Summary The Office of the Solicitor acts as legal counsel to the USPTO on intellectual property law matters and also works in collaboration with the Department of Commerce on interagency intellectual property law matters. The work is challenging, the atmosphere is professional, and the diverse attorneys enjoy a high quality of work life rarely found in the legal field. Responsibilities The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. This position is eligible for maximum telework per agency and business unit discretion/policy. TELEWORK: You may be asked to report to USPTO's Alexandria, VA campus occasionally, and such travel expenses will not be paid. If selected for an interview, applicants are encouraged to discuss telework options and eligibility specific to the position in which they applied with the hiring manager. This position is located in the Office of General the Counsel, Office of the Solicitor. As a lead attorney on a particular case or policy matter, the individual selected for this position must ENJOY: Providing legal counsel to the USPTO Director and Agency senior management on trademark and other intellectual property matters. Representing the USPTO Director in federal district courts and appellate courts, including defending decisions of the USPTO Director and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, preparing amicus briefs on behalf of the USPTO Director on issues of importance to the development of intellectual property law, and working with the Department of Justice to assist the Solicitor General in trademark and other intellectual property cases before the United States Supreme Court. Serving as counsel to the Director of the Office of Enrollment and Discipline in disciplinary cases before administrative law judges and in cases on appeal to the USPTO Director and federal courts. Managing all aspects of litigations and appeals. You will be responsible for developing case strategy, drafting and responding to briefs and motions, drafting complaints, all aspects of discovery, taking and defending depositions, oral arguments, and conducting trials. Providing legal and policy advice to senior management and other offices within the Agency on trademark, copyright, ethics and disciplinary matters, including rulemaking, procedures, and proposed legislation. You will analyze legal and factual issues, develop the strategy to deal with these issues, and produce memos on the matter as needed. Handling trademark clearance and enforcement matters. Representing the Director at depositions and testimony of USPTO employees. Providing training to USPTO employees on a variety of intellectual-property related subjects. Performing various administrative tasks as assigned. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has not issued qualification standards for attorney positions. However, the USPTO sets minimum qualifications for attorney positions and sets forth these qualifications in each vacancy announcement. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service. For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-14. Specialized experience for this position includes: Primary drafting responsibility for briefs, complaints, motions, memos, and/or legal opinions in the area of trademark law; and Independently conducting legal research and preparing written analyses of complex and difficult legal, factual, or policy issues in the area of trademark law. In addition to the Specialized Experience, applicants must possess professional experience defined as four (4) years, post J.D. experience, including judicial clerkship(s), in the area of trademark litigation. Trademark litigation includes federal district court trademark cases, trademark appeals to the U.S. federal courts of appeal, and trial proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. It is preferred, but not required, that the applicant also have experience conducting trademark clearance, prosecuting trademark applications before the USPTO, and handling trademark enforcement matters. In addition, substantive knowledge in the area of copyright and/or patent law is desirable. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education You must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or Master of Laws (L.L.M) degree from an American Bar Association accredited law school and an active bar membership of any state. If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Additional Information If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. This is a Non Bargaining Unit position. This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "HIGH". Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website. Trial Period - If selected, you may be required to complete a two-year trial period. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice. Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid. More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued. All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at http://www.uspto.gov/accommodation. The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity via email (oeeod@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).