IP Prosecution Knowledge Management & Innovation Associate Attorney - Boston, San Diego

The IP Prosecution Knowledge Management & Innovation Associate Attorney will collaborate closely with IP prosecution attorneys, practice leadership, and the firm’s Innovation, AI, and E-Data Consulting team to improve how the IP Prosecution group develops, adopts, and uses knowledge resources, workflows, and AI-enabled tools.
This role is designed for an attorney with a patent prosecution background who is interested in applying that experience to knowledge management, process improvement, and emerging legal technologies, particularly AI tools supporting patent drafting, prosecution, and related activities. The position emphasizes hands-on evaluation of tools, development of practical prompts and workflows, onboarding and training attorneys, and driving thoughtful, effective adoption of new ways of working.

Primary Responsibilities

 
Knowledge Development & Practice Support
• Collaborate with IP Prosecution leadership and KMI colleagues to curate, draft, and maintain model documents, templates, checklists, practice notes, and prosecution playbooks.
• Help capture and codify best practices and matter learnings from IP prosecution attorneys to ensure resources reflect current practice and firm experience.
• Maintain and enhance internal knowledge repositories and resource sites related to patent prosecution and IP portfolio management.
Technology, AI & Innovation
• Evaluate, vet, and test AI-enabled and other practice technologies relevant to IP prosecution (e.g., patent drafting, office action response support, prior art analysis, workflow automation, and search tools).
• Partner with attorneys and vendors during pilots to gather feedback, identify strengths and limitations, and surface practical use cases.
• Help design, document, and refine prompts, workflows, and playbooks for patent drafting, prosecution, and related IP activities across approved AI platforms.
• Stay current on developments in legal AI and IP-focused technology and help translate those developments into practical guidance for attorneys.
Training, Onboarding & Adoption
• Support onboarding of attorneys and agents to approved IP prosecution tools, including AI platforms and related technologies.
• Design and deliver trainings, demos, quick-reference guides, and written playbooks tailored to IP prosecution workflows.
• Partner with Professional Development to assess training needs, align curricula, and refresh materials as tools and workflows evolve.
• Present updates, demos, and best practices at IP practice group meetings and other attorney forums.
Process Improvement & Efficiency
• Identify opportunities to streamline patent prosecution workflows through improved processes, templates, automation, and technology.
• Help standardize workflows and develop checklists or guidance that promote consistency, quality, and efficiency.
• Monitor adoption and usage, gather feedback, and iterate on resources and workflows based on attorney input.
General & Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Provide ongoing support to IP prosecution attorneys (resource questions, tool walk-throughs, workflow guidance).
• Coordinate with IT, Research Services, IP Operations, Professional Development, Business Development, and other KMI colleagues to align tools, training, and knowledge resources.
• Provide light project management support for pilots and initiatives (timelines, status updates, issue tracking).
• Perform other knowledge management and innovation-related responsibilities as assigned.

Job Qualifications
• J.D. required; admission to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 3-5 years of patent prosecution experience in a law firm or comparable setting.
• Demonstrated interest in and experience with legal technology and AI-enabled tools, particularly as applied to patent drafting and prosecution.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate legal and technical concepts into clear, practical guidance.
• Comfortable working collaboratively with attorneys, technologists, and vendors; able to engage and influence busy practitioners.
• Organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities.
• Tech-savvy and quick to learn new platforms; familiarity with Microsoft 365 and core legal systems (e.g., document management, AI tools) preferred.
• Practical, service-oriented mindset with sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential information.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by an individual in this role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications.