Ray Quinney & Nebeker of Salt Lake City, UT is looking to hire an experienced Patent Prosecution Legal Assistant. Are you ready to take your career to the next level? Do you want to work where your loyalty, hard work, and a job well done are recognized? Would you like to use your skills to contribute to the success of a law firm that makes a difference in your community? If so, please read on and apply today.

About Us

RQN is a leading general practice law firm committed to providing exceptional legal services to our clients. Our Intellectual Property team is seeking a skilled and detail-oriented Patent Prosecution Legal Assistant to join our dynamic Salt Lake City office. We represent a range of clients from fortune 100 companies to Universities to Unicorn Startups to garage inventors trying to bootstrap to maintain their equity as long as they can. Our staff are top notch, and our culture is of excellence and camaraderie.

Position Summary

As a Patent Prosecution Legal Assistant, you will play a crucial role in enhancing the effectiveness of our patent attorneys. You'll manage a variety of essential tasks, from maintaining attorney dockets to drafting templates for legal documents and managing USPTO filings. This position offers an exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of intellectual property law and contribute to our firm's continued success.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and upload electronic USPTO filings of applications and prosecution documents
• Complete administrative duties such as answering and directing phone calls, correspond by phone and email with examiners and clients, opening files, sending invoices, and coordinating payments and retainers
• Coordinate and manage calendars for client meetings, disclosure meetings, examiner interviews, and travel arrangements for client and business development meetings
• Maintain attorney dockets and discussing deadlines with attorneys
• Draft and formatting responses and application templates, inventor signature documents, information disclosure statements (IDS), and correspondence
• Electronically manage and maintain files containing legal documentation and correspondence in strict confidence and in accordance with client specific requirements
• Assist with and entering attorney time, maintaining billing records, and invoicing issues
• Effectively communicate with clients and their support staff, inventors, attorneys, staff, and USPTO administrators
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (especially Outlook, Word, and Excel)
• Experienced with USPTO electronic filings
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with attorneys and other staff members
• Highly organized with a strong attention to detail
• Ability to take direction and work independently with little or no supervision
• Strong work ethic - uses any downtime to find additional ways to support the team
• Ability to prioritize tasks and reprioritized based on new tasks
• Ability to research patent rules to determine filing requirements and filing deadlines
• Ability to keep and maintain confidential information regarding clients and firm issues
• An ability to quickly grasp firm and client specific software
• Manage attorney calendars for meetings and travel
• Ability to be adaptable to various office situations and willingness to take on extra assignments and tasks as needed by the team

Qualifications

• 3+ years' experience as a patent prosecution legal assistant or similar role
• 2+ year experience processing USPTO electronic filings (preferred)
• Associate degree or equivalent work experience
• Proficiency with Patent Center and strong knowledge of USPTO practices and rules
• Excellent typing skills (70+ words per minute)