Legal Administrative Assistant

Porter Wright has an opportunity for a Legal Administrative Assistant in the Chicago, IL office who has experience in Corporate law, as well as Intellectual Property matters.  This position will be responsible for providing clerical and administrative support to the office.  

 Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

• Participates in cultivation of client relationships by becoming familiar with the case/matter which provides for better service to the client and aids assignments in better preparing for client meetings. 

• Maintains calendars for assignments, schedules meetings and appointments; makes travel arrangements as needed. 

• Opens and distributes mail to assignments. 

• Creates and edits correspondence, memoranda, etc.   

• Responsible for copying, faxing and scanning documents in appropriate format. 

• Prepares documents for mailing/delivery (i.e., U.S. mail, overnight delivery, UPS, courier). 

• Familiar with filing procedures (i.e., electronic filing) and appropriate documentation needed for various courts and entities. 

• Processes paperwork to open new client files; creates files in Firm’s record management system; maintains current files and organizes files. 

• Enters daily timekeeping for assignments. 

• Edits monthly billing memoranda and creates transmittal letters. 

• Prepares expense reports for assignments. 

• Maintains current address/telephone listing of clients for each assignment, ensuring they are properly entered into the Firm’s client relationship management system.  May be responsible for preparing mailing lists/labels for Firm-sponsored seminars/events. 

• Maintains current log of client/matter numbers for each assignment. 

• Provides administrative support for intellectual property matters, including patent and trademark prosecution and portfolio management. 

• Prepares, formats, proofreads and organizes correspondence, forms and supporting documents for filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and coordination with foreign associates, as directed. 

• Assists with electronic submissions and recordation matters, including applications, responses, assignments and other patent and trademark documents, under attorney or paralegal direction. 

• Coordinates with clients, inventors, foreign associates and vendors to obtain signatures, formal documents, filing instructions and other information needed to support intellectual property matters. 

• Maintains organized electronic and physical intellectual property files and assists with preparing status reports, portfolio summaries and related client materials. 

• Provides assistance to other legal administrative assistants as time permits. 

• Performs such other duties as assigned, maintaining team effort to provide best possible assistance to assignments and clients. 

Requirements and Qualifications: 

• High school level education or equivalent office work experience. 

• Minimum of three years prior legal administrative/paralegal experience. 

• Proficient with Microsoft Office suite. 

• Attention to detail. 

• Excellent organizational skills. 

• Demonstrated interpersonal skills; ability to communicate clearly and accurately; professional appearance and demeanor 

• Familiarity with corporate governance.  

• Familiarity with patent and trademark terminology, USPTO procedures and intellectual property docketing practices preferred. 

• Experience supporting transactional legal work in a corporate or law firm setting preferred.