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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 Jobs Website.
Learn more about this agency02/19/2021 to 03/02/2021
$0 - $0 per year
GS 00
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Not required
No
Seasonal - Excepted Service Appointment.
Full-Time
Excepted
00 - No promotion potential.
No
No
A-2021-0002
592881900
All law school students who that have completed at least two years of law school by the start date and are United States citizens/nationals.
This vacancy is limited to the first 200 applications received. All applications received prior to midnight (11:59 ET) of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered. If the application limit is not reached by the closing date of the announcement, all applications received during the open period will be considered. Any required documents must be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted past the day the application limit is reached, if applicable.
The USPTO is seeking outstanding candidates for a Summer Legal Externship Program to assist in our mission. The program is scheduled to begin on or after June 1, 2021, and end no later than August 20, 2021. Please note that this program is completely virtual and will be done in a remote work environment. We ask that our externs commit to at least eight weeks of service.
A law student externship with the USPTO offers a unique and challenging experience with an opportunity to work on some of the most significant, complex, and challenging legal matters facing the USPTO and the intellectual property community.
The USPTO Trademark Law Student Extern Program is tailored for law students with an interest in trademark law and the U.S. trademark registration process, although some research may touch upon international trademark law issues and related intellectual property issues. The program is intended to give students an opportunity to experience what it is like to work at the PTO, as well as interact with experts, explore opportunities and develop or enhance personal and professional skills. Opportunities may be in offered in all or some of the following offices: Trademark Examination, Trademark Examination Policy, Office of the Solicitor, and/or the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board.
As an extern you may be responsible for providing the following legal and administrative support activities, among others: handling research requests from examination to help determine the registrability of trademarks under the Trademark Act (Lanham Act), researching and drafting legal memos on questions arising from new case law, participating in examining attorney training activities, and researching issues presented in cases before the administrative board or other courts.
Must have completed at least two years of law school [or completed three years if they are a night or part-time student] in a qualifying educational institution by the start date, and be currently enrolled not less than half-time in an accredited law school.
Acceptance of applications for this announcement will be limited to students that will have completed at least two years of law school by the start date. An eligible student is an individual enrolled in law school pursuing a Juris Doctor degree. Successful candidates must have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills, and be in good academic standing at his/her university. Student externs must be United States citizens. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
To be eligible for this externship ALL of the following requirements must be met:
Law Student Status: Acceptance of applications for this announcement will be limited to students that will have completed at least two years of law school. Law school graduates are not eligible for law student volunteer positions. An eligible student is an individual who is enrolled in law school pursuing a Juris Doctor Degree and is taking at least half-time academic course load in an accredited university. Successful candidates must have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills, and be in good academic standing at his/her university.
Citizenship: Student externs must be United States citizens or owe permanent allegiance to the United States. (Currently, natives of American Samoa, Swains Island and certain inhabitants of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are the only groups that owe permanent allegiance to the United States.
Law Student Volunteer Intern/Extern Agreement: All externs are required to sign the Participant Agreement. Prior to entering on duty, the student will disclose, as soon as possible, any stipend or compensation for work done as part of this program in sufficient time to permit appropriate ethics/professional responsibility. Disclosures will include the sponsor's (paying entity's) identity, a copy of the sponsorship agreement, and the amount of compensation. Students must provide a copy of the sponsorship agreement.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov
OR
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.
Applicants applying for this position must be a United States Citizen or National.
The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website. Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid.
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.
There is no testing, rating of applicants for this program. Eligibility for appointment is based on applicants meeting the basic requirements for the position as documented in the resume.
Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for immediate dismissal.
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).
A complete application consists of:
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 job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments, experience.
2. Transcripts and/or an Official Letter for Proof of Enrollment for the upcoming semester at a qualifying educational institution: You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable when submitting your application package. However, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts. Also, proof of enrollment is required upon selection for the externship. 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.
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)
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.
Your application and all required documentation must be received by 11:59 pm EST on the closing date of this job announcement.
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. Failure to submit requested documents or information within 5 business days of receiving the request may result in your application not receiving further consideration.
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/592881900. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
8-12 week volunteer program (unpaid)
The Law Student Externship is intended to give law school students a virtual experience what it's like to work at PTO, as well as interact with experts in intellectual property, explore opportunities and develop or enhance personal and professional skills. You will conduct meaningful activities from the comfort and convenience of your own home. As a law student extern with the USPTO, you will be working with the largest Intellectual Property Rights entity in the nation.
