This will provide a ball park indication of the length of time the patent agent or attorney has been registered to practice patent law. The U.S. Department of Commerce publishes a listing of all attorneys and agents registered to Practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and their registration numbers. You may also purchase a copy from the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402. Quality can be determined from past experience, such as references of satisfied clients, or a review of samples of issued patents identifying the patent agent or patent attorney on the face of the patent. There is a serious learning curve to successfully preparing and prosecuting a patent application.
Most law schools provide only a course or two on patent law.
There is no substitute for hands on-experience, when it comes to patent preparation and patent prosecution. The skills required to prepare and prosecute a patent application are not the same skills required to invent a novel method or apparatus. You may have heard horror stories of inventors who have attempted to patent their inventions themselves. Professional assistance from a patent agent or patent attorney is strongly recommended to ensure professional results. Satisfied clients are an excellent way to determine the professional quality of work performed by a patent agent or patent attorney.