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Oldest legal associated dedicated to IP Practitioners in the Carolinas
The Carolina Patent Trademark Copyright Law Association is the oldest legal association dedicated to practitioners of Intellectual Property law in North and South Carolina. CPTCLA hosts an annual Spring CLE seminar in North Carolina, as well as a Fall seminar in South Carolina, offering a combined nine to twelve hours of CLE credit.
Additionally, CPTCLA provides two scholarships through the Julian E. Carnes Scholarship Fund for students at Clemson University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, available to students pursuing a degree field meeting U.S. Patent and Trademark Office requirements for admission as a patent agent or attorney.
The CPTCLA is the oldest legal association dedicated to practitioners of Intellectual Property law in North and South Carolina. CPTCLA typically hosts an annual Spring CLE seminar in North Carolina, as well as a Fall CLE seminar in South Carolina, offering approximately nine to twelve hours of CLE credit on a yearly basis. Our Fall CLE meeting will be held on September 26-27, 2025 at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort on Kiawah Island, SC. We are currently finalizing a great line-up of speakers. JOIN US
Becoming a member of the Carolina Patent, Trademark & Copyright Law Association (CPTCLA) connects you with a respected network of intellectual property professionals across North and South Carolina. Members benefit from valuable educational programming, professional networking, and leadership opportunities within the IP community.
In 1979, Julian E. Carnes, Jr. of Bell, Seltzer, Park and Gibson, Rick Jenkins of Adams & Jenkins, P.A., Guy Blynn of RJ Reynolds and Herb Adrian of Celanese Corporation met in Julian’s kitchen to discuss forming an organization devoted to bringing intellectual property attorneys in North and South Carolina together in a social setting to offer educational services on intellectual property to these attorney’s within the two states. Through the efforts of these four attorneys led by Julian, who served as its first president, CPTCLA was founded and held its first meeting that year.
Since its beginnings in 1979, CPTCLA has grown into the premier intellectual property law association in North and South Carolina. Following the template set forth by its founders, CPTCLA hosts bi-annual meetings and CLE seminars with our annual Spring Meeting usually being held on a Friday afternoon in early May in the Charlotte, North Carolina area for 3-4 hours of CLE credit and our annual Fall Meeting usually being held on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning in late September along the South Carolina coast for 6-8 hours of CLE credit. CPTCLA has been fortunate to attract speakers from all over the globe to discuss topics related Patent, Trademark, and Copyright, while also giving intellectual property attorneys from the Carolinas the opportunity to present lectures on the same topics.
As for CPTCLA’s founding member and first president, Julian devoted his entire professional career of 44 years to the field of Patent Law after receiving his degree from Charlotte College, now the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Julian was proudly the last licensed attorney admitted to the North Carolina State Bar following private study under the tutelage of licensed N.C. attorneys.
The Julian E. Carnes Scholarship Fund was established upon Julian’s death in 1992 to provide undergraduate scholarships to students at Clemson University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte who are preparing for a career in a technological field appropriate to meet the requirements of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to become patent agents or attorneys.
The Association will hold its annual Spring Meeting on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Truist Field in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.
The formal program will begin promptly at 1:00 PM in the Diamonds Direct Luxury Lounge at Truist Field. Arrival and sign-in will begin at 12:30 PM. We will have approximately 3.0 hours of CLE, including 1.0 hour of ethics CLE, followed by a cocktail reception.
We are excited to have David Sella-Villa of Joseph F. Rice School of Law at the University of South Carolina present “Ethical Issues Related To Lawyer’s Use Of Generative AI.” Additional speakers will be announced.