“First, be careful what you ask for.” A student is probably best advised to avoid asking too many questions when preparing for the United States patent and Trademark Office exam. The process of patenting technological inventions is extremely complex and requires careful consideration of all relevant factors. For this reason, it may not be wise to ask a question that might raise a limitation to the examiner’s examination of your invention. Instead, think carefully about what you want to achieve from the examination process.
“Second, if you do get rejected, do not lose your heart. Rather, think of it as going through a millstone. The stone will come off eventually, but it will have to be handled with care. Prepare for the worst case scenario, and you will be much more likely to make it through the patenting process.”
“The best way to learn is by doing. Therefore, take a course. You can even take an online course, if you do not have time to attend traditional college classes. By attending a course, you will have the advantage of improving your knowledge as well as increasing your chances of passing the examination. It is very possible that you will pass the examination after taking a course.”
“One of the most important things that a patent attorney should never do is to rely solely on his/her memory. Law review articles are available at libraries and law offices. Read the articles and see if they are similar to your own experience. If they are, then you may refer to the examples in the article.”
“When writing your essay, do not forget to use appropriate legal language. It is advisable to research any legal topic that you are about to write about beforehand. This will increase your chances of being able to write clearly and concisely. One example of a poor example would be a patent dispute that involved a dog. Do not describe the dog or the owner inhumane because the context required for such language would be a court case.” From this example, it is apparent that it is not necessary to only stick to the specifics of your own experience; rather, you should be broadening your perspective and outlook on life and law as a whole.
“One of my favorite books is A Guide to Intellectual Property Protection. It was written by Edward M. Deutsch. In this book, he discusses a number of topics, including legal terminology, contract interpretation, litigating business processes, and also how different types of negotiations can benefit from using legal language. The author recommends that attorneys take a formal introductory course in legal terminology. He also advises that attorneys read a number of legal works and attend a number of seminars on various topics so that they become better acquainted with legal terminology and the various theories and strategies used in the practice of law.”
While these are only a few legal maxims examples, they provide an excellent starting point for attorneys to base their opinions and discussions on. Furthermore, they allow you to be familiar with some very practical pointers that will help you develop your legal and communication skills as a professional. Additionally, these legal maxims are much like the famous quote by Henry Ford “I’ve known quite a few people who thought they knew everything, and nearly all of them could have been right, but only a few were great at what they did.” These simple legal maxims and quotes can greatly assist lawyers in providing excellent legal services to their clients.
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