Law Clerk

Duties

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria,Virginia.

Prior to the start date, you will be given the opportunity to elect to work from the Alexandria headquarters, from an alternate/home location within the United States (defined as the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico), or a combination of headquarters and alternate location. Your salary/pay will be based on your selected worksite geographical location. The nature and scope of telework opportunities will be subject to the unit's telework policy and any applicable bargaining unit agreements.

As a 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.
• Conduct preliminary review of applications which may pose complex factual and legal questions; analyze the record; evaluate facts; and determine questions of law.
• Recommend approval of a mark for publication for opposition or draft the final position of the Agency.
• Meet with counsel in order to resolve issues that arise during examination.
• Prepare cases for ex parte appeal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

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 ($64,957) per annum.

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 prior to being licensed as an 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 January 2024.

Note: If you are currently a licensed bar member, you are encouraged to apply to the Attorney Advisor vacancy under Job Announcement number TMCO-COMM-23-12035631-EX.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Applicants will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
• 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) Suitable for Federal employment.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a two-year trial period.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
• You must possess a Law Degree.

How You Will Be Evaluated

• Benefits

  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

  Review our benefits

  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

• Required Documents

  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

  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: You are strongly encouraged 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, non-award, SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action".
  
  3. Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable: Law Clerk 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 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. You may also find more information on positive consideration for attorney hiring.
  
  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. 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.
  
  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.

  Agency contact information

  Alicia Matute

  Phone

  571-270-0483

  Email

  alicia.matute@uspto.gov

  Address

  TMCO-Commissioner for Trademarks
  Office of Human Resources
  Mail Stop 171
  P.O. Box 1450
  Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
  US

  Next steps

  You will receive a notice generated by the USAJobs System when you have successfully submitted your application.
  
  You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." The four points of notification are:
  
  1. Application Received or Application Incomplete;
  2. Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Requirement Not Met;
  3. Eligible (Application Referred to the Selecting Official) or Eligible (Application Not Referred to the Selecting Official); 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 will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).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.

• Fair and Transparent

  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all U.S. Citizens or Nationals.