Summary
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.
Responsibilities
The Office of Commissioner Peter-Anthony Pappas seeks a candidate who is thorough and detail-oriented, with experience in patents and the other substantive areas of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S. § 1337). The candidate would possess superior writing, communication, and organizational skills, and the ability to handle large volumes of information with attention to detail, and with minimal supervision. As an Attorney Advisor (337) you will: Provide analysis and advice related to investigations pertaining to intellectual property rights and unfair methods of competition brought under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930; Prepare the Commissioner for hearings, briefings, votes, and other proceedings through concise written and oral briefings, questions, and recommendations; Draft and review Commission opinions, memoranda, statements, questions, and other legal documents; Review briefs, patents, decisions, hearing transcripts and other investigation-related documents and evidence in assigned cases under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. Preferred Experience: Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Please provide your USPTO registration number in your resume. Experience with litigation matters under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. NOTE: THIS POSITION WILL BE FILLED USING THE SCHEDULE C HIRING AUTHORITY. AGENCIES MAY SEPARATE SCHEDULE C APPOINTEES AT ANY TIME IF THE CONFIDENTIAL OR POLICY-DETERMINING RELATIONSHIP ENDS BETWEEN THE INCUMBENT AND THEIR SUPERVISOR. SCHEDULE C APPOINTEES ARE NOT COVERED BY STATUTORY REMOVAL PROCEDURES AND GENERALLY HAVE NO RIGHTS TO APPEAL REMOVAL ACTIONS TO THE MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD.
Qualifications
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. In addition, it is preferred applicant be registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). You will be required to submit proof of your Bar membership as part of your application package to show that you meet this requirement. Any offer is contingent on receipt of a letter or certificate of good standing for each bar of which the applicant is an active member dated within 30 days of any offer. Applicants must meet all of 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 that provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. To qualify at the GS-15 level, applicants must have at least five years of experience that have provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position. This experience consist of the following: district court practice and/or appellate litigation concerning intellectual property; unfair trade investigations conducted under the authority of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. 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 (4) years of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: appellate litigation; overseeing and/or leading others in analyzing complex issues affecting federal regulatory matters and questions of law and fact and rendering opinions on such issues; directing and conducting in-depth, complex legal research on authorities and precedents on points of law; reviewing and analyzing pleadings and other position papers on controversial and complex issues; writing and directing others in writing detailed and complex documents including briefs, issue papers, reports, policy statements, and summaries with recommendations or conclusions (writing sample may be required during the second level review); and providing legal guidance to attorneys and other professionals related to international trade.
Education
Education Requirement: All applicants must possess a first professional law degree: J.D. or LL.B from an American Bar Association Law School, or equivalent training. Equivalent training is training permitted in some states in lieu of attendance at a law school. To be acceptable, this training must be of the kind and nature required by the state in which the bar exam is taken. A copy of your transcript(s) is required to show proof that you meet this requirement. Please see the Required Documents section of the announcement for more specific information. 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.