Temporary IP Secretary

Success is always within your reach at Locke Lord.

Locke Lord is a premier full-service law firm that has earned a solid reputation for complex ‎litigation, regulatory and transactional work on behalf of clients in important and growing ‎industry sectors around the world. ‎

At Locke Lord, our diverse and inclusive culture of collegiality and collaboration — core values ‎of the Firm — across all of our offices and practices is ultimately reflected in our client ‎experience by culminating in a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses.‎

Locke Lord is proud to uphold a collective sense of integrity. Our Firm invests in your ‎professional growth, whether you are a seasoned professional or a recent graduate. In addition to lawyers, we hire problem solvers to deliver creative solutions across numerous ‎disciplines, including marketing, technology, accounting, human resources, practice support and ‎office services. We reward our employees with a team oriented work environment, competitive ‎salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program.‎

General Statement of Duties :

The Legal Secretary is responsible for all aspects of practice-specific administrative support of attorneys and also provides all aspects of practice-specific administrative support and patent filing support for the ‎department. ‎

Duties & Responsibilities :

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, providing legal administrative support to patent client work

Assist with domestic and international patent prosecution

Preparing and filing US Patent Applications, Provisional Applications, Non-Provisional Applications, Continuation Applications, Continuation-In-Part Applications, National Stage Applications and Divisional Applications documents through the IPDAS software / database

Preparing and filing of Preliminary Amendments, Responses to USPTO Office Actions, Notice to Respond to Missing Parts, Assignments, Information Disclosure Statements and, Notice of Allowance documents through the IPDAS software / database

Creating reporting letters and, legal documents such as Declaration and Power of Attorney forms and Assignments through the IPDAS software / database

Downloading foreign patents and publications as needed for the preparation of Information Disclosure Statements

Maintaining a soft docket

Electronic filing with the USPTO

File US Patent applications and related forms on-line through the USPTO website

Handle all aspects of domestic, including review of attorneys’ dockets to ensure proper docketing while maintaining and meeting all due dates

Oversee creation, maintenance and, organization of files for all cases

Manage multiple projects under time-sensitive guidelines

Open new matter numbers and request conflicts clearance

Ability to work within a team environment as well as independently

Willingness to work overtime when requested and / or needed

Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Education & Qualifications :

Bachelor’s Degree or Paralegal Certificate required

3+ years of experience supporting attorneys in IP (Patents)

Experience filing US Patent applications, US Trademark applications and related ‎forms online, and handling all aspects of domestic and international prosecution for patents ‎and trademarks

Proficiency with document preparation and document management databases (FileSite / DeskSite)

Familiarity with docketing ‎databases (CPI, EFS or IPDAS)

Advanced skills in MS Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint

Effective oral and written communication skills

Additional Information :

Supervisory Responsibility ‎—‎ This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment ‎—‎ This position operates in a professional office environment, with possibility of working remotely occasionally.

Position Type / Expected Work Hours ‎—‎ This is a full-time temporary position. Days and hours of work are ‎Monday through Friday, 9 : 00 a.m. to 5 : 00 p.m., with one hour for lunch. Evening, weekend, and overtime work may be required as job duties demand.

Travel ‎—‎ No travel is expected for this position.