Practitioner [Patents] Law and Legal Definition
According to 37 CFR 10.1 (r) [Title 37 -- Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights; Chapter I -- United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce; Subchapter A – General; Part 10 -- Representation of Others Before the Patent and Trademark Office; Practice Before the Patent and Trademark Office], the term Practitioner means “(1) an attorney or agent registered to practice before the Office in patent cases or (2) an individual authorized under 5 U.S.C. 500(b) or otherwise as provided by this subchapter, to practice before the Office in trademark cases or other non-patent cases. A "suspended or excluded practitioner" is a practitioner who is suspended or excluded under § 10.156. A "non-practitioner" is an individual who is not a practitioner.”
According to 37 CFR 11.1 [Title 37 -- Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights; Chapter I -- United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce; Subchapter A – General; Part 11 -- Representation of Others Before the United States Patent and Trademark Office; Subpart A -- General Provisions; General Information] the term practitioner means:
(1) An attorney or agent registered to practice before the Office in patent matters,
(2) An individual authorized under 5 U.S.C. 500(b) or otherwise as provided by § 10.14(b), (c), and (e) of this subchapter, to practice before the Office in trademark matters or other non-patent matters, or
(3) An individual authorized to practice before the Office in a patent case or matters under § 11.9(a) or (b).