Function

• IP paralegal training courses and materials are designed to explain fully common IP paralegal procedures. After completing this training, IP paralegal professionals should be ready to understand and conduct a range of administrative work in the realm of intellectual property law.
  
  These classes can also offer both new and experienced paralegals an edge on the competition by preparing them for their new jobs and demonstrating to potential employers their dedication to the field.
  
  

Types

• The two main types of IP paralegal training are college courses and online certification classes. College-level IP paralegal courses generally last one semester at a local college campus or major university and are part of a comprehensive paralegal degree.
  
  Online courses tend to teach the same information but are conducted completely via the Internet. Some examples of online courses teaching national and international IP law include the Washington Online Paralegal Program, at woli.com, and IPlegalEd, found at iplegaled.com.
  
  Both types of training are approved for credit by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations and other professional paralegal organizations.
  
  

Features

• Intellectual Property paralegal programs emphasize various subjects related to this law specialty, but the majority offer a mix of basic information needed to conduct on-the-job daily procedures, as well as the study of law theory and specific cases.
  Classes cover the different types of IP law as well as national and international patent paralegal and copyright standards. Assignments and tests are administered to train students in the understanding, research, and protection of commercial patent terminology, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets.
  
  

Time Frame

• A paralegal certificate program at community and online colleges generally lasts one year. A specialized IP training course takes one semester, or roughly six months, to complete. For a full-fledged paralegal degree, most colleges require two to four years of study, with one semester of IP paralegal coursework, if any.
  
  Most online intellectual property paralegal programs should be completed between 50 to 100 hours, allowing students to follow the course during as little as three hours per week. While college classes are generally scheduled during a semester period in the winter or spring, online IP paralegal classes can be taken at any time during the year.
  
  

Potential

• Courses and certification for IP paralegals remain difficult to come by, mainly because the profession is still in its adolescence, and some paralegals receive patent law training during an entry-level job or internship.
  
  The specialization of Intellectual Property within the paralegal field is a relatively new phenomenon and is likely to grow as the profession evolves.