This position is located in the Office of the Solicitor, Office of General Counsel. The Senior Counsel for Trademark Policy and Litigation will serve as one of the recognized administrative and legal experts on all trademark and practitioner/agent discipline matters. The incumbent is responsible for rendering legal advice on trademark and discipline matters to the Under Secretary and Director, General Counsel, Solicitor, and other members of the USPTO.
Summary
This position is located in the Office of the Solicitor, Office of General Counsel. The Senior Counsel for Trademark Policy and Litigation will serve as one of the recognized administrative and legal experts on all trademark and practitioner/agent discipline matters. The incumbent is responsible for rendering legal advice on trademark and discipline matters to the Under Secretary and Director, General Counsel, Solicitor, and other members of the USPTO.
The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person. Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per calendar year.
The Senior Counsel for Trademark Policy and Litigation serves as the administrative and legal expert for the entire USPTO on domestic and international intellectual property policy that involves trademark matters, and in that capacity may be consulted in connection with positions taken by the USPTO in litigation, rulemaking, or legislative efforts. The Senior Counsel for Trademark Policy and Litigation will also oversee all federal court litigation involving trademark matters in which the USPTO is affected. This position requires a high level of professional legal expertise in rendering advisory legal and administrative opinions relative to trademarks on a wide range of complex issues.
Additional duties and responsibilities of the Senior Counsel for Patent Law and Litigation include, but are not limited to the following:
Coordinating with the Solicitor's Office's efforts in district court litigation involving trademarks and disciplinary actions.
Attending meetings on behalf of the Solicitor or Deputy Solicitor.
Being prepared to serve as Acting Solicitor in the Solicitor's absence or as Acting Deputy Solicitor in the Deputy Solicitor's absence.
Reviewing proposed revisions to statutes, rules, Trademark Manuel of Examining Procedure (TMEP) and reviews Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TT AB) decisions prior to publication as precedent authority.
Advising and conducting training for Special Counsels and Associate Solicitors.
Handling other matters as assigned by the Solicitor or General Counsel.
Click "Print View" to review the entire announcement before applying.
Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
You are required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
If this is your first federal appointment, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period. Current federal service employees may be given a new appointment, and a new probationary period may be required.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.
Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) will be required within the first 30 days of appointment.
Qualifications
To meet the minimum requirements for a Senior Level position, candidates must be a recognized subject matter expert with directly related experience. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at the GS-15 or equivalent level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector. Candidates must demonstrate their experience meets the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) for this position in their two-page resume and this experience must have been at a sufficiently high level of difficulty to clearly show the candidate possesses the required subject matter expertise and technical qualifications set forth below.
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.
To be considered, the resume must not exceed two pages. Written narratives for the Professional Technical Qualifications are not required. Candidates must demonstrate their experience meets the Professional Technical Qualifications for this position in their two-page resume.
PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (PTQS):
Knowledge of trademark, trade dress and unfair competition law and policy issues that relate trademark law, both domestically and internationally.
Ability to oversee and litigate federal court cases on behalf of the USPTO that involve trademark matters.
There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the PTQs.
Education
A.) Education Requirement: Must have successfully completed a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from an accredited educational institution; B.)Bar Membership: Must have a current active bar membership from any State, territory, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, or Federal Court.
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov.
Additional information
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
OPM must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Noncareer SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed above. PTQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.
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.
Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
1. RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a two-page resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES). To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view resume tips. Resume should clearly state your experience related to this position as described in the Duties section and Qualifications section.
2. VACANCY QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES: Responses are automatically submitted through USA Jobs when you apply to this vacancy.
3. EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected and not already on file. See "Education" for more details.
4. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: If selected, you will be required to submit an original Certificate of Good Standing from your State Bar if not already received by the agency.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete this application and submit any required documents specified in the Required Documents section and submit by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select and upload your résumé and/or other required documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the "Include Personal Information" section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume and other required documents) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail. Due to security processes, mail delivery takes approximately 2-3 weeks to process at which time the vacancy announcement will be closed, and no further consideration will be given to additional application packages.
EXRD - Office of the General Counsel
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, sign in to your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
1. RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a two-page resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES). To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view resume tips. Resume should clearly state your experience related to this position as described in the Duties section and Qualifications section.
2. VACANCY QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES: Responses are automatically submitted through USA Jobs when you apply to this vacancy.
3. EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected and not already on file. See "Education" for more details.
4. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: If selected, you will be required to submit an original Certificate of Good Standing from your State Bar if not already received by the agency.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete this application and submit any required documents specified in the Required Documents section and submit by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select and upload your résumé and/or other required documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the "Include Personal Information" section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume and other required documents) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail. Due to security processes, mail delivery takes approximately 2-3 weeks to process at which time the vacancy announcement will be closed, and no further consideration will be given to additional application packages.
EXRD - Office of the General Counsel
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, sign in to your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
