The Informals is the student body of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA). All trainee Patent Attorneys automatically become members of the Informals on joining CIPA, and are encouraged to take advantage of the various activities and events organised by the Informals Committee, whether they are in-house or in private practice.
The Informals Committee is made up of a number of trainee volunteers from across the UK, who give up their free time to help ensure the smooth running of the Informals for current and future trainees.
The Informals provides a support network for trainee patent attorneys at all levels, from their first days in the patent profession up to the day they fully qualify. The Informals Committee provides this support by: organising lectures and tutorials to supplement the educational training provided by employers; organising social events; acting as the collective voice of trainees within the profession; and giving assistance and advice to new and prospective members.
Education
Education starts from day one and continues throughout the working life of a patent attorney. Most trainees aim to become dual-qualified – in the UK (as a Chartered Patent Attorney) and in Europe (as a European Patent Attorney). Firstly, trainees must understand and learn about patent law in preparation for the UK Foundation Examinations (or one of the equivalent university-based courses) and the European Pre-Examination. Secondly, they must learn how to apply both the law and the practical skills that they have learnt during their employment, such as drafting and prosecuting patent applications and opposing European patents, in readiness for the UK Final Examinations and the European Qualifying Examination (EQE).
All employers provide some level of training, but patent trainees cannot expect to encounter every obscure situation in their day-to-day work. To help fill these gaps, the Informals Committee organises lectures to help guide trainees through the maze of e.g. the UK Patents Act, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the European Patent Convention and the case law. All of the Informals’ lectures are broadcast as webinars and are recorded, which are later accessible as a video-on-demand service (to watch these, you’ll need a CIPA membership). In the past the lectures were held in person, though since 2020 they have been held online only. If the lectures do return to having an in person option, a hybrid option will remain available. This means that trainees who are not based in London, or who cannot attend lectures when they happen, are still able to benefit from the lectures.
With the assistance of other CIPA members, the Informals Committee also arranges tutorials which are usually focused on the UK Final Examinations and the EQE. Both recently qualified patent attorneys and patent attorneys of longer standing tutor small groups of trainees who are attempting past papers. In recent years, the Informals Committee has also organised mentoring for trainees who have struggled on previous attempts to pass the UK Final Examinations. This involves one-to-one coaching and review of past papers to hone examination technique.
The Informals provides a support network for trainee patent attorneys at all levels, from their first days in the patent profession up to the day they fully qualify.
The educational offerings provided by the Informals are the subject of ongoing review and update – the Committee often conducts surveys and requests feedback from trainees. As a result, the education system that you encounter as a future trainee patent attorney may differ slightly from that described above.
The student conference 2023 saw the long-awaited return of the moot court, where brave CIPA student members fight it out in a mock court case in front of their peers. Under the watchful eye of a judge (typically a junior barrister), two teams go head-to-head construing the features of a patent, cross-examining [potentially hostile] witnesses in turn and providing arguments for the jury (conference attendees) to decide a winner. This is a favourite event of CIPA students, and the Informals are glad it’s back after a nearly decade-long hiatus.
Social events
These are an important part of the Informals’ activities and allow trainees of all levels to meet, get to know each other and share experiences in a collaborative manner. The social events are organised by regional secretaries who operate across the UK. Typical events include welcome events in the autumn for new trainees, drinks in a local pub, curry nights, bowling, pub quizzes, Christmas parties, post-exam parties, punting and BBQs in the summer. Additionally, there is usually a sports representative on the Informals Committee who organises an annual 5-a-side football tournament in London in the summer. Since 2020, there have been more virtual events held, enabling trainees from different regions to meet more easily.
Welfare and Wellbeing
In 2020, the Informals set up a repository for information relating to mental health and wellbeing. We have also been working closely with Jonathan’s Voice, the mental health charity, on creating resources and a new role on committee – the Welfare Office. We want you to know, that we are here to listen. If you feel you need to speak to someone, we have set up a welfare email: [email protected] that is only accessible by trained Mental Health First Aiders, who are also trainees – so will likely know exactly what you’re going through. Any emails will be treated as strictly confidential, unless we believe that there is a serious risk of harm to self or others.
The voice of the trainees
The Informals Committee aims to act as the collective voice of the trainees within the profession. The Informals Honorary Secretary attends CIPA Council meetings in order to present the views and concerns of the younger members of the profession to CIPA.
Keeping informed about the Informals
All trainees are encouraged to subscribe to The Yellow Sheet blog (yellowsheet.wordpress.com). The blog is frequently updated with information considered to be relevant to trainees e.g. upcoming lectures and social events, exam enrolment deadlines, and updates to the education and qualification process. In addition, each month the Informals and CIPA publish The Yellow Sheet newsletter, which is distributed to all trainees within the monthly CIPA Journal. The paper newsletter contains updates about Informals events as well as the light-hearted ‘wacky patent’ feature.
In conclusion
If you decide to become a patent attorney, the Informals Committee looks forward to welcoming you, and hopes to see you at our educational and social events. You might also consider joining the Informals Committee when you join the profession – who knows, you may be writing this article in the future!
Dr Lindsay Pike is the Immediate past Honorary Secretary of the Informals’ Committee, having been the Hon. Sec. for 2021-2022. Lindsay is a Patent Attorney at Mathys & Squire LLP. She joined the profession in 2020 and has been the Informals’ regional secretary for Cambridge and Education Coordinator. Lindsay was an author of the Mercer Review, which published the Mercer Review report on UK patent attorney training in 2021.
Joel David Briscoe is co-editor of the Yellow Sheet newsletter and has held many roles on the Informals’ Committee, including being the Hon. Sec. for 2020-2021. Joel is a self-employed IP consultant, and joined the profession in 2017. Joel was also an author of the Mercer Review group.
