Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Position: Attorney Advisor, US International Trade Commission (Deadline: Sept. 25, 2013)

Job opening with a short deadline.  Of interest for those focused on IP issues . . .


Job Title:Attorney Advisor
Agency:U.S. International Trade Commission
Job Announcement Number:EX-13-074-JAS

SALARY RANGE:

$89,033.00 to $155,500.00 / Per Year

OPEN PERIOD:

Wednesday, September 11, 2013 to Wednesday, September 25, 2013

SERIES & GRADE:

GS-0905-13/15

POSITION INFORMATION:

Full Time - Excepted Service Term NTE Two Years

PROMOTION POTENTIAL:

15

DUTY LOCATIONS:

1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington DC, DC United StatesView Map

WHO MAY APPLY:

United States Citizens

JOB SUMMARY:

The USITC is an independent Federal agency that adjudicates import injury cases and provides the President and Congress with high quality analysis and technical support on international trade, tariff, and competitiveness issues.
Here, you will find a dynamic work environment, multi-disciplinary teams working on a variety of projects and products, a dedication to develop your technical skills, and a commitment to provide balance between your work and your personal life.
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, experience or educational background in a scientific field and 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.

    KEY REQUIREMENTS


  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Successful completion of a background investigation is required.
  • You may be required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement.
  • Proof of Bar membership is required.

DUTIES:

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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, analyze proposed settlement agreements and consent orders with regard to apparent impact on the public interest 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.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

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Applicants must meet all the required 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-13: Applicants must have at least three years of experience which consists 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 two years of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: intellectual property litigation, unfair competition law, administrative law, and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions, and agency determinations related to the USITC.
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: 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: intellectual property litigation;  unfair competition law, administrative law, and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions, and agency determinations related to the USITC.

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.


In additional 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 will be required to submit proof of your Bar membership as part of your application package to show that you meet this requirement.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
  • Knowledge of alleged unfair import practices
  • Knowledge of intellectual property right matters (ie., patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets)
  • Skill in oral and written communication
  • Knowledge of unfair competition law
Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience(s) and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. In order to fully evaluate your application and receive proper credit, your resume should include: (1) paid and non-paid experience, job title, dates held (month and year for qualifying purposes to receive credit), number of hours worked per week, and salary (2) knowledge of the subject matter and technical skills pertinent to this position; (3) specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work; and (4) names and phone numbers of your current and/or previous supervisor(s). Your resume should contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. This information should be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide information sufficient to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of consideration.

Upon closing of this announcement, we will first review your application to ensure it is complete. If you fail to submit all the required documentation, you will be ineligible for further review or consideration. Completed applications are then evaluated for basic qualifications requirements, and for the skills needed to perform the duties of the position, as described in the vacancy announcement and identified by the Selecting Official for the position.
To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: View Assessment Questions.

BENEFITS:

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Working for the U.S. International Trade Commission offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.  
The following Web address is provided for your reference to explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees.   To find out more click here:  https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits.

OTHER INFORMATION:

1.  CTAP/ICTAP APPLICANTS:   If you are a federal displaced employee as defined in 5 CFR 330.703 (b), you may be entitled to receive priority consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP).   You must be determined by the Agency to be "Well Qualified' for the specific position.  A well qualified employee means an eligible employee who possesses the knowledge, skills and abilities, which clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position.  Eligible employees receiving a score of 85 or higher will be determined to be well-qualified employees and will be advised in writing of the results.  Eligible employees will be advised in writing if another well qualified eligible is selected.  When an eligible employee is found to be not well qualified, a second independent review of the employee's application will be conducted and the employee will be advised in writing of the results of the second review.  http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp

2.  If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.

HOW TO APPLY:

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To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Wednesday, September 25, 2013 to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  • Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.  It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
  • To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents:

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.

If you completed the occupational questionnaire online and are unable to upload supporting document(s):
  • To fax your documents, you must use the following cover page http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf and provide the required information. The Vacancy ID is 957431.
  • Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.

If you cannot complete the Application Package online, you may fax all of your materials. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Wednesday, September 25, 2013 to receive consideration. Keep a copy of your fax confirmation in the event verification is needed.

To complete the occupational questionnaire and submit via fax:
  • Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire.
  • Print the 1203FX form, follow the instructions and provide your responses to the occupational questionnaire items http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/opm1203fx.pdf.
  • Fax all six pages of the completed 1203FX form along with any supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203FX will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

1.  Resume - your resume or any other written format you choose should contain the required information as specified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section.  Insufficient information will result in an ineligible rating.

2.  Occupational Questionnaire - a completed job-specific occupational questionnaire submitted through your Application Manager account or faxed via the methods outlined in the How to Apply section.

3.  Certification of Bar Membership - certification showing that you are 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.

4.  Transcripts - if you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed under the Qualifications and Evaluations section, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript(s) with your application. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.

5.  Veterans' Preference - If claiming veteran’s preference or military spouse preference, you must submit supporting documentation to verify your claim.

Notice of Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the USITC considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring.  Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documents (e.g. DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active duty) to their submissions. Although the point preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF-15), Application for 10-point Veteran’s Preference, and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claims.  The SF-15, which lists the type of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management website at:  http://www.opm.gov.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

Justin A. Scott
Phone: (202)205-2651
Email: JUSTIN.SCOTT@USITC.GOV
Agency Information:
United States International Trade Commission
500 E Street SW
Washington , DC
20436

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.

To check the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status, and click on the More Information link under the application status for this position.

You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process:
1.    Upon receipt of your application.
2.    Upon minimum qualification determinations.
3.    After the certificate is issued.
4.    After a selection is made.


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