Pro Bono Assistance through the Patent Process

Once you’ve met with one of our pro bono attorneys at a Brief Advice Clinic or attended one of our workshops, you might be ready to take the next step in applying for more involved assistance with a patent attorney.  Note: Since we rely on pro-bono patent attorneys who volunteer to file patent applications, we have limited resources and cannot guarantee the placement of any particular invention. This is not reflective of the invention itself, but it is a determination of the best use of our limited resources.

Business legal help to low-income entrepreneurs

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following requirements for the Inventor Assistance Program:

  1. Inventor’s total household income must be under 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (2026 Poverty Guidelines).  Household income is a pre-tax measure of the combined incomes of all people sharing a particular household or place of residence. It includes every form of income, e.g., salaries and wages, retirement income, near cash government transfers like food stamps, and investment gains.
  2. The applicant (or one of the applicants if filing in a group) must currently reside or have a business in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, or Wisconsin.
  3. Applicant/inventor must show proof of successful completion of the USPTO online certificate training course.
  4. The invention presented must be viable for patent (not a perpetual motion machine, prayer box etc.).  To receive a patent allowance, an invention must be novel, non-obvious, and useful.  A patent cannot be obtained upon a mere idea or suggestion. The patent is granted upon the new machine, item of manufacture, etc., as has been said, and not upon the idea or suggestion of the new machine.

How to Apply

Inventors in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, email iap@legalCORPS.org to receive a link to the online application form.

A complete description of the actual machine or other subject matter for which a patent is sought is required.  After signing a Confidentiality and Non Disclosure Agreement with LegalCORPS, the applicant will disclose their invention details to LegalCORPS. This may be a previously filed provisional patent application; or the applicant/inventor may disclose their invention details on our internal form we refer to as a Record of Invention (RoI).  The RoI is a format for the inventor to describe their invention in detail, including all specifications, drawings or photos, and documented research on