very informational comment from Fraulein Senorita on my last post, (thank you Fraulein).  A few more patent paralegal references have been found.

The Paralegal Mentor is a blog site of useful Strategies for Paralegals (in California) Seeking Excellence by Vicki Voisin. 

The Paralegal Association of Santa Clara County (PASCCO).  Membership is $55 per year, offers paralegal training courses and employment opportunities for its members. 

I’ve only found one online “specific to patents” Patent Paralegal Certificate course, and that is through IPLegalED.  For $1975, the Patent Paralegal Certification can be awarded after 100 hours of intense study, and passing of exams. 

These local colleges, (referred by Fraulein Senorita – ABA approved DeAnza, West Valley), Heald, Hayward University, and Oakland Community college have general Paralegal degree programs that can be acquired after 1-2 years of study.  West Valley places students into internships during their study.  That’s a benefit.

The USPTO has training courses in Arlington VA every month.  (That is on the other side of the US from California.)

Lucky for us, (referred by Fraulein Senorita) the Sunnyvale library (IP Section) is a PTDL (Patent Trademark Depository Library) and has a former patent lawyer who volunteers his time every weekday from 10am-12pm.  Also, Patent prosecution books (with live study lessons) can be checked out. 

I’m currently studying lessons in the: Patent Searching Made Easy book, by David Hitchcock, who very clearly shows me how to conduct Preliminary US patent searches through the PTO, using Boolean logic.  And how to find classes and subclasses in the manual of classifications, quick searches, advanced searches,  EPO (European Patent Organization) searches, Google, Public STINET, CASSIS, EAST (Examiner automated search tool), and more.  (I’m only half way through the book.)  With hands on training, I am learning Patent search techniques on my own.

I have also checked out:  Nolo’s Patents for Beginners by David Pressman and Richard Stim, Patent it Yourself, by Patent Attorney David Pressman, And The Inventor’s Notebook by David Pressman and Fred Grissom. 

If you know of other good Patent Prosecution resources, please leave a comment and let me know.

Thank you.