Training patent attorneys: how will streamlining affect small practices?

Wannabe patent attorneys learn how to surf
the web for training contracts ...

Thanks to Nicholas Fox I now have this link to a document entitled "Consultation on simplifying and modernising the examination system for qualifying as a patent attorney", a ten-pager issued by IPReg, the regulatory authority for patent and trade mark attorneys in the United Kingdom.   A couple of points to note:

• The consultation does not cover issues around “in office” supervised training although IPReg will shortly be issuing competency checklists in relation to that “in office” element of training.
  
• Of the 25 students who passed P1 in 2012, 22 were based outside London and 3 were based in London. Most of the students were being trained in attorney firms of 5 or more attorneys with only 1 being trained by a sole practitioner and 1 being in industrial practice. 

The consultation closes at 5 pm on 17th March 2014. Please email your response, if you have one, to Ann Wright, Chief Executive, via ipreg@ipreg.org.uk clearly marking the correspondence “Response to Consultation”.