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The EPA’s Office of General Counsel is seeking a Patent Attorney in the General Law Office (GLO). GLO invites talented attorneys to apply for the Patent Attorney position, located in Washington, DC. For more information on this office, visit our website: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-general-counsel-ogc#glo.
Learn more about this agency11/07/2024 to 11/22/2024
$99,200 - $128,956 per year
GS 12
1 vacancy in the following location:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - You may be required to travel less than 1 to 5 days per month.
No
Permanent
Full-time
Excepted
14 - When entering a Federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses.
No
No
Yes
OGC-2025-0001
818125000
About the General Law Office
The Office of General Counsel (OGC) serves as the chief legal advisor to the Agency's senior management and program offices on Agency rules, permits, response actions, implementation actions, litigation and legislation. OGC lawyers also work with attorneys in the Department of Justice to represent the Agency in defensive litigation in the federal courts. OGC attorneys routinely engage in challenging issues, addressing complex, and often novel or cutting-edge legal issues. They also develop strong analytical, problem solving and communications skills while working closely with their program policy clients, other OGC colleagues, other agencies and outside stakeholder groups. OGC prides itself on its core values of excellence, community, work- life balance, integrity and respect.
The General Law Office is one of several law offices that comprise OGC and consists of four practice group areas- information management law, information access law, employment and labor law and information technology and intellectual property law (IPIT). Incumbent provides national legal advice on issues involving patents, copyrights, trademarks, data rights, and other forms of intellectual property to the EPA Office of Research and Development, the EPA laboratories, and other EPA program offices. The incumbent handles policy and regulatory issues presented under the Federal Technology Transfer Act and handles related administrative filings, judicial litigation, and Congressional initiatives, inquiries, and briefings.
As the Patent Attorney in this position, you will:
Applicant must have an LL.M., LLB., or J.D. degree from an accredited law school; must be admitted to practice before the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and must maintain active status as a member of the bar of one of these jurisdictions. Incumbent should have experience in providing legal advice and counsel at EPA, other federal, state or local agencies, or courts, non-governmental organizations, or in private practice demonstrating competencies relevant to the duties listed above.
Applicant must be registered to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office.
If you are selected, you must complete a one-year trial period.
The ideal candidate will have a very strong academic and employment record, including evidence of nuanced legal analysis with respect to both statutory construction and applicable case law, excellent research and writing skills, superior oral and written communication, strong interpersonal skills, initiative and self-motivation, the ability to work effectively in a team and independently, a commitment to public service, and mature judgement and the ability to work with diverse persons and perspectives. Knowledge and relevant experience in administrative law, environmental law, information law, litigation or some combination thereof, preferred but not required.
To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, applicants must have one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-11 grade level: Performing legal analysis on complex and difficult legal issues; formulating recommendations to senior managers for review by supervisors; and preparing and assisting in filing, composing pleadings, briefs, and other court documents involving legal issues in counseling or litigation. Examples of specialized experience include:
"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through national service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.
Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Environmental Protection Agency considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
More information on the 1222 Patent Attorney position is available below by selecting the link:
POSITION CLASSIFICATION STANDARD FOR PATENT ATTORNEY SERIES, GS-1222
If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Form prior to your first day of employment and annually thereafter.
This position is designated as a High Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation
To meet minimum eligibility requirements for this position, applicants must possess at least a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree or Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA accredited law school.
This position requires a completed full four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a Bachelor's degree in a scientific, technological, or engineering field.
At EPA, diversity is a vital element in bringing a balance of perspectives to bear on every challenge we face. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce because we know that the individual strengths and abilities of our employees make us a stronger organization. The more inclusive our employee base is, the greater the variety of ideas that are generated, and the more representative we are of the nation we serve. To learn more about how EPA values and supports our diverse workforce, visit Equal Opportunity Employment at EPA. You can also hear a diverse group of attorneys talk about their careers at EPA on the Legal Careers at EPA Webinar.
It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual’s employment experience will be used only to determine the person’s qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual’s personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination. For more information, visit https://hru.gov/Studio_Recruitment/tools/Mythbuster_on_Federal_Hiring_Policies
These positions are in the bargaining unit.
EPA participates in e-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. For additional information: http://www.epa.gov/careers/epa-job-vacancy-announcements-policies-and-procedures.
If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.
This position is in the excepted service. Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status; however, this position is covered for the purpose of federal retirement and benefits.
Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed above.
If you are selected, you will be expected to report to work as soon as practical but no later than thirty (30) days from the date you receive a final job offer. Extension of this reporting requirement may be granted only under extraordinary circumstances.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Initially, you will be evaluated based on the information contained in your resume packet. If an interview is granted, you will be evaluated based on the responses you provide during an interview. In responding to interview questions, you should be sure to cite specific examples of experience, explain exactly what you did and the outcome.
There is no numerical rating system for applying veteran’s preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Office of General Counsel considers veteran’s preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.
Documents to be submitted online and should be provided as one, consolidated PDF document in the following order, uploaded under the Supporting Documentation Tab:
NOTE: You should ensure your social security number, date of birth, and any other personal information are redacted.
To learn more about submitting documentation, visit Uploading Documents to USAJOBS.
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.
You are strongly encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application for this position.
To begin the application process, click the Apply button to the top right on this screen, follow the prompts to log-in/register, submit all required documents, and complete the assessment questionnaire. To be considered, you must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the day the announcement closes.
All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS document portfolio feature.
If you cannot apply online, you must contact the Human Resources Office listed below for assistance no later than three business days prior to the closing date of this announcement. You must provide complete application materials by the day the announcement closes.
For detailed instructions to assist you in ensuring your application package is received, go to EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
EPA provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. Decisions for granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.
The National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators will provide assistance to you, the Human Resources Office, and/or the hiring official as needed. For more information, see Reasonable Accommodation.
The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 60 days of the closing date of this announcement. You will be notified of the outcome.
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/818125000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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