General Attorney - Intellectual Property

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is seeking a General Attorney - Intellectual Property in the Contracting, Budget, Real Estate, and Leasing subgroup, a component of the Litigation and Administrative Practice Group. As a General Attorney - Intellectual Property, you will provide legal advice and represent the Commission in matters involving Intellectual Property and related issues. You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts or equivalent by the closing date of the announcement. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Internal Applicants: OHR will verify education qualifications for internal applicants using documents in the Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). If required transcripts or certificates are not present in your eOPF, you will be required to provide them to OHR. If selected, a start date will not be established until official transcripts are received.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. For more information, click here.

Applicants may also find the following helpful:
National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is an association of 19 credential evaluation services with admission standards and an enforced code of good practice.

Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE) is an association of 10 credential evaluation services with a board of advisors and an enforced code of ethics. This position is in the Contracting, Budget, Real Estate, and Leasing subgroup, a component of the Litigation and Administrative Practice Group in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The subgroup provides legal and policy advice to the Commission and the SEC's divisions and offices on a wide range of legal matters including procurement, appropriations, real estate, leasing and intellectual property, and defends the Commission in administrative and federal court litigation.

In this role as a General Attorney - Intellectual Property, you will be responsible for:

• Providing legal advice to the Commission on intellectual property law matters (primarily copyright and trademark), and responding to potential infringement and misuse of the Commission's trademarks and agency seal in fraudulent schemes.
• Litigating patent and other intellectual property (IP)-related disputes, including serving as team lead where appropriate, and coordinating with outside counsel as necessary to further the agency's interests in litigation and proceedings.
• Overseeing the maintenance and protection of the Commission's registered trademarks, official seal, and related branding, including drafting necessary filings with the Patent & Trademark Office, monitoring reports of potential trademark infringement, drafting cease and desist letters to potential infringers, and drafting licensing agreements for appropriate third-party use of the SEC's registered marks.
• Advising Commission offices and divisions on intellectual property law, including copyright, patent, and trademark issues.
• Investigating and taking appropriate action against advanced fee frauds and other schemes involving the misappropriation of Commission intellectual property and/or impersonation of SEC employees, and identifying and implementing process improvements for such matters.
• Advising Commission offices and divisions on new and novel uses of data resources, social media, online technologies, and related services, including reviewing and/or negotiating terms of service agreements for government-compatible data rights and data usage provisions and other policy-related issues.
• Advising the Assistant General Counsel and Associate General Counsel regarding difficult, complex, and/or novel issues within their expertise, and serving as a resource and subject matter expert for others.

Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Please check the How You Will Be Evaluated and Required Documents sections carefully, as missing documents will render the application incomplete and ineligible for review.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. 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. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: All applicants must possess the following:

• J.D. or LL.B. degree --AND--
• Active membership of the bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (Note: proof of bar membership will be required before entry on duty.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement, applicants must also meet the Minimum Qualification requirement.

SK-14: Applicant must have three (3) years of post J.D. work experience independently identifying legal issues, providing legal analyses, providing legal solutions/recommendations, and preparing legal documents, such as memoranda, briefs, pleadings, and motions which also includes at least two (2) years:

1. Providing legal advice (both written and oral) to clients on legal issues in intellectual property law, including in areas such as patent enforcement, trademark maintenance and enforcement, copyright law, and/or licensing agreements and releases; AND
2. Representing federal agencies or other clients in litigation; AND
3. Drafting legal memoranda, legal documents, or reports pertaining to intellectual property law.

ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES: Your Accomplishment Record narratives should address the following competencies. See the How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more information:

Civil Litigation - Implements litigation strategies and represents the Commission in court or administrative proceedings.
Workload Management - Effectively prioritizes workload in a way that accommodates unforeseen developments and achieves successful outcomes
Critical Thinking - Considers a variety of factors, general and subject matter-specific, when making decisions and determining next steps in a case.
Teamwork and Collaboration - Interacts with internal and external stakeholders in a manner that advances SEC goals and objectives.