Glossary

Patent attorney

A lawyer admitted to a state bar who has also passed the USPTO patent bar and is registered to practice before the USPTO.

Patent agent

A non-lawyer registered by the USPTO to prepare and prosecute patent applications.

Patent prosecution

Preparing, filing and arguing a patent application before the USPTO until it is granted or abandoned.

GS grade

A federal General Schedule pay grade; USPTO patent staff are paid on a special rate table above the base GS scale.

Lockstep scale

A large-firm pay scale that sets associate base salary by class year.

AIPLA

American Intellectual Property Law Association, which publishes a biennial economic survey of IP practice.