Paralegal Specialist

About the role

This position is located in the Office of the Solicitor for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and provides litigation support in defense of Agency decisions related to patent operations. This office provides legal counsel to the USPTO Director and his staff and represents the Director before the Federal Courts.

What you will do

• 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 role is the ideal next career step for you: If you enjoy providing litigation case management support for federal district court and appeals court cases involving extensive agency records, discovery procedures, court exhibits, and witnesses.
• If you have a passion for conducting legal research in law libraries and on computer databases such as WESTLAW, PACER, and other online sources to obtain information and materials requested by/for attorneys.
• If you are excited about communicating with members of the public, attorneys, agents, various courts, other agencies, Federal and state law enforcement offices, witnesses and potential witnesses.
• If you look forward to drafting correspondence and a variety of legal documents, including pleadings, motions, and notices.

Education

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level.

How you will be evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the job opportunity announcement, you will be placed in one of three pre-defined categories.

These categories are "gold," "silver," and "bronze." Candidates placed in the "gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

How you will be evaluated for Veteran's Preference eligibility: Preference eligibles with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (gold). Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

If referred all relevant documents submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the selecting official, due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR § 335.103(b)(3), during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager.

Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or for changing your scored responses to questions you've answered, which may affect your overall final score.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: *** The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation), national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, retaliation for engaging in protected activity, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.

If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity via email (***) or phone (***).

Documents you must provide

• A complete application consists of: 1.
• Resume: All applicants are required to submit a two-page resume (NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES).
• Resumes exceeding this limit will not be considered eligible.
• Please submit only one resume.
• Only the document uploaded under the "Resume "section as the "Document Type" will be reviewed to assess your qualifications and for evaluation purposes.
• To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year (MM/YY - MM/YY) and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume.
• We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions.
• Resume should clearly state your experience related to this position as described in the Duties section and Qualifications section.
• Professional or Academic References: Provide 2-3 professional/academic references (name, phone, email); one must be your current supervisor.
• We'll notify you before contacting them.
• Please Note: Any experience claimed in a cover letter should be substantiated by information contained in your resume.
• A HR Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the hiring official.
• Veterans' Preference Documentation: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility, you will be asked to submit a copy of your DD-214 containing your discharge disposition, dates of service, and rank.
• If you are a preference eligible claiming a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more, you will be asked to submit documentation (i.e., a letter dated 1991 or later from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces) certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation.
• Veterans must include dates of military service within the automated application process and submit a copy of each Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214.
• For more information, please visit Feds Hire Vets.
• Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) documents: CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: 1.
• A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice); 2.
• A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location; 3.
• A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and 4.
• Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.
• ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: 1.
• A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination, certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement.
• A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting your RIF separation, noting your position, grade/band level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.; 3.
• A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and 4.
• Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
• You can upload your documents when you register or update your information on the Dept. of Commerce site which you access through the USAJobs site.
• Your application and all required documents must be received by 11:59 pm ET on the closing date of this job announcement.
• NOTE: The preceding documents requirement are based on job requirements and individual applicant eligibility.
• Not all documents are applicable to all applicants; if you are unsure which documents apply to you, contact the HR Specialist listed on this announcement

What to expect next

You will receive a notice generated by the USAJobs System when you have successfully submitted your application. You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable.

You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at *** and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." The four points of notification are: 1. Application Received or Application Incomplete; 2. Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Requirement Not Met; 3.

Eligible (Application Referred to the Selecting Official) or Eligible (Application Not Referred to the Selecting Official); and 4. Selected or Not Selected. After all application packages have been received, we will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.

We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and you may be contacted for follow-up supplemental documentation. It is the applicant's responsibility to provide any supplemental documents or information requested by the Office of Human Resources within the allocated timeframes.

You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment.

The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.). You can check the status of your application by logging into USAJOBS.

You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the "Notification Settings" to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes.

Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.

Additional information

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

This is a Bargaining Unit position and represented by The National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 2318 (NTEU 243). Additional information about this bargaining unit may be obtained at *** or by email to ***. This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "moderate".

Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. The USPTO participates in E-Verify.

For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice. Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid.

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: OPM CTAP/ICTAP.

CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement. More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued.

All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision.

You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.