# Expanding Opportunities To Appear Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
> **US Patent and Trademark Office** · Final rule. · Published 2024-10-10 · Effective 2024-11-12 · 89 FR 82172
## Document
- **Document number:** 2024-23319
- **Category:** bis-export-control
- **Sub-agency:** US Patent and Trademark Office
- **Federal Register citation:** 89 FR 82172
- **CFR reference:** 37 CFR 42
- **Publication date:** 2024-10-10
- **Effective date:** 2024-11-12
- **Commerce docket:** Docket No. PTO-P-2023-0058
## Abstract

As part of its initiatives to expand access to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office), the USPTO modifies the rules regarding representation by counsel at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) in proceedings under the Leahy- Smith America Invents Act (AIA proceedings) to: permit parties to proceed without back-up counsel upon a showing of good cause, such as a lack of resources to hire two counsel; establish a streamlined alternative procedure for recognizing counsel pro hac vice that is available when counsel has previously been recognized pro hac vice in a different PTAB proceeding; and clarify that those recognized pro hac vice have a duty to inform the Board of subsequent events that render inaccurate or incomplete representations they made to obtain pro hac vice recognition.

## Source
- [Federal Register document](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/10/10/2024-23319/expanding-opportunities-to-appear-before-the-patent-trial-and-appeal-board)
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