Docketing Specialist

Ballard Spahr LLP•Washington, DC

3d•$80,000 - $85,000•Remote

About The Position

This position supports the firm's Intellectual Property (IP) Practice by managing critical patent prosecution docketing functions and ensuring compliance with established firm and departmental policies and procedures. This role requires extensive and ongoing training, as team members must develop a thorough understanding of complex docketing processes and procedures. Working under the guidance of the Docketing Manager, the incumbent provides administrative and technical support to attorneys and other professionals engaged in patent prosecution, exercises sound judgment and initiative within established guidelines, manages assigned responsibilities independently, and collaborates effectively with colleagues across all firm offices as part of a highly coordinated team environment. This position is fully remote.

Requirements

5-7 years of substantive patent docketing experience in a law firm or corporate legal department, with significant responsibility for patent prosecution docketing.
Extensive experience with U.S., foreign, and PCT patent docketing, including a strong understanding of USPTO rules, international patent procedures, statutory deadlines, and national/regional phase requirements.
Ability to analyze patent correspondence, calculate and verify deadlines, identify potential docketing issues, and escalate concerns appropriately.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and experience supporting U.S. and foreign patent filings are essential.
A high school diploma or equivalent is required.
Reliability, professionalism, and the flexibility to work additional hours when business needs require.

Nice To Haves

Additional college or business education preferred.

Responsibilities

Work with attorneys, paralegals, and legal administrative assistants to ensure that patent-related issues are addressed in a timely and efficient fashion.
Maintain docketing databases for all domestic and foreign patent prosecution matters, including accurately entering, monitoring, and clearing deadlines in a timely manner as well as scanning and attaching relevant patent images.
Review and determine actions and due dates from various types of communication regarding domestic and foreign patent filing (including communication with foreign correspondents), prosecution, renewal and Patent Trial and Appeal Board matters.
Review various websites to ascertain status of foreign and domestic patents.
Ensure the integrity of the patent database by performing quality review of docketed events, deadlines, and matter information for accuracy, consistency, and completeness and escalate discrepancies as appropriate.
Prepare regularly scheduled (i.e., monthly, weekly) and specially requested docket reports for clients, attorneys, paralegals, and their legal administrative assistants on a timely basis.
Assist with special projects and perform all other duties as assigned by the attorneys, paralegals, and Manager.