This position is located in the Office of the Commissioner for Trademarks, Trademark Examining Operation and will serve as the Supervisory Senior Attorney for one of the law offices in the Trademark Examining Operation (TMEO). Primarily, responsibility will be in providing advice, counsel, and/or instruction to the attorney advisors in the law office(s) on the most difficult legal questions that arise during examination, as well as assisting the managing attorney with managerial matters.
Duties
The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. 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 Supervisory Attorney Advisor (Trademark) has the full range of supervisory responsibility for a staff of twenty to thirty GS-11 to GS-14 attorney advisors. The incumbent of this position will serve as the Senior Attorney for one of the law offices in the Trademark Examining Operation (TMEO), assisting the managing attorney in supervising a trademark law office. As a Supervisory Attorney Advisor (Trademark), this role is the ideal next career step for you if: You have strong management and interpersonal skills to manage all aspects of the trademark examining law office which includes establishing operating guidelines to implement policies and procedures, methods and other work-related changes in the law office; You're committed to providing advice, counsel, or instruction to individual trademark examining employees on the most difficult professional and legal questions as well as administrative matters; You have the ability to plan work to be done by the unit in the development of new, and maintenance of existing office goals and for setting priorities and preparing schedules for completion of work; You are able to examine the most complex applications for trademarks that involve new or novel questions of law, great economic impact, and distinguished legal adversaries; You're interested in participating in legal policy development and recommending actions to improve operations to meet Agency goals; and developing and implementing training programs for new trademark examining attorneys. You have enthusiasm for managing employees who are exploring alternative work methods and providing feedback to management on their effects on examination tools and performance. You're looking for an opportunity to supervise business units that test new technologies by assisting in the evaluation of innovative tools for trademark examination, such as artificial intelligence. You are interested in overseeing trials of new work structures and processes, while offering recommendations to management for streamlining operations and resolving issues.
Salary
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 www.opm.gov. 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. GS-14 For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-13. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience working with Trademark statutes, case law, rules of practice regarding Trademark operational requirements, practices, procedures, pre-examination, publication and issue, the intent-to-use, and post registration; knowledge of USPTO and Trademark program goals, objectives, business priorities and public policy issues; experience applying legal, factual and marketplace issues related to the prosecution of trademark and service mark applications to a variety of International Classes. AND Professional legal/law is legal experience, Post J.D., giving legal advice with respect to questions, regulations, practices, etc. of the Federal government, law firm, or private industry; preparing interpretative orders, rules, decisions, or opinions to give effect to the provisions of statutes or laws; drafting, negotiating, or examining legal documents; drafting, preparing formal comments, or making substantive recommendations regarding legal work product; drafting, editing and preparing legal guidelines; drafting and reviewing decisions for adoption by an organization or official; conducting investigations to obtain facts; determining questions of law; evaluating legal precedents to offer findings/make recommendations; recommending policies and developing procedures or regulations to implement new or amended legislation; acting as legal, general or senior counsel to a major firm or organization; developing and implementing written training or guidance; providing instruction in a classroom setting. GS-15 For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-14. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience working with Trademark statutes, case law, rules of practice regarding Trademark operational requirements, practices, procedures, pre-examination, publication and issue, the intent-to-use, and post registration; knowledge of USPTO and Trademark program goals, objectives, business priorities and public policy issues; experience applying legal, factual and marketplace issues related to the prosecution of trademark and service mark applications to a variety of International Classes; experience supervising or managing a legal staff or the ability to supervise or manage a subordinate staff to effectively lead, motivate, evaluate, and set goals and objectives; experience organizing and directing the training of attorneys in classroom or individual settings; and skill in oral and written communication. AND Professional Legal/Law Experience is defined as having experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled in the area of trademark law. This experience is characterized by breadth and depth of experience in rendering professional legal advice and services with respect to questions, regulations, practices, or other matters falling within the purview of a Federal government agency, private sector, law firm, or other organization; preparing interpretative and administrative orders, rules, or regulations to give effect to the provisions of governing statutes or other requirements of law; drafting, negotiating, or examining contracts or other legal documents; drafting, preparing formal comments, or making substantive recommendations regarding proposed legislation; editing and preparing for publication statutes enacted by Congress and opinions or decisions of a court, commission, or board; drafting and reviewing decisions for consideration and adoption by an organization or official; conducting investigations to obtain facts; determines questions of law; studies, analyzes and evaluates legal precedents, to present findings. Legal work is described as extremely complex and difficult and requires a high order of original and creative legal endeavor in balancing conflicting interests; has broad or wide-scope impact on an economy, industry, private or public interests; and may involve directly or indirectly very large sums of money. Work may also involve acting as principal attorney in charge of the preparation and presentation of cases; recommending policies and developing procedures and regulations to implement new or amended legislation; and acting as legal, general or senior counsel to a major firm or organization. The incumbent must possess the following supervisory competencies to be successful in this position: Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for mistakes. Complies with established control systems and rules. Customer Service: Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement. Decisiveness: Makes well-informed, effective, and timely decisions, even when data are limited or solutions produce unpleasant consequences; perceives the impact and implications of decisions. Flexibility: Is open to change and new information; rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles. Integrity/Honesty: Behaves in an honest, fair, and ethical manner. Shows consistency in words and actions. Models high standards of ethics. Interpersonal Skills: Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect. Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations. Oral Communication: Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed. Problem Solving: Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations. Resilience: Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks. Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. 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 or a Juris Doctor J.D.) degree from an accredited law school. 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 General Schedule Qualification Policies 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.
Required Documents
A complete application consists of the following Supporting Documents: 1. A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications; optional cover letter: Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including titles, salary, employment dates, duties, experience and how it relates to the specialized experience in the job announcement. 2. Law School Transcripts: You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are accepted, however, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above educational requirement. Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration. 3. 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. This letter and/or certificate should be dated within the last six months of the closing date of this job announcement. If you are unable to obtain this information by the closing date of this announcement, you must contact the HR Specialist listed on this announcement to make other arrangements prior to the closing date of the announcement. 4. 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. You may also find more information on positive consideration for attorney hiring. You can upload your documents when you register or update your information on the Dept. of Commerce site which you access through the USAJobs site. Your application and all required documents must be received by 11:59 pm ET on the closing date of this job announcement. NOTE: The preceding documents requirement are based on job requirements and individual applicant eligibility. Not all documents are applicable to all applicants; if you are unsure which documents apply to you, contact the HR Specialist listed on this announcement.
How to Apply
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) 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 Personally Identifiable Information from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your applications material.
