Attorney Advisor (Copyright)

⁠​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌⁠As a Copyright legal and policy analyst and liaison, the employee is responsible for performing a variety of legal activities regarding legislation and the legal impact on intellectual property matters, agency policy, strategic planning, international treaty obligations and agreements, and the USPTO, Department of Commerce, and various stakeholders.

The education requirement for this position is a conferred Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Masters of Laws (L.L.M). from an accredited college or university.

You are required to submit a copy of your law degree transcripts prior to the close of this vacancy announcement.

If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to General Schedule Qualification Policies for more information. You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person. Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per calendar year.

This position is located in the Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

This role is the ideal next career step for you if:

• You enjoy assisting the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the USPTO in advising the President, through the Secretary of Commerce and Federal agencies, on domestic and international intellectual property issues as well as U.S. treaty obligations.
• You look forward to rendering legal advice and guidance, as well as technical assistance and analysis involving copyright law on an international scale regarding obligations in bilateral and multilateral treaties and trade agreements and implementation of those obligations.
• You enjoy preparing briefing materials, papers, analyses, and testimony, as needed for the Under Secretary and other senior USPTO officials and Department of Commerce officials with respect to legislative items or policy initiatives on which the USPTO is requested to testify.
• You are excited to support the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Department of State and other U.S. Government agencies in international negotiations and consultations, and assist with the drafting, reviewing, and implementation of intellectual property obligations in bilateral and multilateral treaties and trade agreements.
• You are enthusiastic about keeping senior management apprised of all action on pending legislation, regulatory developments, or policy discussions of interest to the USPTO for which the incumbent has been assigned responsibility.
• You are eager to provide and participate in technical assistance and capacity-building programs and conferences to foreign governments seeking to develop or improve their intellectual property laws and regulations; and to improve the level of expertise of those responsible for intellectual property rights enforcement and the overall environment for enforcement.

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at General Attorney Series 0905

Specialized Experienceis experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

GS-14: Candidates for the GS-14 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-13 grade level in the Federal service in the following:

• Experience in providing legal or policy advice on copyright law or legislation.
• Experience in performing legal research, including case law, statutory analysis, and legislative history.
• Experience in interpreting, applying, evaluating, analyzing, and assessing domestic or international copyright laws, policy, and principles.
• Experience in conveying legal analysis and information orally and in writing through legal memos or briefs, consultations, or other presentations.

GS-15: Candidates for the GS-15 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-14 grade level in the Federal service in the following:

• Experience in independently providing legal or policy advice on copyright law or legislation.
• Experience in independently performing legal research, including case law, statutory analysis, and legislative history.
• Experience in independently interpreting, applying, evaluating, analyzing, and assessing domestic or international copyright laws, policy, and principles.
• Experience in independently conveying legal analysis and information orally and in writing through legal memos or briefs, consultations, or other presentations.

Professional Legal Experience: In addition to the required specialized experience, applicants must possess the following professional law/legal experience listed below:

GS-14: 3 years of professional legal experience, post JD.
GS-15: 4 years of professional legal experience, post JD.

*Professional Legal experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. This experience is characterized by breadth and depth of experience in rendering professional legal advice and services with respect to questions, regulations, practices, or other matters falling within the purview of a Federal government agency, private sector, law firm, or other organizations; preparing interpretive and administrative orders, rules, or regulations to give effect to the provisions of governing statutes or other requirements of law; drafting, negotiating, or examining contracts or other legal documents; drafting, preparing formal comments, or making substantive recommendations regarding proposed legislation; editing and preparing for publication statutes enacted by Congress and opinions or decisions of a court, commission, or board; drafting and reviewing decisions for consideration and adoption by an organization or official; conducting investigations to obtain facts; determining questions of law; and studying, analyzing, and evaluating legal precedents-to present findings.

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.