Attorney Advisor (Section 337)

Duties

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The General Counsel serves as the USITC's chief legal advisor. The General Counsel and the attorney-advisors in the office provide legal advice and support to the Commissioners and USITC staff on Commission investigations involving import injury (AD/CVD), safeguards (Section 201), and unfair imports (Section 337), and prepare briefs and represent the USITC before the U.S. Court of International Trade, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and USMCA binational panels for import injury appeals, and before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, for Section 337 appeals as well as before US district courts.

The Office of General Counsel is looking for attorneys interested in supporting the Commission's work in its fast-moving Section 337 trade remedy investigations.

In the Attorney Advisor (Section 337) role, you will:

• Provide expert legal analysis and advice in unfair import investigations that involve allegations that are primarily directed to intellectual property infringement, including patent and trademark infringement, trade secret misappropriation, false advertising, and other unfair acts in import trade.
• Prepare high quality memoranda, draft opinions, and analytical documents that need minimal revision.
• Develop and shape agency decision making on complex intellectual property and trade issues.
• Participate in the development of procedures and regulations implementing new or revised legislation and that improve the Section 337 process.
• Defend Commission determinations before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and federal District Courts, including the preparation of briefs and delivering oral argument as needed.
• Conduct deep analysis of legal and factual records to craft litigation strategies that protect the Commission's interests.

In the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. International Trade Commission, you'll join a team of highly skilled attorneys devoted to excellence, integrity, and impact. You'll broaden your expertise across intellectual property, administrative law, litigation, and international trade - all while contributing to a mission that protects American innovation and ensures fair competition.

This is challenging work with national significance - and a rare opportunity to do it in a supportive, collaborative, and intellectually rich environment.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• You will be required to successfully complete a background investigation.
• You may be required to serve a two-year trial period.
• You must provide proof of your Bar membership.
• You will be required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement.
• You are required to register for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/03/1959.
• You must provide a Certificate of Good Standing of the bars to which you are admitted, if you are made an offer.

Qualifications

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 which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

To be hired as an Attorney Advisor (Section 337), you 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; AND
• 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 to meeting the basic qualification requirements above, applicants must meet the experience listed below:

To qualify at the GS-14 level: Applicant must have at least four (4) years of experience which consists of the following: One (1) 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 (3) years of specialized experience defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: federal district court and appellate litigation, Section 337, intellectual property law, including patent law and trademark law, federal administrative practice law; and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC's unfair import (Section 337) practice.

To qualify at the GS-15 level: Applicants must have at least five (5) years of experience which includes the following: One (1) 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 demonstrates the engagement of general law practices; or experience and knowledge of legal theories, or principles, methodologies, and practices of the application of legal skills in a field closely related to the duties to be filled AND at least four (4) years of specific experience defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: federal district court and appellate litigation, Section 337, intellectual property law, including patent law and trademark law, federal administrative practice law; and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC's unfair import (Section 337) practice.

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.

Education

All applicants must possess a first professional law degree: J.D. or LL.B from a law school accredited by the 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) from Law school and undergraduate are required to show proof that you meet these requirement. Please see the Required Documents section of the announcement for more specific information.

Submit a copy of your law school and undergraduate 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: https://naces.org/members/

Additional information

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period (competitive service) or a two-year trial period (excepted service) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Excepted service appointments: This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer rights to permanent Civil Service status.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you are registered with the Selective Service or are exempt under Selective Service regulations. For additional information concerning Selective Service requirements, please visit http://www.sss.gov/.

Cover page to fax paper application - OPM Form 1203fx: http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/opm1203fx.pdf



Vacancy ID number: EX-27-001-MW

Reasonable accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the contact listed on the vacancy announcement. The decision to grant a reasonable accommodation is made on a case-by-case basis.

Verification of information: Any information claimed on your resume and in application materials, such as education, credentials, employment history, etc., will be verified as part of the security clearance process.

Time period to meet qualifications: All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.