Junior Ph.D. Patent Attorney — Life Sciences & Chemistry

Hylton-Rodic Law • Washington, DC

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Hylton-Rodic Law is seeking an exceptional Ph.D.-trained junior Patent Attorney to join our growing life sciences intellectual property practice. At HRL, junior attorneys don't sit on the sidelines waiting years for meaningful responsibility. You will do real patent work early, receive rigorous feedback, and earn increasing independence as your capabilities develop. This is a producing attorney role, not a training sandbox. You will receive guidance and feedback, particularly early on. But the goal is increasing ownership—not permanent supervision. Early success means learning our systems while contributing substantive work. As you develop, we expect you to take increasing ownership of drafting and prosecution matters, manage your docket reliably, communicate effectively with the team and clients, and require progressively less oversight. Your level of responsibility will grow with your demonstrated ability. Hylton-Rodic Law is a boutique intellectual property firm serving sophisticated life sciences clients. We believe excellent work and a humane professional culture are not competing ideas. We are deliberately building a firm that combines sophisticated work, high standards, exceptional client service, modern technology and systems, meaningful professional development, and a sustainable approach to high performance. Because we are a growing boutique, capable attorneys don't have to disappear into a large hierarchy before they're trusted with meaningful responsibility. You will work closely with experienced patent professionals, interact directly with scientists and inventors, and have opportunities to increase the sophistication and independence of your work as your capabilities grow.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in a relevant life sciences or chemistry discipline
• J.D. and active USPTO registration
• Approximately 1–2 years of relevant patent experience
• Scientific depth, writing ability, curiosity, and learning velocity to develop into an exceptional patent practitioner
• Intellectually curious and genuinely enjoys difficult science
• Able to absorb complicated technical material quickly
• An exceptional scientific and legal communicator
• Highly organized and detail-oriented
• Resourceful when the answer isn't obvious
• Comfortable receiving rigorous feedback
• Proactive rather than dependent on constant direction
• Capable of managing deadlines reliably
• Driven to become exceptionally good at patent practice
• Candidates must currently reside in the DMV area or be willing to relocate

Nice To Haves

• A patent application substantially drafted by you
• An Office Action response substantially drafted by you

Responsibilities

• Drafting patent applications
• Preparing responses to Office Actions
• Supporting U.S. and foreign patent prosecution
• Participating in inventor interviews
• Conducting prior-art and patentability analysis
• Managing deadlines and developing ownership of your docket
• Communicating with clients, inventors, and foreign associates as your capabilities develop
• Working directly with legal assistants to move matters forward
• Supporting other strategic patent matters as your experience grows

Benefits

• Performance-based bonus opportunities
• Reasonable billable expectations
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k)
• Life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Commuter benefits
• Paid time off
• Mental health days
• Birthday leave
• Annual holiday break, including a half-day on Christmas Eve and firm closure through New Year's Day
• Sunshine Fridays/early Fridays when applicable performance targets are met
• A collaborative, respectful working environment

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree