Are you ready to elevate your career through imagination, discernment, and ingenuity? Join the dynamic and skilled team empowered to preserve the legal, equitable, and procedural rights of trademarks owners and the public.
As an Administrative Trademark Judge (ATJ), you'll work together with other judges to provide impartial and fair determinations of trademark registration disputes, while upholding the integrity of the Principal and Supplemental Registers and the registration system.
Summary
Are you ready to elevate your career through imagination, discernment, and ingenuity? Join the dynamic and skilled team empowered to preserve the legal, equitable, and procedural rights of trademarks owners and the public.
As an Administrative Trademark Judge (ATJ), you'll work together with other judges to provide impartial and fair determinations of trademark registration disputes, while upholding the integrity of the Principal and Supplemental Registers and the registration system.
Yes—As determined by the agency policy. *Position approved for telework, including options for 100% telework and in the TEAP program, which allows telework from a home office anywhere in the United States or Puerto Rico.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
If you're ready to promote and protect the interests of trademarks owners and the public, then this amazing opportunity within the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) is open to you! If you're motivated and ready for your next challenge, come join the agency that drives economic growth and national prosperity, and celebrates and supports the diverse cultures of its employees.
As an Administrative Trademark Judge (ATJ), you'll work together with other judges from diverse backgrounds as a cohesive collaborative unit to further the mission of the TTAB.
An ATJ serves as a member of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the USPTO. The TTAB has the authority to:
Review ex parte appeals of adverse decisions on trademark applications made by trademark examining attorneys;
Review and decide inter partes oppositions to applications, petitions to cancel registrations, and concurrent use proceedings;
Review and decide contested interlocutory motions in inter partes proceedings in collaboration with TTAB interlocutory attorneys and judge panels;
Evaluate evidence, and arguments and citations presented in briefs filed in contested trademark trial cases and appeals;
Engage in conferences with TTAB attorneys, judges and parties involved in trials and appeals, arising under Federal trademark registration statutes.
As an ATJ, you will:
Review arguments and evidence provided in motions, briefs and oral hearings;
Effectively work with colleagues to analyze and decide legal and factual issues;
Prepare and issue timely, high-quality decisions, that are consistent with statutes, regulations, case law, and agency policies;
Display professionalism and judicial decorum; and
Perform any task that supports the mission of the USPTO and the TTAB, such as: participating in stakeholder engagement, leading project teams, contributing to policy development, and developing best practices.
The decisions of the TTAB are final in the Executive Branch and are subject to review, through appeal, only by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or by civil action in a U.S. District Court. The TTAB judges serve under the general administrative direction of the Chief and Deputy Chief Administrative Trademark Judges, TTAB. All adjudicatory functions are performed without supervisory review, although performed in concert with other assigned judges on each panel.
The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, VA. However, this position is telework eligible in accordance with TTAB telework policy.
"Position approved for telework, including options for 100% telework and in the TEAP program, which allows telework from a home office anywhere in the United States or Puerto Rico."
Background and or Security Investigation and fingerprint check if selected for position.
Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
Qualifications
You must have significant, specialized experience at a level close to the work of this job that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform in the position. Typically, we would find this experience in work within the Trademark field or general IP field with a significant Trademark component and would be acquired over an extended period in the private practice of IP law, in IP-related government positions, or similar legal work.
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.
Applicants are required to input narrative responses to the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs) in the text boxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) that must be adhered to. Do not write "see resume". Uploaded documents addressing the PTQs will not be accepted.
For the following three PTQs, you are required to submit a narrative response addressing your specific knowledge, skills, and abilities that demonstrate your possession of these qualifications.
Tell us about a position you held or a particularly complex case or matter you worked on, while having to manage multiple competing priorities, including assigned work of your own, collaborative work with others, while meeting prescribed deadlines, productivity goals and quality standards.
Please describethe types and quantity of cases, projects, and/or training that led to your knowledge of historical trademark law concepts, the Trademark Act, The Trademark Rules of Practice, The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, The Federal Rules of Evidence, trademark assignments and licensing, common law governing the acquisition of ownership rights of marks, and precedential decisions of the courts and the TTAB.
Tell us about two experiences where you needed to find the important facts in a case and to apply pertinent statutory and case law to those facts to reach a decision or make a recommendation. These experiences may include sifting through pleadings, motions and exhibits, testimony depositions and exhibits, discovery requests and responses, documentary evidence filed by notice of reliance, and legal memos or briefs.
Education
The candidate must have a law degree from an accredited law school program and must be a member of a bar in good standing, in the United States or a Territory of the United States.
Additional information
Probationary Period: You will be required to serve a two-year probationary period.
This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position. This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "High" risk.
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.
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.
Relocation expenses are not authorized and will not be paid.
All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
More than one selection may be made from a list of qualified applicants who respond to this announcement, if additional vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was prepared.
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 Ethics in Government Act of 1978, as amended, requires senior officials in the executive, legislative and judicial branches to file public reports of their finances as well as other interests outside the Government. If selected for this position you will be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278). The OGE 278 is available to the public. The primary purpose of disclosure is to assist agencies in identifying potential conflicts of interest between a filer's official duties and the filer's private financial interests and affiliations.
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, membership in an employee organization, 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).
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
In order to be considered for this position, you must (1) demonstrate in your application package that you meet the experience as defined under the "Qualifications" section, (2) answer the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs), (3) submit a detailed resume that supports your answers to the PTQs and specialized experience, and (4) provide a writing sample.
Your responses to the PTQs, resume, and writing sample will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or for changing your scored responses to questions you've answered, which may affect your overall final score.
Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the "Required Documents" section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).
Candidates are evaluated by an executive rating panel based on the degree to which they meet the PTQs, and which considers the applicant's education, work-related experience, training, awards, and professional recognition, as set forth in the materials submitted by the candidates and placed in one of the pre-defined quality categories. These categories are "Highly Qualified", "Well Qualified" and "Qualified." Candidates placed in the "highest quality category" will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications:
Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments, experience and how it relates to the PTQs in the job announcement. Please Note: Responses to PTQ job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating.
Narrative responses to the PTQs: Do not write "see resume". Applicants are required to input narrative responses in the textboxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) and must be adhered to. Uploading documents addressing the PTQs will not be accepted.
A Writing Sample: No more than 15-20 pages that demonstrate the ability to analyze trademark matters in a concise and cogent manner. Your writing sample should be written by you and reflect your original work product, without significant editing by others.
Transcript (s): You must submit copies of your law school transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable, however, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts.
Bar Membership Documentation: You must submit documentation showing that you are 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.
Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50): Please submit a current SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee, that indicates federal status, grade, tenure, and type of service. Please redact your social security number and date of birth.
Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable: Attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the USPTO considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor consideration in the hiring process. If you are eligible for veterans' preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with the supporting documentation, e.g., SF-15, DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation.
NOTE: Submit only the documents requested. Additional documents will not be reviewed by the rating panel.
Your application and all required documentation must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the closing date of this job announcement. Review your resume and responses carefully. Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your application package may result in adjustments to your rating. A Human Resources Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the hiring official.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
******If you are currently, or have been within the last five years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information in your application.
You MUST apply online. If you experience difficulties with the application process or do not have access to a computer, please contact the HR Specialist listed as the point of contact before the closing date of this job announcement. If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account, you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page. Once you have gathered all of the required information and are ready to begin the application process, click the "APPLY" button at the right side of the page. You will then be directed away from USAJobs to the Department of Commerce application site for USPTO. You must click "Submit" at the end of the application process to send your application for consideration.
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov/ and click on "Applications." Click on the position title, then select "Update Application." If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! OPM has a Help feature on each page. Use this option when you need assistance. All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs "Saved Documents" feature.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is defined as information that can be traced back to a specific individual and potentially compromise their security or privacy. Examples of PII include: date of birth, Social Security Number, and place of birth. Please ensure that you have removed all PII from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your application material.
EXRD - Trademark Trial and Appeals Board
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
You will receive notification through USAJobs at each of the following points during the application process: (1) application received, (2) applicant assessed for qualifications, (3) applicant referred or not referred, and (4) applicant selected or not selected.
You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJobs website at www.usajobs.gov/
and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging in to your USAJobs account, editing your profile, and changing the "Notification Settings" to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within two weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications:
Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments, experience and how it relates to the PTQs in the job announcement. Please Note: Responses to PTQ job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating.
Narrative responses to the PTQs: Do not write "see resume". Applicants are required to input narrative responses in the textboxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) and must be adhered to. Uploading documents addressing the PTQs will not be accepted.
A Writing Sample: No more than 15-20 pages that demonstrate the ability to analyze trademark matters in a concise and cogent manner. Your writing sample should be written by you and reflect your original work product, without significant editing by others.
Transcript (s): You must submit copies of your law school transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable, however, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts.
Bar Membership Documentation: You must submit documentation showing that you are 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.
Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50): Please submit a current SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee, that indicates federal status, grade, tenure, and type of service. Please redact your social security number and date of birth.
Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable: Attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the USPTO considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor consideration in the hiring process. If you are eligible for veterans' preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with the supporting documentation, e.g., SF-15, DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation.
NOTE: Submit only the documents requested. Additional documents will not be reviewed by the rating panel.
Your application and all required documentation must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the closing date of this job announcement. Review your resume and responses carefully. Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your application package may result in adjustments to your rating. A Human Resources Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the hiring official.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
******If you are currently, or have been within the last five years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information in your application.
You MUST apply online. If you experience difficulties with the application process or do not have access to a computer, please contact the HR Specialist listed as the point of contact before the closing date of this job announcement. If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account, you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page. Once you have gathered all of the required information and are ready to begin the application process, click the "APPLY" button at the right side of the page. You will then be directed away from USAJobs to the Department of Commerce application site for USPTO. You must click "Submit" at the end of the application process to send your application for consideration.
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov/ and click on "Applications." Click on the position title, then select "Update Application." If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! OPM has a Help feature on each page. Use this option when you need assistance. All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs "Saved Documents" feature.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is defined as information that can be traced back to a specific individual and potentially compromise their security or privacy. Examples of PII include: date of birth, Social Security Number, and place of birth. Please ensure that you have removed all PII from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your application material.
EXRD - Trademark Trial and Appeals Board
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
You will receive notification through USAJobs at each of the following points during the application process: (1) application received, (2) applicant assessed for qualifications, (3) applicant referred or not referred, and (4) applicant selected or not selected.
You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJobs website at www.usajobs.gov/
and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging in to your USAJobs account, editing your profile, and changing the "Notification Settings" to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within two weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
