Patent Assistant (Chicago, IL)

Fish & Richardson; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 51,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay and discretionarybonus

Medical and dental coverage

Generous paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Retirement and profit sharing plans

Job summary

Fish & Richardson, a premier global IP law firm, is seeking a Patent Assistant for our Practice Systems Department in Chicago. You will provide essential administrative support to legal staff, review documents, and maintain calendars and deadlines.

This role may involve local or remote support across offices and requires the Chicago office presence at least 2 days weekly. Ideal candidates bring 1+ year of legal-administrative experience, strong proofreading skills, and the ability to manage

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• 1+ years of admin support in a legal firm preferred.
• 1+ years reviewing, proofreading and editing invoices.
• Ability to prioritize and organize multiple deadlines.
• Ability to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to complete tasks.
• Ability to work in the Chicago office a minimum of 2 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to legal staff and paralegals.
• Review, edit, and proofread correspondence.
• Establish and maintain calendars and deadline systems.
• Schedule travel arrangements, reimbursements, meetings and conferences for legal staff and maintain their calendars.
• Open new matters and prepare engagement letters.
• Process vendor invoices.

Skills

Prioritization

Critical thinking

Problem solving

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Job description

Fish & Richardson, the premier global intellectual property law firm, is trusted by the world’s most innovative and influential companies. Fish was established in 1878, and now has more than 400 attorneys and technology specialists in the U.S., Europe, and China. Our success is rooted in our creative and inclusive culture, which values the diversity of people, experiences, and perspectives. Join Fish’s team in our fast-paced Practice Systems Department as a Patent Assistant.

How Will You Make a Difference?

• Provide administrative support to legal staff and paralegals. Support may be local or remote across other offices.
• Review, edit, and proofread correspondence
• Establish and maintain calendars and deadline systems
• Schedule travel arrangements, reimbursements, meetings and conferences for legal staff and maintain their calendars as requested
• Perform overload typing, filing, photocopying, document downloading, or reception relief as time permits and as requested by other legal staff or management
• Open new matters and prepare engagement letters
• Process vendor invoices

What Will You Bring to the Table?

• High School Diploma or equivalent is required
• 1 plus years of experience of administrative support within a legal firm environment is preferred
• 1 plus years of experience reviewing, proofreading and editing invoices
• Ability to prioritize and organize multiple deadlines
• Ability to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to complete assigned tasks
• Ability to work in the Chicago office a minimum of 2 days per week is required.

Why Fish?

When you join our team, we offer:

• Competitive pay and discretionary bonus opportunities along with a rich benefits package, including comprehensive medical and dental coverage, generous paid time off, and tuition reimbursement
• Award-winning retirement and profit sharing plans with employer contribution
• A family-friendly atmosphere with back-up child care, as well as health and wellness initiatives
• A positive culture ranked as one of the best in the country in Vault’s 2026 law firm survey
• The pay range for this position varies by geographic market. Final compensation will be based on a variety of factors including education, experience, skills, professional background, overall qualifications, and location. In Chicago, the estimated starting pay is $26.15 - $32.82 per hour (based on a 37.5-hour workweek), which is equivalent to $51,000 - $64,000 annually.

Our Commitment to Diversity

As a firm that serves the world’s greatest visionaries, we know that creativity and innovation are the result of seeing the world from multiple different perspectives. Having a diverse team enhances the quality of legal services we provide to our clients, sustains our standing as a premier IP law firm, and strengthens the fabric of our firm.

#LI-DM1

#LI-Hybrid