September 27, 2025
Discover the essential requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills needed for a Patent Paralegal job description.
What does a Patent Paralegal do?
A patent paralegal works with lawyers who specialize in intellectual property law. They help with tasks like searching through databases at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), reviewing important documents, and resolving any issues with patent information. They may also help the Patent Administrators with special projects.
Job Description
We are looking for a skilled patent paralegal to join our law firm. Your main responsibilities will be helping us file patent applications and handle cases of patent infringement. This will include keeping track of important dates, researching patent databases, and monitoring the progress of our patents.
To be successful in this role, you should have a good understanding of the filing and prosecution procedures for intellectual property. A great patent paralegal will be a team player and use their resourcefulness to provide excellent support to our patent lawyers.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Working with the USPTO, attorneys, liaisons, foreign associates, and staff.
- Collecting important information about intellectual property from official USPTO databases and correspondence.
- Creating reports, managing important dates, and keeping track of deadlines for intellectual property cases.
- Entering new patent files into our databases, including U.S. Provisional, Continuation, Utility, Design, CIP, Opposition, Divisional, and re-examination files.
- Helping attorneys with patent filing by resolving any issues or mistakes.
- Keeping organized records and reviewing files.
- Reporting to Senior Intellectual Property (IP) Attorneys.
- Conducting research on public and private databases for intellectual property cases.
- Managing incoming and outgoing correspondence.
Requirements and Qualifications
- A bachelor's degree in business or a post-secondary program with law-related classes.
- Certification from an accredited paralegal program approved by the state.
- At least two years of experience working with patent cases and managing dockets.
- Knowledge of legal terms and electronic databases, such as the USPTO's Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS).
- Experience keeping track of important dates and generating reports.
- Extensive understanding of patent filing and review processes.
- Excellent research skills and the ability to meet deadlines.
- Strong teamwork and independent work abilities.
- Great organizational and communication skills.
Patent Paralegal Salary
The earning potential of a Patent Paralegal can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, industry, professional experience, educational background, and the specific employer. On average, the annual salary for an Patent Paralegal in the United States is approximately $93703.
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