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Taft is seeking a legal assistant to support our Intellectual Property practice group in Taft’s Chicago office.

We are seeking a legal assistant with 3+ years' experience to support our Intellectual Property team in our Chicago office. All Taft employees operate under a “Client First” philosophy—in all things, we seek to provide exceptional services to our clients. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Prepares, reviews and processes patent and trademark registration applications, filings and renewals.
• Prepares, reviews, proofreads, and processes patent and trademark prosecution documents.
• Works closely with attorney/paralegal team to develop, implement and maintain processes, procedures and policies for patent and trademark work flow.
• Processes daily incoming and outgoing correspondence, including with clients, outside counsel, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and foreign patent offices.
• Drafts and proofreads correspondence, transmittal documents, and other documents necessary to the practice to ensure accuracy; tracks and obtains signatures when required.
• Carefully monitors docketing dates and deadlines, being proactive in ensuring that deadlines are met or brought to the attention of attorney/paralegal team; carefully monitors workflow of matters to ensure timely handling.
• May provide administrative support in opposition, interference, infringement, and related proceedings as needed.
• Exhibits outstanding client service in greeting guests, talking with clients, preparing correspondence, answering questions, and ensuring that matters proceed through the pre-defined administrative process.
• Manages client contacts, electronic mail, and print and electronic documents.
• May prepare exhibits and other materials for intellectual property litigation.
• May conduct factual research for patent and trademark matters.
• Enters and reviews time charges; may review and edit final client invoices for accuracy.
• Creates, organizes, maintains, and closes files in accordance with prescribed internal policies.
• Works collaboratively with other IP team members to ensure that work is completed, deadlines met and department needs are met.
• Processes and tracks requests for payments and reimbursements.
• May occasionally perform paralegal (IP Specialist) duties; however, primary role is providing clerical and administrative support for attorney/paralegal team.

Requirements:

• 3+ years related experience.  
• Knowledge of patent and trademark terminology, prosecution procedures, and deadlines for both U.S. and foreign intellectual property matters; knowledge of current USPTO rules and procedures; experience with intellectual property software systems.
• Demonstrated excellent organizational skills, sufficient to set and manage priorities; to manage and meet deadlines; and to self-start and ensure that work is timely completed.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy; good judgment and analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communications and writing skills.
• Ability and willingness to demonstrate collaborative work habits and an 'ownership mentality' in understanding the work to be done and assuring that it is timely and accurately completed.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office 2016 suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook).

Taft offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life, long-term disability, flexible spending, 401K, Paid Time Off, paid holidays, bonus, and more. The salary range for this position is $75,000/yr. - $97,000/yr.  Actual compensation offer to candidate may vary from posted information based on work experience, education, and/or skill level.

Taft is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The information in this posting presents general duties, tasks, and responsibilities but is not intended to be an exhaustive listing. Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP participates in E-VERIFY.

Careers at Taft
Our employees are people who thrive in a collaborative and fast-paced work environment. Taft’s lawyers and professional staff believe strongly in the value of our legal work. We believe that client service is our first, and most important, job. At Taft, success is measured in more than billable hours. This philosophy allows us to be active participants and leaders in our communities. Taft can help you create a long, rewarding, and meaningful career.

In addition, Taft is a signatory to the American Bar Association Well-Being Pledge, designed to support mental health and overall well-being for Taft’s attorneys and staff through education, firm policies, and intentional workplace culture.

We integrate inclusion into the fabric of what we do. We look for talented, dynamic, and innovative thinkers for our legal team. If you’re interested in joining our team, we encourage you to review our open positions and learn more about our firm.

Inclusion and Opportunity
Taft knows that people with varied experiences bring creative thinking, multiple perspectives, and innovative problem-solving techniques to issues in the practice of law. We are committed to fostering a culture among our attorneys and professional support staff that values different points of view from all team members.

Mentoring and Retention
No matter how talented or well educated, becoming a successful lawyer requires input and support from people who have already achieved that success. Research shows that careers profit from having someone in your corner. We want to be a champion for your career. Learn how Taft supports and emphasizes mentorship programs, as well as individual mentoring and sponsoring for our attorneys.

Professional Development
We grow when our employees thrive, so we make it a priority to provide the tools and resources our team needs to succeed. See how Taft can support your professional growth.