Closing Date: 25th April, 2024
Description:
Summary:This is an entry-level position.
This vacancy is developed for licensed applicants seeking an Attorney Advisor position. These positions are located in the Office of the Commissioner for Trademarks, Trademark Examining Groups.
Duties:
The incumbent may telework from anywhere in the U.S. or work from the physical worksite, which is located in Alexandria, Virginia.
Prior to the start date, you will be given the opportunity to elect to work from the Alexandria headquarters, from an alternate/home location within the United States (defined as the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico), or a combination of headquarters and alternate location. Your salary/pay will be based on your selected worksite geographical location. The nature and scope of telework opportunities will be subject to the unit's telework policy and any applicable bargaining unit agreements.
As an Attorney Advisor, you will:
- Be responsible for the complete ex parte examination of applications for the registration of trademarks to ensure compliance with the Trademark Act of 1946 and related statutes.
- Conduct preliminary review of applications which may pose complex factual and legal questions; analyze the record; evaluate facts; and determine questions of law.
- Recommend approval of a mark for publication for opposition or draft the final position of the Agency.
- Meet with counsel in order to resolve issues that arise during examination.
- Prepare cases for ex parte appeal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
- These positions are projected to start in October 2024.
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
- Applicants will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
- Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies.
- Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
- Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov) Suitable for Federal employment.
- If selected, you may be required to complete a two-year trial period.
- You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Qualifications:
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has not issued qualification standards for attorney positions. USPTO sets minimum qualifications for attorney positions and sets forth these qualifications in each vacancy announcement.
To be eligible for this position, you must:
1. Be a U.S. Citizen or National.
2. Meet the following education requirement: possess Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or Masters of Laws (LL.M.) degree from an American Bar Association accredited law school.
3. Be an "active" member of the Bar in Good Standing of any state, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court under the U.S. Constitution with your application by the closing of the vacancy announcement.If selected, the above qualifications must be maintained throughout the period of employment.
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:
To meet minimum eligibility requirements for this position, applicants must possess at least a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree or Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA accredited law school.
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 (http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html). Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) (http://www.naces.org/members.htm) 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.