What People are Saying about PLI's Patent Bar Courses and Testing Materials

“I could not have passed the patent bar exam without taking the PLI Patent Bar course. I found the in-person course extremely helpful because I was able to immerse myself in the exam material during my week in Chicago, IL. The study and supplemental materials are well organized. I highly recommend this course for anyone who is considering taking the patent bar exam.” - Joy M. Weber, Global Design Transfer Leader, GE Healthcare; passed 2012.

"Thank you so much for the PLI Patent Bar Program. The more I studied the PLI materials, the more ingenious I believe the program is: it appears to be designed to incorporate the salient points of law as they are tested on the actual exam. I firmly believed I passed the exam for this reason." – Fran Sweeney, LLM, passed 2012

“I passed the USPTO registration exam couple of weeks ago. I wanted to thank PLI for helping me prepare for the test. The material provided by PLI and the live-course are by far the best compared to other vendors. I've been strongly recommending PLI to anyone who wants to explore this line of work. I would like to thank you all for the help you provided (email answers to specific questions around the material & technical questions) during my preparation for the test.” – Vijay Gore, Chemistry PhD; passed 2012

“The PLI Patent Bar preparation course was essential to my passing the patent bar on the first go. I took the patent bar while working full time and going to law-school in the evening and I could not have done it without PLI. John White's lectures were great for the basic understanding of the material. The exercises at the end of each chapter really helped to lock in the concepts. All the practice exams at the end were great. I believe that PLI was definitely worth the investment.” - Pratik Jhanb, Exec. Director, IP Law Society, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law; passed 2012

“As PLI predicted, there were lots of questions on newly testable material (KSR, Bilski, etc.) on my Exam, and the PLI practice questions were right on the money. By the way I went to a seminar at Suffolk U given by Chief Judge Rader from the CAFC and guess what he discussed.... 35 USC 101!!!! It was wonderful, as I actually understood all they he was talking about. Thanks PLI!” – Christopher Mirley, PhD; IP Manager, Metabolix; passed February 2012

"PLI's prep course is enormously helpful in studying for the patent bar. The instructor's tips and pointers are spot on and Patware's practice tests are essential, as several questions are recycled verbatim on the exam. Everyone was incredibly prompt and responsive in answering my questions and I would highly recommend the course to anyone who is looking to take the test, whether they're a law school graduate or not." – John Go, Loyola Law School (Los Angeles); passed February 2012

“Thank you again for your solid course.” – Stephen Kunen, Emory University School of Law; passed January 2012

“Very happy and satisfied with the PLI patent course…. I was…impressed with the course material, origination and the staff. I would definitely recommend the class for everyone planning to take the patent exam.” – Izzat Izzat, PhD; Fall 2011 NY course; passed 2012

“A full immersion course that was very useful! Thank you!” – Monica Ravanello, PhD; Monsanto; January 2012 DC course

“I had an excellent experience with PLI. I started studying just days after taking the Illinois bar exam and was not looking forward to beginning another course of study so soon after taking the bar. However, the PLI Patent Bar Review Course made the process simple and helped me learn exactly what I needed to know to pass.” – Margaux Birdsall, Chicago-Kent College of Law; passed 2012

“Excellent course: Truly enjoyed John White’s online lectures. He makes you think strategically and you feel confident and can visualize potential questions. This course is a must!” – Cynthia Guerrero, Pharmacist; DC course 2012

“I was extremely happy with the help I received from PLI's Patent Bar Review course! The course helped me to focus on the important parts of the MPEP in a very concise and efficient manner. I took a home study course and the combination of recorded lectures, homework, and practice problems helped me learn and apply the material at the convenience of my own schedule.” – Anne Readel, University of Wisconsin Law School; passed 2012

“Walking into the exam, I felt very confident about the materials! I really think that PLI did a great job of providing the materials (written, recorded and live seminars) that distills a complex subject into digestible chunks. The iterative approach of building knowledge was an excellent way that helped me retain information. To top it off, no one beats John White – great instructor! “ – John Chu, Senior Software Engineer; passed 2012

“PLI’s Patent Bar Review course was essential to me passing the registration exam on the first try! John White and Gene Quinn did a good job keeping me interested throughout the live course material and they provided great tips for my post-course study and test-day preparations. I would suggest the PLI course to anyone planning to take the Patent Bar!” – Aaron Gin, McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff, LLP; passed fall 2011

“Hands down the most accessible and effective patent bar review program. PLI is the gold-standard for patent bar study programs.” – Ryan Underwood, University of Kentucky College of Law, 2011

“A remarkable tour through the rules, regulations and procedures governing the USPTO patent process.” – Tony Marble, Abbott Molecular Inc., 2011

“This course was engaging and conducted with razor-like focus on one thing: Passing the Exam.” – Jennifer Fassett, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2011

“There are many patent bar materials or resources on the market. However, the PLI study set stands out due to its effectiveness to help people like me pass the patent bar exam. I would strongly recommend the PLI materials to anyone who wishes to pass the test on their first try.” – Yike Ni, scientist, 2011

“Whether you are a novice or experienced practitioner, this course truly is THE course to take if you want to pass the patent bar. The in-class time is worthwhile and highly recommended, particularly due to the direct access to the instructors. However, the post-course material (i.e. sample questions software, lecture review etc.) is what makes this course worth its weight in gold. The instructors were timely in answering e-mailed questions, which helps during that last week of review. If you want to pass the patent bar the first time, which I hope you do, don't look any further.” – Antun Peakovic, Corporate Attorney; New York course 2011

“As difficult as the patent bar is, I can’t imagine a better course or a better way to teach it.” – J. Mason Williams, Barry University School of Law, Boston course summer 2011

“John White and the PLI experts provided me with tremendous knowledge into the test which included detailed MPEP information and documentation for achieving a pass on the first take following course completion. The LIVE course provided additional insight with “hands on” interaction that is second to none. I recommend PLI to all of my peers. You too can PASS!!” -- David L. Odom, Esq., AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP, San Francisco course fall 2010, passed summer 2011

“After an intense 5 day regimen of patent bar material I feel like I am ready to move forward at a steady pace towards success. The live program was well worth it.” – John Hudge, Albany Law School, Boston course summer 2011

“Reading MPEP is pretty boring and a big burden. However, the PLI live course addresses all necessary details in a highly informative and enjoyable manner.” –Yike Ni, Pfizer, Boston course summer 2011

“I wanted to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar today. Thanks for all of your assistance and support! I would recommend PLI to future applicants! I found that John White's lectures gave me a solid foundation and understanding of the subject matter. As an attorney engaged in the full-time practice of law, it was necessary for me to study "part-time" at home on evenings and weekends. This course gave me the flexibility to do that. On several occasions, I emailed John White with questions relative to the Patent exam and Patent application process in general. He consistently replied in a prompt manner and was able to answer all of my questions.” - Lisa R. Oropollo, Esq.; passed 2011

“One-stop shop for all things patent bar. No need to look anywhere else.” – Chris Ruprecht, University of Kansas School of Law; Chicago Live course, Summer 2010

“The PLI program was excellent in preparing for the patent bar. Thank you!” – Matthew Horowitz, University of Miami School of Law; Homestudy course, 2010

“I just wanted to share with you my joy and excitement in passing the Patent Bar on my first attempt. Although working in the field of patents for the last two years has helped, I would not have been able to do this with the focus and diligence of your course. So, kudos to you for that. Your course was recommended to me by my peers who have succeeded before me, and I will be passing along the recommendation to anyone I meet with an interest in this field.” – Jayita Guhaniyogi, Ph.D., Intellectual Property Director, Signum Biosciences Inc. and Rutgers University School of Law – Newark; Homestudy course, 2010

"I passed the Patent Bar Exam on my first attempt. The PLI homestudy course was terrific." - Adam P. Lerner, University of Maryland School of Law; homestudy course 2010

"This course had the perfect combination of ingredients: great coverage of the material, well-informed instructors and the perfect amount of patent attorney humor." – Lee-Ann Smith, Santa Clara University School of Law; Santa Clara course summer 2010

"The dynamic presentation format of PLI's PBR keeps you continually engaged…a feature lacking in cheaper alternative patent bar courses!" – Jay Vyas, Bioinformatician, University of Connecticut – Health Science Center; NY course summer 2010

"I took the Patent Bar last week and passed on the first try!! Your class in Chicago was great and so, so helpful! Thanks!" – Jessica Van Dalen, Indiana University School of Law; Chicago course Spring 2010

"The PLI Patent Bar Review course and John White were nothing short of amazing. I could never have passed without both. I also took the PRG (Kayton) course which I found to be much less useful and did not yield successful results on the exam. I found the PLI course to be so much more focused on what was needed to pass the exam. The 40 hours of John White on CD proved invaluable to my study, as did Patware. I listened to him in my car on long road trips, in addition to attending the live class. Delightfully, John provided timely answers to my detailed questions via email. As Gene says, John White truly is the Rock Star of Patent Law. I look forward to taking additional courses from PLI and John in the future as I embark on my IP career." - Catherine E. Dolata, Esq.; Chicago Spring course 2009

"I would like to personally thank you for helping me pass the Patent Registration Exam. I was an outsider to the field of patent law and had little, if any, knowledge of what a patent even was. After studying for two months with the PLI Home Study Course and working out many, many problems with Patware, I successfully passed the exam this past Tuesday, May 4, 2010. You've put together a great program and I'm very glad I chose your product!" - Mike Carrozza; AT&T and entering law student, fall 2010; homestudy course 2010

"John White and Gene Quinn are truly the IP Masters. The course is a great review of IP law for attorneys and a good starting point for law students." – Brad Taub, Esq.; Nixon Peabody LLP; Chicago live course 2010

"Thank you PLI for all of the great help. I passed the registration exam earlier this week, and probably with a strong margin. This was on my first try. I now have a fine background and understanding of the basics." - Ronald Haner, PhD, Santa Clara University; Southern California course 2009

"I'm an R&D guy with 70 patents and a pretty good knowledge of the patent system, but I never would have passed without this course." – Jeff Dalton, Patent Strategies; homestudy course 2009

"I passed. First try. Thanks to PLI. The PLI Patent Bar Review unquestionably helped me prepare for the patent bar exam, and I ATE IT UP. The PatWare software genuinely prepared me for the material and format of the exam, and the PLI faculty generously answered all of my questions. Thank you PLI, for such a great program." – Taylor M. Norton, LeBlanc Bland, P.L.L.C., Houston Live Course, 2009

"Thanks for all of your help. I found the course materials to be incredibly useful." -- Allison Falender, PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology; Houston course 2009

"The instructors did a great job with presenting the material, using real-life stories and humor when appropriate, and outlined a smooth road of success for studying and passing the Patent Bar on the first try." -- Michael Estrella, BS Chemical Engineering, Bostik, Inc; NY course Fall 2009

"I took the PLI patent bar course in Chicago in August and am happy to report I passed the exam yesterday. The class was great and the Patware practice materials were particularly helpful. Thanks for all of your help." -- Matthew T. Lord, Jenner & Block LLP; Chicago course summer 2009

"Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that another one of your Patent Bar Review students passed the test first time…. Your course was an invaluable guide…." -- Graham Ross, Cardinal Health; homestudy course 2008; passed Exam August 2009

"Put me down as a satisfied customer. I took your Patent Bar Review course in Boston in June, and...passed the exam on the first attempt....Thanks for offering this program. I have no doubt that it was primarily responsible for my success on the test." -- Michael Corman; Masters in Chemistry, 19 years experience at Pfizer as medicinal chemist; Boston course 2009

"PLI's patent bar review course is a comprehensive, well-organized course of study. Having no prior knowledge of patent law, I was able to pass the patent bar by taking PLI’s home course and investing the time required." -- Bryan Walker, Washburn University School of Law; homestudy course 2008-2009

"I took the exam this past Tuesday, and passed. Thanks again for all your help and excellent preparation! Everything was more or less exactly as I had been led to expect. The questions were more or less at the same difficulty level, and directed to the same topics, as you had led us to expect." -- Doug Burum, PhD; Vern Maine and Associates; Homestudy Course 2009

"Prior to enrolling in the course, I contemplated the possibility that my experience as a Scientific Advisor at a top technology law firm would suffice to guide me through the exam. I quickly ascertained from the first morning of lectures that the formal understanding of the MPEP was in fact a very different skill set than the actual practice of patent prosecution. I conclude that any length or level of patent law practice is not a substitute for the PLI patent bar review course, and even experienced practitioners would be wise to participate." -- Craig Kenesky, PhD, Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati; New York summer 2009 course.

"Got official results from the USPTO this week telling me I passed the patent bar exam. Just wanted to thank you for the excellent instruction. The drills, practice tests, and select reading made test day seem like just another day. The Patent Bar XChange is a great idea and valuable resource. Thank you for making this available." -- George Atkins, Sun Microsystems; Chicago spring 2009 course

"You think patent law is dry and boring? Take PLI's course with John White!" -- Jason Swartz, University of Cincinnati College of Law; DC course 2009

"Your program is flawless. Thanks PLI." -- Peter Chevalier, attorney; homestudy course 2008-2009

"I took the exam yesterday and passed. I just wanted to email you and thank you. The course and your instructions were vital in my preparation. You, and everyone at PLI, do an amazing job with the course." -- Opie D. Bowen, Mercer University School of Law; homestudy course 2008-2009

"I want to thank you very much for both the PLI course and your support in answering my questions. I passed the patent exam on my first try last Friday. I could not have been more satisfied with the course and the preparation and confidence it gave me. Not only was it thorough, but you somehow managed to make it as much of a positive, upbeat experience as possible. As hard as it was to learn the material, take practice exams, and sit through the real exam, I will not look back on the ordeal as a traumatic experience as much as a challenge that both improved me as a student, lawyer, and test-taker. Two of my friends both took the course and passed on their first try as well. I am really impressed with the quality of the preparation we received!" -- Jessica Zafont, Brooklyn Law School; homestudy course 2008-2009

"I wanted to take this opportunity to thank PLI...for their excellent help with my preparation for the patent bar exam. I took and passed the exam yesterday after doing the homestudy course over the past six months at home during my spare time while continuing to practice as an attorney full time. I felt very confident on the exam and recognized a solid 20-25 questions which were exact repeats from the study materials as well as another 20-25 which were obvious alterations of prior questions I had seen. I was extremely impressed with this preparation material as it was exactly as advertised and lead to a successful result. Thank you very much and I will certainly recommend this to anyone in the field. Keep up the good work" -- Thomas Geroulo, Esq., Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby LLP; homestudy course 2008/2009

"I am a law student who took the Patent Bar Exam (PBE) at the end of my second year of law school. I took the PLI Patent Bar Review live course the summer before and I'm happy to report that I passed the PBE on my first try!!! I didn't think I would pass because I've heard so much about the approximately 50% pass rate on the PBE. But the key is focused preparation, which is exactly what the PLI course provides by emphasizing the material (i.e. MPEP 700, 2100, 1800) that the PBE likes to frequently tests. As a busy law student, there's simply no way I can humanly find the time to read, outline, comprehend the 3000-page+ MPEP on my own!" -- William Wong, UCLA School of Law; NY spring course 2008

"I took the exam & passed the Patent Bar on my first try! I want to let you know how grateful I am to John White, Gene Quinn and the PLI course. The live class was terrific and the course you offer teaches you everything you need to succeed for the Patent Bar exam. I did appreciate as well your post-course availability for questions via e-mail." -- Gilles Bignan, PhD, pharmaceutical R&D; New York Course Fall 2008

"I took PLI’s live New York October ‘08 Patent Bar review course. I was not able to begin studying until February '09 due to projects at work. This caused me great concern, but having all of the lectures on CD let me get right back up to speed. Although the Patent Bar exam is not easy by any means, I studied hard and I passed the exam yesterday. I would like to thank PLI for a solid program built around top notch materials." - Christopher Palestro, Esq., IBM Corporation and Adjunct Associate Professor, Iona College Hagan School of Business; New York course 2008

"PLI's class and prep materials helped me pass the patent bar the first time. Without them, and specifically the practice exams, I am sure I would have had to take the exam at least twice." -- Ryan Seguine, Cypress Semiconductor; Boston course 2008

"I passed the Patent Bar today (first try) and it's without a doubt thanks to the excellent materials from PLI. I've been an engineer for quite a while now and I wasn't sure I could get a handle on 3000+ pages of legal mumbo-jumbo (called the MPEP...). I took the home-study course (2008) and it simply drilled all the information I needed into my brain: most test questions were very similar to the questions I practiced. All the key phrases (including the favorite PTO ways to trick test-takers) become clear and you will quickly zero in on the right answer. Take no short-cuts and follow the course exactly as intended. Once you're done with the study guide, use the software to practice questions and exams again and again until you have seen every question there is and score, say, 96% on the old exams. Trust the course, trust PLI and you will pass." -- Otto Steinbusch; homestudy course 2008

"This course is excellent. I have no work experience in writing applications, and yet I took the course and I just passed the exam, first time. I could not have done it without the class, that's for sure." -- Karen Jachimowicz; homestudy course 2008

"PLI's Patent Bar Review was fantastic! I passed the Patent Bar on my first shot, and I couldn't have done it without them." -- Arthur Weaver, University of Miami; homestudy course 2008

"As a former examiner and practicing attorney, I can say that this was a very good overview of the MPEP and great preparation for the Patent Bar." -- David Kim, Armstrong Teasdale LLP; New York course fall 2008

"Firstly, I would like to say thank you for your support and assistance in helping me to pass the patent bar. Your prompt replies included helpful and accurate information and provided the support that I needed to maintain momentum and to go into the exam with sufficient knowledge and preparation. You class surpassed my every expectation and I hope to recruit future students for PLI at any opportunity." -- Justen Fauth, Seattle University School of Law; Houston course 2008

"I am writing to thank you so much for helping me in preparation for the PTO exam! I am very happy to let you know that I passed the PTO exam on the 1st try! I couldn't pass the exam without taking the PLI class. I was planning to study on my own, but I was so frustrated since I was an engineer with no training in law at all, and I felt great difficulty in preparing for the exam. The PLI class greatly helped me to understand the key points and guided me step by step to pass the exam. I would like to especially thank you for your quick and detailed responses to my questions! I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your help and I would highly recommend the PLI class to anyone I know." -- Yi Sun Wilkinson, Ph.D. in Engineering and instructor in Electrical Engineering at Northwestern Polytechnic University; homestudy course 2008

"The PLI course is well tailored to the task of passing the patent bar. I took the PRG home study course and failed, then subsequently passed with the PLI course. Let's not kid ourselves. Becoming a proficient patent prosecutor is an art form that develops over many years. The PRG course is not commensurate in scope with the task of passing the bar. It attempts to do what can only realistically be done with years of practice. By overloading the student with a ridiculous amount of extraneous detail you will likely not achieve either goal. You have to walk before you run! Pass the bar first with PLI." -- Robert Penchuk, Suffolk University Law School; Boston course summer 2008

"The materials are top-notch and the instructors break down the MPEP to a manageable and understandable level. Why choose another course when everything you need is provided by PLI to get you through the Patent Bar." -- Taffie N. Jones, Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis ; Chicago summer 2008 course

"Great course; Well worth my time!" - Arnold Gum, Qualcomm and University of San Diego School of Law; Chicago summer 2008 course

"I am grateful for this class and the opportunity to attend. PLI takes an enormous amount of material and creates a manageable approach to obtaining success." -- Zachary King, John Marshall Law School; Chicago summer 2008 course

"This is the best course I have been to for the Patent Bar. The live course with the total immersion is well worth the time and investment." -- Jeff Sargent, Northern Kentucky University College of Law; Chicago summer 2008 course

"The PLI Patent Bar Review presents complex material in an organized and logical format. John White does it right! Clarity, precision and targeted instruction distinguishes PLI from the competition." -- Stanley P. Kowalski, J.D., Ph.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Director, International Technology Transfer Institute, Franklin Pierce Law Center; Boston course 2008

"PLI is the way to go to prepare for this exam!" - Claudia Hetzer, Townsend and Townsend and Crew; Southern California Course 2008

"The PLI course does a fantastic job of presenting otherwise dry material in an engaging fashion with relevant stories and humor. Where other course merely read from the MPEP, PLI provides insight into the actual meaning behind the content of the MPEP. The result: a solid set of material that aids in your understanding and in your retention of the information most pertinent for the patent bar exam. These guys really know their material and want YOU to succeed." -- Nicholas Witchey, Ph.D. Physics; Southern California course 2008

"Took the exam today and passed! The course mapped out a winning strategy of what to study, how to study it and how to organize it. I could not have done it on my own." -- Patricia Werschulz, Rutgers School of Law - Newark; New York course 2008.

"Delightfully elucidating." -- Merle Sogge, Concord Law School; Southern California course 2008

"John and Gene have a talent for making patent law interesting and entertaining. A rare gift, to say the least." -- Brendan Jones, Foley Hoag LLP; Boston course 2008

"I would recommend this class for everyone. The scope of material is quite horrifying, but this course makes it much easier to handle" -- Dave Martell, Drexel University College of Law; Boston course 2008

"I was not sure how useful the course would be going in -- but coming out of it, I see that it was essential." Daryl Achilles, Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi; Boston course 2008

"I passed the patent bar exam yesterday! The study materials and review course were instrumental in gaining an understanding of the material, as I've done no patent prosecution work and have no law school experience (I'm starting next month)." - Carrie Yuelling, Willamette University Law School (incoming 1L); Houston course 2008

“The course material creates a logical and understandable pathway through rather dry material.” Domingos J. Silva, Drinker Biddle; New York course Fall 2008

"I PASSED ON THE FIRST TRY!! Thanks you so much for your terrific course. It was worth every penny." S. Jane Mitchell, Jaudon & Avery LLP; homestudy course 2008

"John White was an AMAZING speaker -- and teacher. I learned so much from the class….I really appreciated PLI's help in getting me through the bar; had I not taken the class…, I'm sure I would have spent many many more hours studying or I would not have passed." - Rebecca Crandall, Coats and Bennett, PLLC; Chicago summer 2007 course