The newly formed PTAB Bar association held its inaugural
conference in Washington, D.C. from March 1-3. More than 400 people
were in attendance, including a mix of practitioners, in-house
counsel, PTAB administrative law judges (ALJs), and other
representatives from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The conference included panel discussions with a diverse range of
panelists offering a wide spectrum of views, which led to open
discussions on various post-grant proceeding topics. PTAB ALJ
panelists provided interesting perspectives from the bench. Here
are some of the practical tips I gathered during the conference
related to oral hearings.
A party has the option to request oral hearing during a
post-grant proceeding under 37 CFR §42. 70. The PTAB then has
the discretion to set a time limit for each party to present their
arguments during the oral hearing. The oral hearing is essentially
the last opportunity for the parties to present their arguments
