Law School Clinic Helps Clients Patent New Ideas

Lewis & Clark’s Small Business Legal Clinic (SBLC), operating in the heart of downtown Portland, holds a simple mission: supporting businesses and entrepreneurs who would otherwise not be able to access high-cost legal services.

Included in the clinic’s suite of services is patent prosecution, the complex and often time-intensive process of bringing patents from application to issuance with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This federal entity grants patents, which gives applicants rights in the U.S. to exclude others from selling, importing, duplicating, manufacturing, offering to sell, or creating knock-offs of inventions.

Joe Mogavero JD ’26In fall 2025, SBLC earned two patents for clients, representing a major achievement for the clinic. This reflects the extensive work of law students, who function as practicing attorneys under the supervision of Lewis & Clark professors and other legal counsel. Both patents were brought across the finish line by Joe Mogavero JD ’26, a current law student and licensed patent agent working toward the Certificate in Intellectual Property Law.

Mogavero, who began interning with the clinic in January 2025, studied mechanical engineering as an undergraduate and found himself working alongside aspiring inventors who were, even then, coming up with incredible innovations. “Entering law school, I knew that I wanted to continue to help the engineering and scientific communities,” he says. “In patent law, I’m able to work with technical experts, making sure they have the resources they need to ultimately help us.”

The patent process often takes several years and, for those working in the clinic, requires frequent contact with both the client and examiners from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Law students are in the driver’s seat: evaluating whether a product is patentable, drafting patent applications, fine-tuning the application with investigators, going through case law to determine precedent, and making an argument for the patent to be issued.

SBLC is part of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Law School Clinic Certification Program—the government initiative that enables law schools to provide legal services pro bono to the public. It is one of just two USPTO-certified clinic programs in Oregon, and the only program in the state to provide both trademark and patent legal services.

Both recently issued patents were filed in spring 2023 and were completed with over two years of legal support from students at SBLC. The first patent, “Multi-Account Smart Card Apparatus and Devices,” covered an invention that allows a user to put multiple cards into one “smart card,” which can then be fashioned into a ring, bracelet, or other wearable item. This object could hold a credit card, an identification card, or something else that taps with a chip, creating new convenience for the average person.

The client, entrepreneur Camilo Moncada, called the clinic an “incredible resource” for his business. “Bringing an idea to market means juggling product development, market fit, manufacturability, intellectual property, and more. The clinic helped lift one of the biggest burdens—the patent process—off my shoulders,” he says. “Their support made the patent process far more accessible, and I’m deeply grateful.”

“Multi-Account Smart Card Apparatus and Devices” patent for Camilo Moncada

“Wearable Apparatus to Assist in Carrying Objects” patent for Dane Frost

The second patent, “Wearable Apparatus to Assist in Carrying Objects,” was prepared for Dane Frost. It focuses on a small clip that can be attached to a waistband or belt, making it easier to carry items. The inventor created a product with distinct grooves and indents so that there’s better traction, and items are more secure.

“Working with the SBLC was the right team at the right time,” says Frost. “I was advised confidently, they explained our strategy every step of the way, and they saw my designs through to success. I would gladly trust this team again with any of my ideas.”

Cera Oh, adjunct professor and patent attorneyMogavero worked with adjunct professor and patent attorney Cera Oh JD ’15 in the clinic, who helped oversee his client interactions and provide feedback. “When I was a student, I learned patent prosecution as an intern,” Oh says. “That was so important to me—these are skills that are best learned through hands-on experience. Lewis & Clark law students are getting this training with the SBLC program.”

For Mogavero, the mission of SBLC—providing critical legal services to support entrepreneurial dreams—has made a lasting mark on his law school education. “Our clients are the most incredible people,” he says. “It’s been so rewarding to help the ‘little’ inventor achieve their dreams.”

Small Business Legal Clinic Certificate in Intellectual Property Law