Attorney Advisor

The U.S. International Trade Commission is an independent Federal agency that provides the President and Congress with high-quality analysis and technical support on international trade, tariff and competitiveness issues; investigates and makes determinations in proceedings involving imports claimed to injure a domestic industry or violate U.S. intellectual property rights; and maintains the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.

This position is included in the bargaining unit, AFGE Local 2211. In addition to the specialized experience and educational requirements above, applicants must currently be a member in good standing of the Bar of a state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

You are required to submit proof of your Bar membership as part of your application package to show that you meet this requirement.

Applicants must possess at least a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree or a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.

You MUST submit a copy of your transcript(s) or list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the 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 provide such evidence when applying. Click on the link for a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials: http://www.naces.org/members.htm. The position is located in the Office of the Administrative Law Judges, USITC.

The ideal candidate for this position would possess experience in substantive areas of intellectual property and/or unfair competition law, as well as experience in litigation, and have a record of superior achievement in legal education.

The candidate would possess superior writing and organizational skills, and the ability to handle a large volume of information with careful attention to accuracy and detail.

As an Attorney-Advisor, you will:

• Serve as an attorney under limited supervision of an ALJ and provide legal expertise to the ALJ in support of complex investigations of alleged unfair import practices.
• Provide legal expertise in other intellectual property right matters (i.e., patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets).
• Prepare memoranda on legal issues and make appropriate recommendations to the ALJ.
• Respond to oral and written inquiries from members of the public or the bar regarding status of the investigation process, as appropriate.
• Assist the ALJ in conducting legal research, drafting orders and decisions, and reviewing and analyzing arguments and evidence.

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements, including education, and any selective placement factors described below by the closing date of this announcement. Education may only be substituted in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to be credited towards qualifications. Applicants must have the general and specialized experience outlined below which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

GS-14: Applicants must have at least four years of experience which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. This experience must consist of the following: one year of general experience which is defined as professional legal experience of a broad, general nature, not requiring specialization or expertise in a specific area or type of law AND three years of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: patent litigation, intellectual property litigation, unfair competition law, administrative law, and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC.

GS-15: Applicants must have at least five years of experience which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. This experience must consist of the following: one year of general experience which is defined as professional legal experience of a broad, general nature, not requiring specialization or expertise in a specific area or type of law AND four years of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: patent litigation, intellectual property litigation, unfair competition law, administrative law, and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC.