Alchemist (Intellectual Property Paralegal)

Warning: This “Job” May Cause an Unreasonable Sense of Purpose, an Obsession with Clean Case Files, and the Occasional Urge to High-Five Yourself After a Flawless Filing

Hey there, future Alchemist.

Yes, we said Alchemist. Because at Wilson Dutra Innovation Law, that’s what our paralegals do. They take raw ideas, rough drafts, and complex legal puzzles and transmute them into polished work product that protects the things our clients are building. It’s not magic (okay, sometimes it feels a little like magic), but it does take a rare combination of precision, curiosity, and craft.

We’re a boutique IP firm that works with startups, entrepreneurs, brands, and inventors who are creating things that didn’t exist yesterday. Our job is to protect their ideas so their plans can actually take flight. Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to be the person who turns legal complexity into legal clarity while doing genuinely substantive work along the way.

And yes: we actually mean it when we say “fun collaboration.” If we’re doing things right, this can be the kind of teamwork that makes the work better and makes the day more enjoyable.

Who We Are (When We’re Not Transmuting Ideas Into Intellectual Property Gold)

Every person at Wilson Dutra on our growing team has real impact. Our attorneys collaborate with their Alchemist. They share case strategy. They want to know what you think, because your perspective makes the work product better.

Our values aren’t aspirational posters on a wall we don’t have (remote firm, remember?):

Finding the Fun. IP law is a marathon, not a sprint. Clients hit obstacles. Examiners push back. We choose to celebrate the wins (even the small ones) and look for the silver lining when things get tough. Our clients are creating new things. That can be inherently fun if you let it be.

Persistent Curiosity. Our clients are trying to change the world. We hold ourselves to the same standard of always improving. If something could be done better, we want to hear about it. Especially from you.

Entrepreneurial Empathy. Starting something new is thrilling and terrifying in equal measure. We built our firm to be the kind of partner we’d want if we were the ones filing a patent for the first time. That empathy extends to our team, too.

What This Role Actually Looks Like

This is a transactional IP role with real substance to it. You’re not filing papers and answering phones. You’re helping draft patent applications, preparing trademark filings, responding to USPTO office actions, and supporting attorneys through every stage of prosecution. You’re researching prior art, organizing case files, preparing information disclosure statements when appropriate, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks between “great idea” and “issued patent.”

The Productivity Expectation: We track time internally to measure the value being created across our client base, and your productivity metrics directly inform your variable compensation. We’re a flat-fee firm, so this isn’t about racking up hours for a client invoice. It’s about making sure you’re consistently producing high-quality work at a sustainable pace, and being rewarded for it.

Patent & Trademark Prosecution Support: You’ll work alongside attorneys through the lifecycle of patent and trademark matters (along with the odd agreement and copyright that supports those projects). That means helping prepare and file patent applications, drafting trademark applications, assembling office action response shells, pulling references, and coordinating with the USPTO. You’ll track prosecution timelines, monitor Patent Center and TSDR for updates, and make sure every filing is accurate before it goes out the door. When examiners raise an issue, you’ll help the attorney build the response.

Case & Deadline Management: You’ll maintain our calendar and docketing system with precision. Every USPTO deadline, every response window, every maintenance fee date scheduled accurately. You’ll identify and resolve conflicts, review upcoming tasks to prioritize your workload, and keep client records current in our case management system. No deadline gets missed on your watch. (Think of it as the philosopher’s stone of IP practice: the thing that holds everything else together.)

Client Communications: You’ll triage client communications, following up by phone and email as needed. You won’t be giving legal advice (ABA rules are clear on that), but you will be a responsive, knowledgeable point of contact who keeps clients informed about their applications and what comes next. Our clients are entrepreneurs navigating unfamiliar territory. You’ll be the steady voice telling them their ideas are in good hands.

Document Preparation & Research: Drafting letters, reports, and legal documents. Preparing materials for client meetings and inventor interviews. Organizing and summarizing technical disclosures and case files. Conducting preliminary prior art searches and research as directed. Proofreading everything before it leaves the virtual building. Your work product goes in front of attorneys, examiners, and the USPTO.

Time Tracking: Contemporaneous time entry into our tracking system. Every day. No exceptions, no Friday afternoon reconstructions. (If the thought of rebuilding a week’s worth of time entries from memory makes you twitch, we’re already on the same page.)

Team Coordination: Weekly meetings with the legal team for case status updates. Regular client updates. Staff meetings. Monthly case status reviews. Quarterly performance reviews.

You Might Be Our Alchemist If...

You hear “quarterly productivity targets” and your first instinct is “tell me the number.” You’ve worked in a law firm before (2+ years, ideally in IP) and you know what substantive paralegal work looks like up close. You’ve drafted motions and memos that attorneys trusted enough to file with minimal edits. You’ve managed a calendar system where a missed deadline would have real consequences, and your track record is spotless.

You’re detail-oriented in a way that borders on compulsive, and you take that as a compliment. You’re organized because your systems genuinely work. You follow up on things because your brain simply won’t let you leave a thread hanging. You communicate clearly, proactively, and without drama.

You’ll be working under attorney supervision, but that doesn’t mean you’re waiting around for instructions on every step. You know when to proceed, when to flag, and when to ask. You understand the line between supporting legal work and practicing law, and you respect it.

The skills that matter:

Patent and trademark law knowledge (or adjacent IP experience with the curiosity to learn quickly). Data entry fluency in case management and CRM systems. Microsoft Office 365 proficiency: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint. Strong written communication. Basic administrative skills that you handle on autopilot, because your focus is on the substantive legal work.

The qualities that matter more:

Detail-oriented. Organized. Relentless follow-up. Client-service mindset. Sound judgment. Adaptable. Collaborative. Takes initiative. Tech-savvy. Interpersonally skilled enough to talk with clients, coordinate with attorneys, and work across a virtual team with zero friction.

A paralegal certificate is a plus, not a requirement. IP prosecution experience is a strong signal. But what we care about most is whether you’ve done substantive paralegal work, done it well, and are ready for a place that will invest in your growth.

What You Get (Besides the Satisfaction of Turning Legal Lead Into Gold)

Remote work, full-time. Work from wherever you do your best thinking. We’ve built our culture for virtual collaboration, and it works.

Transparent compensation. Salary with variable compensation tied directly to your productivity. You’ll know the formula to achieve your goals.

A team that actually collaborates. Multiple people on every project. Weekly meetings. Ongoing feedback.

Substantive legal work. This isn’t a filing-and-phones job or a “paralegal in name only” role. You’ll be drafting, researching, and managing cases alongside attorneys who value what you bring to the table.

Growth potential. We’re a growing firm; we invest in people who grow with us. Where this role goes depends in part on what you build, your qualifications, and your goals.

Work-life balance, for real. We named “Finding the Fun” as a core value because we believe sustainable pace and genuine enjoyment produce the best work. Our productivity targets are commensurate with a team that has genuine pride in their work.

The Interview Process (Thorough, Because Alchemy Isn’t for Everyone)

Our interview process has multiple stages. We’ll look at your legal knowledge, drafting ability, organizational skills, attention to detail, and cultural alignment. For the right person, it’s absolutely worth the process. Every great Alchemist needs to find the right laboratory.

To apply: Tell us about a piece of legal work you’re proud of. A motion you drafted, a research memo that changed the direction of a case, a deadline crisis you navigated with composure. We want to know what “great work” means to you.

(Bonus points if you can explain why you’re drawn to IP. We’re suckers for people who geek out about innovation.)

About Wilson Dutra Innovation Law (The Fun Part)

When we started Wilson Dutra, our focus was and continues to be on one thing: fun collaboration. We truly believe that the best work comes from working closely together with as much input as we can possibly get to deliver the best work product to our clients.

We cherish our culture. We work hard to satisfy our clients while also striking a work-life balance for ourselves and our team. Our values include finding the fun in what we do, maintaining persistent curiosity, and practicing entrepreneurial empathy: understanding the exciting opportunity (and incredible anxiety!) that starting a new venture brings.

Wilson Dutra is an equal opportunity employer.