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U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Legal Administrative Specialist (Chief Clerk)

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office See More Job Openings by This EmployerArrow
  • Full Time
  • $121,785 - $158,322/year
  • Alexandria, VA
March 19, 2026 Administrative Assistant

Job Description


Duties

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.

This position serves as the Chief Clerk of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. This is your next ideal career move if:

  • You have the ability to analyze cross-functional issues, assess legal/regulatory impacts on the division's legal/judicial programs, and propose operational improvements.
  • You have a strong administrative background to oversee division legal work outcomes, spot issues needing executive decisions, and determine when to elevate matters to senior leadership.
  • You can independently analyze litigation, case-review, and operational data; identify trends; and produce concise reports and visuals for senior leadership.
  • You're a collaborative relationship builder and can engage with Senior Counsel, interlocutory attorneys, and judges; clarifying processes; liaise on remands/reconsiderations; handle escalations; and deliver onboarding/training.
  • You have strong project management skills to lead projects and pilots; manage timelines and brief executives; develop implementation procedures; collaborate across Trademarks and division analysts; and maintain current technical Q&As for the division call center.
  • You have a keen eye to draft orders; manage concurrent-use dockets/conversions; and serve as SME for remands/ex parte exceptions, appeals oversight, WIPO transmissions, judicial reviews, and letters rogatory.


Requirements
Conditions of employment
  • Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
  • Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
  • Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
  • If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
  • You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
  • Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
  • Suitable for Federal Employment.
Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at General Legal and Kindred Administration Series 0901

Specialized Experienceis 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-12. Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Experience working with, and understanding, trademark law, the Trademark Act, the Trademark Rules of Practice, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, and controlling administrative and court precedents.
  • Experience conducting legal research and writing, and drafting clear legally-sufficient orders, findings, legal documents, or instruments for issuance or submission under delegated authority.
  • Experience serving as a focal point for resolving complex stakeholder questions, coordinating cross-functional resources, developing policy or process recommendations, and packaging complex findings into clear, actionable recommendations that enable senior leaders to make timely, informed decisions.
  • Experience applying and understanding court and legal practices, terminology, and case flow management techniques, while reviewing and tracking decisions under judicial review at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and at U.S. District Court.

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

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level.

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 "moderate."

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.

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.

CTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: OPM CTAP/ICTAP.

CTAP documentation requirements are listed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement.

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 USPTO Reasonable 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 sexual orientation), national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, retaliation for engaging in protected activity, 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 via email (oeeo@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).

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.

Salary
  • $121,785 - $158,322/year


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