Mid-Level Patent Attorney (Life Sciences / Chemistry) in Washington, District of Columbia at Hylton-Rodic Law PLLC

This is not just another attorney role. This is a leverage role.

If you’re a solid patent attorney but tired of:

• Producing work with no influence
• Working in broken systems you can’t fix
• Managing chaos without authority

This is your opportunity to step into a role where you build, lead, and scale.

What This Role Actually Does

You will operate as both a high-level contributor and internal leader.

• Draft and prosecute complex patent matters
• Handle client communication and relationship support
• Oversee legal assistants (workflow, deadlines, quality)
• Build and improve internal legal workflows
• Act as the right hand to the CEO on legal operations

This role is about production + leverage.

What You’ll Be Measured On

• Billables, realization rate, and budget targets
• Quality (minimal CEO revisions, zero errors)
• Team leverage (how effectively assistants are utilized)
• Workflow improvement (things get smoother, not messier)
• Reduction of CEO involvement in day-to-day legal ops

What Success Looks Like

By 30 days:
You’re producing work and understanding systems + team

By 60 days:
You’re managing assistants, running check-ins, fixing friction points

By 90 days:
You are owning legal workflows, acting as QA layer before CEO, reducing CEO time spent on filings + oversight

This Role Is NOT For You If:

• You only want to produce work and not lead
• You’ve never successfully managed support staff
• You wait for permission instead of solving problems
• You resist ambiguity or evolving systems
• You lack the interpersonal skills to lead respectfully

Required Background

• Chemistry / life sciences background (required)
• JD + Patent Bar +
• Prior patent prosecution experience (multi-year)
• Demonstrated experience managing legal assistants or similar staff
• Experience improving or owning workflows (not just participating in them)

The Kind of Person Who Thrives Here

• Operator mindset—you fix things, not just flag them
• Strong communicator (clear, direct, respectful)
• Highly organized and systems-oriented
• Humble but confident—no ego, no passivity
• Comfortable in a growing, non-corporate firm

About Hylton-Rodic Law

We are a boutique, growth-focused IP firm serving life sciences clients.

We combine:

• High-quality legal work
• Strong client relationships
• A flexible, human-centered culture

We are building a firm where:

• People do meaningful work
• Systems actually improve over time
• Growth creates opportunity—not burnout

We offer:

• Reasonable billable expectations
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) and commuter benefits
• Mental health days + birthday leave
• “Sunshine Fridays” (early Fridays when targets are met)
• A collaborative, respectful team environment

Apply If You Want to Build, Not Just Bill

If you want to:

• Step into real responsibility
• Help shape how a firm operates
• Grow into leadership

Apply.

If you just want a stable role where you execute tasks and go home—this is not that role.

Application Requirements:

Please submit a resume and a brief cover letter explaining your interest in this role and in working at a smaller, non-corporate law firm.