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Examiner Howard Cortes

TECH CENTER 2100 · 3 ART UNITS · 552 DECIDED APPLICATIONS · LAST ACTION JUN 2026
ALLOWANCE RATE = SHARE OF DECIDED APPLICATIONS (ALLOWED + ABANDONED); PENDING EXCLUDED
OVERALL ALLOWANCE RATE · POOLED ACROSS 3 ART UNITS

Examiner Howard Cortes has allowed 442 of 552 decided applications (80%) in Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security.

80% pooled allowance · benchmarked per art unit below
DATA UPDATED JUNE 25, 2026
AU 2144 · 82%AU 2118 · 85%AU 2177 · 62%
// READING THIS EXAMINER

What the data says.

Howard Cortes maintains a public record across 3 art units within Technology Center 2100 (Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security). Over 552 disposed applications, his allowance rate stands at 80%, calculated from 442 allowed and 110 abandoned applications. The allowance rate varies across his art units, ranging from 62% to 85%. This pooled figure reflects decisions made across multiple subject areas within TC 2100 and represents the examiner's aggregate history rather than a prediction for any individual application.

// HOW TO READ THESE NUMBERS

How to read these numbers.

A pooled record aggregates data from multiple art units into a single allowance-rate figure. This aggregate reflects past decisions across different areas of TC 2100 but does not predict outcomes in any specific application. The range shown indicates variation among the examiner's individual art units. Pooled statistics describe historical performance and are correlational data, not proof of how any future application will be handled.

These are aggregate statistics from this examiner's past public record — not predictions about any specific application. The per-art-unit figures below show how the record varies across art units. Our approach to patent prosecution →

// BY ART UNIT

The record, art unit by art unit.

Each section benchmarks this examiner against that art unit's average. Figures are this examiner's own public record within the art unit; the overall rate above pools them.

◈ PRIMARY · ART UNIT 2144
358 APPS · 82% ALLOWANCE
82% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 58%
DISPOSITION295 / 63 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION17.6 moart unit avg 27.2 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY36.7 moart unit avg 41.7 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility34% · art unit 45%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)89%
§103 — Obviousness84% · art unit 92%
§112 — Written description & definiteness54%
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

Allowance rate for applications with an examiner interview versus without one.

WITH INTERVIEW89%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW75%+14 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 195 decided applications with an interview and 163 without.

ART UNIT 2118
160 APPS · 85% ALLOWANCE
85% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 73%
DISPOSITION99 / 17 / 44allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION23.6 moart unit avg 22.1 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY35.6 moart unit avg 36.4 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility31% · art unit 30%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)95%
§103 — Obviousness81% · art unit 82%
§112 — Written description & definiteness43%
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

Allowance rate for applications with an examiner interview versus without one.

WITH INTERVIEW92%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW82%+10 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 39 decided applications with an interview and 77 without.

ART UNIT 2177
78 APPS · 62% ALLOWANCE
62% allowance (of decided)▏ art-unit average 55%
DISPOSITION48 / 30 / 0allowed / abandoned / pending
FIRST ACTION29.4 moart unit avg 22.5 mo
TOTAL PENDENCY53.5 moart unit avg 40.7 mo
// REJECTION PROFILE
§101 — Subject-matter eligibility70% · art unit 40%
§102 — Anticipation (novelty)52%
§103 — Obviousness90% · art unit 90%
§112 — Written description & definiteness63%
// INTERVIEW SPLIT

Allowance rate for applications with an examiner interview versus without one.

WITH INTERVIEW60%allowance share
WITHOUT INTERVIEW62%-2 pt difference

A correlation, not proof that interviews cause allowances. Based on 15 decided applications with an interview and 63 without.

// FAQ

Questions about Examiner Howard Cortes

  • What is Howard Cortes's overall allowance rate?
    His allowance rate is 80%, based on 552 disposed applications (442 allowed, 110 abandoned). This is a pooled figure across all his art units and describes past decisions, not predictions.
  • How many art units does this examiner work in?
    Howard Cortes has a public record across 3 art units (2118, 2144, 2177) within Technology Center 2100 (Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security).
  • Do allowance rates vary across his art units?
    Yes. Across his art units, allowance rates range from 62% to 85%. The pooled 80% figure aggregates these different rates.
  • What does the pooled record mean for my application?
    The pooled allowance rate describes the examiner's historical aggregate across multiple art units and is not a prediction for any specific application. Individual results vary.
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METHODOLOGY & DISCLOSURES

Methodology. This page pools every art unit in which Examiner Howard Cortes has a public record within Technology Center 2100. Statistics are computed from publicly available USPTO records, refreshed on a recurring schedule. This page's data was last updated June 25, 2026. The overall allowance rate is total allowed divided by total decided applications (allowed plus abandoned) across all art units — not an average of the per-art-unit rates; pending applications are excluded. Figures are rounded for display. Pooled sample: 596 applications.

Lynch LLP is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Examiner statistics are derived from publicly available USPTO data.

These statistics describe past examiner behavior and do not predict the outcome of any particular application. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Where this page compares an examiner's allowance rate to an art-unit average, that comparison is a factual description of the public record, not a characterization of any individual examiner's conduct or competence.

This page is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by viewing it. Full disclaimers →

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