2024 Unsung Legal Heroes: Alysha Claflin

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FISH & RICHARDSON P.C.

Alysha Claflin decided not to follow up on her initial goal of being a schoolteacher, but she ended up teaching anyway.

As lead docketing trainer at Fish & Richardson P.C., Claflin is responsible for training new patent and trademark docketers, ensuring that they stay up to speed on new laws, and that new rules are
incorporated into the firm’s processes. (A docketer tracks upcoming deadlines and keeps attorneys and paralegals abreast of them.)

In her eight years at the firm — five years as a docketing specialist and three years in her current role — Claflin has learned to identify gaps in a process and find a solution that eliminates risk. She also writes the firm’s instruction manuals for new docketers and steps in to do the work herself when needed. And, Claflin keeps close tabs on the progress of docketers as they reach various stages of learning their trade.

“I like to have continuing training for our docketers — refresher courses so that they can stay on top of what they do,” Claflin said.

A big recent project for Claflin was leading the redesign of Fish’s docketing manuals. The update ensured that all the firm’s docketing specialists would have easy access to the same information. Claflin updated the content and transformed it from a PDF into live, searchable online site.

Flush with that success, Claflin last year did the same thing with the firm’s trademark manual. Using skills she has acquired in patents and trademarks, she was suited to overhaul Fish’s trademark docketing manual, using a similar appearance and function to a redesigned patent manual.

“It’s now much more searchable,” Claflin said of the improved manual. “I enjoyed working on it.”