Patent Attorney

**Duties**:
**The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria**,**Virginia**.**This position is telework eligible per agency and business unit discretion/policy. **This position is located in the Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB), Office of the Under Secretary & Director (U/DIR), United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). This position is a full-time, temporary appointment, with a one-year term that will typically start around 1 October 2025. The incumbent of this position will be a Patent Attorney serving as a Law Clerk.

**_This role is the ideal next career step for you if:_**
- **_You're eager to engage_** in research and writing to assist the APJs in the disposition of cases from the various jurisdictions of the Board, including assisting in the preparation of decisions on appeal from adverse decisions of Examiners, and decisions in all types of trial proceedings, including decisions on institution, declarations of interference, orders on motions, and final written decisions, and judgments.
- **_You want to play a key role _**in reviewing and analyzing appeal briefs, answers, reply briefs, and evidence of record in ex parte appeals and in identifying all relevant factual and legal issues raised by patent applicants, patent owners, and/or third-party requesters leading to the ultimate adjudication of ex parte appeals.
- **_You want to hone_** your legal skills by researching statutes, legislative history, relevant case law, and applicable USPTO rules, regulations, standards, and procedures, as needed to analyze issues and points of law for particular matters or to support the Board's overall mission; preparing written work product including legal memoranda, bench briefs, orders, and decisions and assisting in proofreading orders and decisions, verifying citations, and ensuring procedural requirements; assisting with docket management; scheduling and conducting conference calls; and assisting with other projects critical to the Board's mission.
- You're passionate about researching and drafting memorandums for special projects and initiatives concerning patent laws, statutes, and USPTO policy at the direction of and under the supervision of the agency's management.

**Requirements**:
**Conditions of Employment**:

- Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
- Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies.
- You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
- Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
- If selected, you may be required to complete a one-year trial period.
- This is an excepted position.

**Qualifications**:

- The USPTO sets minimum qualifications for **Attorney clerk** positions and sets forth these qualifications in each vacancy announcement. These qualifications include**:(1)** Technical skills meeting the education requirements below; and **(2)** A law degree prior to the start date.

**Education**:

- To meet minimum eligibility requirements for this position, applicants **MUST**:
**A. Possess a Bachelor's degree, Master's Degree, or Doctor of Philosophy Degree (referred to as "degree(s)") in a Recognized Technical Subject.**
- 1. Engineering (Eng.) Physics 2.Environmental Eng. 3.Gen. Eng. 4.Genetic Eng. 5.Geological Eng. 6.Industrial Eng. 7. Marine Eng. 8. Materials Eng. 9. Mechanical Eng. 10.Metallurgical Eng. 11. Mining Eng. 12.Nuclear Eng. 13. Ocean Eng. 14. Petroleum Eng. 15.Textile Eng. 16. Biology 17. Biochemistry 18. Biological Science 19. Biophysics 20. Botany 21.Computer Science* 22. Electronics Technology 23. Food Technology 24. General Chemistry 25.Genetics 26. Marine Technology 27. Materials Science 28. Microbiology 29. Molecular Biology 30. Neuroscience 31. Organic Chemistry 32. Pharmacology 33. Physics 34. Textile Technology 35. Aerospace Eng. 36. Aeronautical Eng. 37. Agricultural Eng. 38. Bioengineering 39.Biomedical Eng. 40. Ceramic Eng. 41. Chemical Eng. 42. Civil Eng. 43. Computer Eng. 44.Electrical Eng. 45. Electrochemical Eng. 46. Electronics Eng.- **_OR_**
***
- Option 1: 24 semester hours in physics. Only physics courses for physics majors will be accepted.
- Option 2: 32 semester hours in a combination consisting of the following: 8 semester hours in a combination of chemistry and physics, with at least one course including a lab, and 24 semester hours in biology, botany, microbiology, or molecular biology. Only courses for science or engineering majors will be accepted.
- Option 3: 30 semester hours in chemistry. Only chemistry courses for chemistry majors will be accepted.
- Option 4: 40 semester hours in a combination consisting of the following: 8 semester hours in a combination of chemistry, physics, and/or biology, with at least one course including a lab, and 32 semester hours of chemistry, physics, biology, botany, microbiology, molecular biology, or engineering. Only courses for science or engineering majors will be accepted. F