AI is changing patent practice.
Are you ready?
AI is reshaping patent work now. Join the leaders putting it into practice for a candid, practical look at what to govern, how to deploy it, and where it can make a difference.
November 12, 2026 · Virtual · 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. ET · 6 CLE hours expected
The program is evolving as final speaker and session details are confirmed. Visit the agenda for the latest schedule and speaker information.
This Symposium is expected to qualify for 6 hours of MCLE credit. NACLE will try to accommodate requests for CLE credit in your state. Attorneys may be eligible to receive CLE credit through reciprocity or attorney self-submission in other states. For more specific information about CLE accreditation please contact sdornbush@nacle.com.
One symposium. Three lenses on AI.
Governance
Understand the issues shaping AI policy, ethics, professional responsibility, and patent practice now and next.
Operations
Learn how teams are deploying workflows, selecting tools, and moving from AI experimentation to repeatable operations.
AI in the Wild
See how AI is being adopted across large firms, boutique and solo practices, in-house teams, and patent technology.
Why attend?
Leave with practical perspective, not just predictions.
The program is built around the questions patent professionals are facing today: What should be governed? Which workflows are ready for deployment? How do firms and in-house teams preserve quality, judgment, confidentiality, and accountability while using AI?
Three segments. One standout lineup.
Meet the people shaping how AI is governed, deployed, and put to work across patent practice.
Governance
Set the rules. Protect professional judgment.
John M. White, known as “The Dean of U.S. Patent Law”; Dan Smith, NAPP President; Coby Henry, NCPP Executive Director; Diallo Crenshaw of AIPLA; Joycelyn Brown, founder of Method 9 and partner at J. Muir & Associates; and Kimberly Kelleher of the USPTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline.
Explore confidentiality, supervision, accuracy, client communication, and professional responsibility in AI-assisted patent practice.
Operations
Turn experiments into repeatable workflows.
Ann McCrackin, AI-enabled attorney and adjunct professor at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law; Dr. Ian Schick, Esq., patent practitioner, technology founder, and Stanford CodeX Fellow; Tammy Pennington, experienced patent attorney and TXIPA Board of Directors member; Wayne Stacy, Executive Director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Law and Technology; and Lestin Kenton of Sterne Kessler.
See how practitioners select tools, design review points, and move AI from pilot projects into daily work. Tammy brings an experienced attorney’s perspective to AI tools and patent search.
AI in the Wild
See what adoption looks like in real practices.
Large firms: Womble Bond Dickinson, Harrity & Harrity, and Holland & Hart.
Boutique and solo practices: Wood IP Law, Synchrony IP, and Lisa M. Schreihart, Esq., solo practitioner and former USPTO software examiner.
In-house teams: Lenovo, Microsoft, Meta, and Banner Engineering.
Compare practical approaches across firm sizes, corporate IP teams, and patent technology tools.
Plan your day
Join us November 12, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET for the three program segments, sponsor sessions, breaks, and 6 expected hours of MCLE credit.
See the full agenda and session details
Featured Sponsors
We deeply appreciate the sponsors of the 2026 AI Patent Symposium! Visit their websites to explore how they can help in AI-amplified patent practice.
Minesoft
Minesoft helps IP and R&D teams find, analyze, monitor, and collaborate around patent information.
Track Sponsors
Minesoft · Featured Sponsor
Minesoft is a patent intelligence company founded in 1996. Its platform brings together patent search, analytics, monitoring, collaboration, and due-diligence tools for IP and R&D teams. Minesoft describes its approach as combining high-quality patent data, intuitive workflows, and AI-assisted analysis to help users find relevant information, uncover insights, and make better-informed decisions.
IPRally · Practice Track Sponsor
IPRally builds AI-powered patent search, intelligence, and drafting tools for IP professionals. Its patent-specific technology helps practitioners find and understand relevant patent information, review evidence, explore portfolios and technology landscapes, and support protection workflows. IPRally emphasizes evidence-linked results, human control, and professional judgment. As Practice Track Sponsor, IPRally is proud to support practical discussion of which AI outputs to trust, where AI fits in patent workflows, and where professional judgment remains essential.
Supporting Sponsors
Presented by NCPP and NAPP
The National Council on Patent Practicum is pleased to collaborate with the National Association of Patent Practitioners to co-host this symposium for the patent community.