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Come work for the USPTO, we have been ranked as one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government®! The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been serving the economic interests of America for more than 200 years. We are responsible for granting US intellectual property rights for patents and trademarks. The USPTO is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and has over 12,000 employees. For more information about the USPTO, please visit the USPTO Careers Website.
Learn more about this agency10/16/2020 to 11/02/2020
$59,534 - $77,396 per year
GS 09
No
Not required
No
Permanent - Excepted Service Appointment.
Full-time - This is a Full-Time, Permanent
Excepted
09
No
No
TMO-2021-0001
581831600
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Current excepted service federal employees.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Applications will be accepted from all United States Citizens and Nationals.
This is an entry-level position.
As law clerk, 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. Issues that may arise during the examination include: likelihood of confusion, ownership, use of the mark in commerce, descriptive or generic uses of the mark, acquired distinctiveness, functionality and/or ornamentation.
You will conduct preliminary review of applications which may pose complex factual and legal questions; analyze the record; evaluate facts; and determine questions of law. You will recommend approval of a mark for publication for opposition or draft the final position of the Agency.
You may meet with counsel in order to resolve issues that arise during examination. You will prepare cases for ex parte appeal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
This vacancy is developed for applicants seeking an Attorney Advisor position who currently have a J.D. and have plans to sit for the bar. If you are currently are a licensed bar member, you are encouraged to apply to the Attorney Advisor vacancy under Job Announcement number TMO-2021-0002.
Applicants hired under this vacancy announcement (except in particular circumstances concerning current and former Federal Government employees with significant relevant trademark experience) will have their grade and pay set at the GS-0904-09 Step 01 grade level at ($59,534) per annum.
Telework is not available for employees at the GS-09 grade level for this position.
Please DO NOT submit ANY documents that have not been specifically requested at the time of applying, therefore do not submit any writing sample that is not explicitly requested or required. Such documents will not be reviewed as part of your application package.
Upon ADMISSION TO THE BAR, the Law Clerk (GS-0904-09) position will be converted to the Attorney Advisor (GS-0905-11) position with a full performance level to the GS-14.
Applicants who apply to this vacancy as a "Non-Licensed" Attorney and are able to obtain licensure "Prior to the start date" may be hired at the GS-0905-11 grade level.
These positions are projected to start in March 2021 and May 2021.
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 (With active plan to sit for the Bar of any State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court Under the Constitution.
*Applicants must complete Bar Admission (Licensed and Sworn in) within fourteen (14) months of being hired in order to maintain employment.
If selected, these 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.
To meet minimum eligibility requirements for this position, applicants must possess at least a Masters of Laws (LL.M.) degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree or Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
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 an perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). 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.
Applicants applying for this position must be a United States Citizen.
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 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.
Trial Period- If selected, you will be required to complete an initial two-year trial period.
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.
Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management’s Career Transition Resources website
CTAP/ICTAP 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.
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).
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your supporting documentation.
A complete application consists of:
1. A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications; optional cover letter: You are strongly enouncouraged to upload a one- or two-page standard format resume (pdf or MS Word format) in addition or in lieu of any resume built on USAJobs. Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments. The submission of a cover letter briefly detailing your interest in the position is also strongly encouraged. Any experience claimed in a cover letter should be substantiated by information contained in your resume.
2. Law School Transcripts: 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. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above educational requirements. Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration.
Supporting documents that may be requested of applicants after the closing date of this announcement are:
1. Written Narrative - You may be asked to submit a writing sample at a later date in the form of a written narrative answering specific questions. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT ANY DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED AT THE TIME OF APPLYING. DO NOT SUBMIT ANY WRITING SAMPLE NOT EXPLICITY REQUESTED OR REQUIRED. SUCH DOCUMENTS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED AS PART OF THE APPLICATION.
2. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) - For current and/or former Federal employees, your status eligibility and highest permanent grade/step/salary held in the Federal service will be validated with a copy of your most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action".
3. Veterans’ Preference Documentation: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility, you will be asked to submit a copy of your DD-214 containing your discharge disposition, dates of service, and rank. If you are a preference eligible claiming a service connected disability of 10 percent or more, you will be asked to submit documentation (i.e. a letter dated 1991 or later from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces) certifying to the veteran’s present receipt of compensation. Veterans must include dates of military service within the automated application process, and submit a copy of each Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214. For more information, please visit Special Appointing Authorities for Veterans.
4. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) documentation: Applicants will be asked to submit:
(1) A copy of your specific RIF notice, written notice of your expected separation or other documentation of priority consideration status;
(2) A copy of your latest SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location;
(3) A copy of your last performance appraisal including your rating; and
(4) Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
You can choose ONE of the following methods to submit Supporting Documents:
1) You can upload your documents when you register or update your information on the Department of Commerce application site which you access through the USAJobs site.
OR
2) You can fax your documents to 571-258-4254 using the system generated fax cover sheet.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
PLEASE NOTE: Your application and all required documentation must be received by 11:59 pm EST on the closing date of this job announcement.
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.
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 ONLINE" 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.
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at MGSHELP@monster.com. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times.
All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs “Saved Documents” feature.
You can choose ONE of the following methods to submit supporting documents:
1) You can upload your documents when you register or update your information on the Department of Commerce application site which you access through the USAJobs site.
OR
2) You can fax your documents to 571-258-4254 using the system generated fax cover sheet.
NOTE: The preceding documentation requirements 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.
You will receive a notice generated by the USAJobs System when you have successfully submitted your application.
You will also 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) selected or not selected.
After all application packages have been received, we will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and you may be contacted for follow-up supplemental documentation. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide any supplemental documents or information requested by the Office of Human Resources within the allocated timeframes.
You can check the status of your application by logging into USAJOBS. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into 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 2 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.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/581831600. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
Join a dynamic and innovative agency that is leading the world in intellectual property rights and policy. As a law clerk, you will have to opportunity to become an expert in trademark law and prosecution and give entrepreneurs and businesses the ability to protect their brands and strengthen the U.S. economy.
