Docketing Specialist

Department: Intellectual Property

About Us:

Ballard Spahr is a nationally recognized law firm with more than 750 lawyers across 19 offices in the United States. A career at Ballard Spahr means joining a team of talented mentors, colleagues, and friends, supported by strong leadership that actively encourages professional growth.  

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.

Why Join Us?

• Innovative Work Environment: Become part of a forward-thinking firm that enjoys substantial support and visibility from the firm’s executive leadership.

• Professional Development: Take advantage of continuous learning opportunities and avenues for career growth.

• Inclusion: Join a Business Resource Group and share cultural, experiential, or job-related interests, experiences, and/or backgrounds.

• Impactful Contributions: Play a pivotal role in developing industry-leading solutions that make a significant difference in legal practice and client service.

Your Role:

As a Patent Docketing Specialist within our IP team, you will:

• 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.

What We’re Looking For:

• Growth Mindset: Self-motivated with a passion for continuous learning and problem-solving.

• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication abilities.

• Detail-Oriented: Keen attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines independently.

Required Experience, Education and Skills:

Candidates should possess 5-7 years of substantive patent docketing experience in a law firm or corporate legal department, with significant responsibility for patent prosecution docketing. The ideal candidate will have 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. They must be able 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, with additional college or business education preferred. Candidates should also demonstrate reliability, professionalism, and the flexibility to work additional hours when business needs require.

The targeted salary range for this position is from $80,000 -85,000, which reflects the firm’s good faith and reasonable estimate of possible compensation at the time of posting. Actual pay will depend on several factors such as the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and location.

For eligible employees Ballard Spahr offers medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, short and long-term disability, a 401(k)-retirement savings plan, paid time off, sick leave, paid holidays, and an employee assistance program. A detailed summary of available benefits can be found here on our Careers website.

Ready to Grow with Us?

If you are ready to play a vital role in the firm’s success, we encourage you to apply and be a part of our commitment to excellence.

At Ballard Spahr, we believe that our skills, perspectives, and backgrounds drive innovation and excellence, while our unique culture fosters collaboration and success. Our culture of thriving together forms the cornerstone of how we deliver exceptional service and position our firm for a strong future. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.

Ballard Spahr is an equal opportunity employer. We offer equal consideration to all qualified applicants, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, handicap or disability, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, transgender status, sex stereotyping, genetic information, ancestry, veteran status or any other category protected by applicable law.

The firm is not accepting resumes from search firms for this position.