At Lawyer Legion, we recognize the importance of board certification programs for specialty areas of the law. Use our directory to find an attorney focused on trademark law in North Carolina.
You can also use our directory to narrow your search to find only attorneys who have earned the designation as a Board Certified Specialist in Trademark Law.
In 2013, the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization designated "trademark law" as a specialty for which board certification of specialists is permitted. Attorneys who earn this designation are entitled to use the phrase "Board Certified Specialist in Trademark Law."
On November 25, 2013, approximately 23 lawyers met all of the certification requirements and were certified by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization for the newly created trademark law designation.
Under 27 NCAC 01D Section .3102, the specialty of "trademark law" is defined as the "practice of law devoted to commercial symbols" which typically involves:
Attorneys in North Carolina who specialize in trademark law practice before the following agencies:
Any attorney in North Carolina who applies for board certification as a specialist in Trademark Law must meet certain standards, including showing substantial involvement through spending a certain amount of time performing substantive legal work in trademark law matters.
In some cases the attorney must make a showing of substantial involvement by showing the performance of certain tasks such as:
A portion of that time needed to show substantial involvement can be met through a showing of a practice equivalent such as:
The attorney in North Carolina who applies for specialty certification in North Carolina must complete a certain number and type of continuing legal education (CLE) credits related to trademark law or related courses such as copyright, business transactions, sports and entertainment law, internet law, franchise law, trade secrets, and unfair competition.
The attorney must submit to peer review by certain lawyers and judges who are familiar with the attorney's practice and focus on trademark law. Additionally, the attorney must pass a written examination to show his or her skills and knowledge in trademark law on topics that might include:
The original period of certification in Trademark law will last for five years. During that time the attorney must apply for continued certification within certain time limits. Although no written examination is required for continued certification, the attorney must meet requirements for completion of certain continuing legal education (CLE) credits, a showing of substantial involvement and peer review.
Additional Resources About Trademark Law in North Carolina
State Resources on Trademark Law in North Carolina - Find a list of registered patent attorneys and agents in North Carolina. Find information about how to apply for pro-bono services for small businesses and independent inventors in North Carolina through the Federal Circuit Bar Association.
Intellectual Property Law Clinic in North Carolina - The North Carolina Central University (NCCU) School of Law offers a pilot program for law school students to practice Intellectual Property Law (including both patent and trademark law) before the USPTO under the supervision of the Law School Faculty Clinic Supervisor.
At Lawyer Legion, we understand the important role of specialty certification programs in helping the public find a qualified attorney in specialty areas of the law such as trademark law.
Finding the most qualified attorneys is difficult. Specialty certification programs make that job easier by helping you identify attorneys who have undergone an evaluation process to have their knowledge and experience independently evaluated.
We created our attorney directory to help you as you begin your search for the best attorney for your particular case. Read more about trademark law and tips on finding the top attorneys throughout North Carolina including Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham, Fayetteville, Cary, Wilmington, and High Point.
This article was last updated on Friday, November 22, 2019.