Legal Assistant

Full Job Description

The Office of the Solicitor acts as legal counsel to the USPTO on intellectual property law matters and also works in collaboration with the Department of Commerce on interagency intellectual property law matters.

The work is challenging, the atmosphere is professional, and the diverse attorneys enjoy a high quality of work life rarely found in the legal field.

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position.

You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at Legal Assistance Series, 0986.

Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.

To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service. For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-06.

Specialized experience for this position includes: (1) Experience providing administrative legal support on federal district or federal appellate court cases; AND (2) Experience researching and retrieving relevant legal data using automated systems; AND (3) Experience drafting legal documents and correspondence using software applications.

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. Major 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 Office of the General Counsel, Office of the Solicitor.

This role is the ideal next career step for you if: You are excited to use your skills to open and maintain litigation files in paper and/or electronic form; analyze and input case information; research online resources for case statuses and materials to update docket and case files; identify and resolve discrepancies or deficiencies in docket data and case file materials by correcting data and obtaining missing documents; and provide status updates to attorneys and paralegal specialists.

You possess the knowledge to mail, deliver, email, or fax written materials upon request and to meet service requirements and deadlines.

You are a collaborative relationship builder who is passionate about reviewing, reproducing, and binding briefs and other documents by utilizing various office equipment most appropriate to complete the task; checking for and correcting copying errors; ensuring continuity of form and adherence to Federal court filing rules and procedural guidelines; and ensuring proper functioning and operation of office equipment by filling paper in printers and copiers, completing preventive maintenance requirements and/or calling for repairs.

You enjoy drafting, proofreading and editing documents, correspondence, forms, memoranda and other written materials in adherence to established guidelines, standard office policies and procedures.

You are enthusiastic about preparing attorneys for court hearings and appearances by assembling and organizing briefs, case materials, and exhibits; preparing and distributing case materials for moot courts; organizing meetings and conferences and scheduling couriers.

You have experience analyzing documents received from Federal district courts for completeness of information, identifying missing information and taking action to obtain complete information before processing via data entry portal.