Duties

As an Attorney-Advisor, the incumbent would provide professional legal advice and services in a fast-paced environment under the supervision of the General Counsel and the Deputy General Counsel. OGC Attorneys function with a high degree of independence and a large case load. This position requires a thorough understanding of the goals and objectives of an Office of a General Counsel as well as the structure and components of a complex institution with diverse subject matter and national and international interests.

Typical work assignments may include:

• Drafts copyright licenses and other stand-alone intellectual property agreements and provisions, including analysis of the doctrine of fair use to the agency's activities, proactively ensures that proposed gifts, contracts, business activities, agency name, logo and use of agency intellectual property are monitored and legal protections are enforced, the incumbent evaluates facts, determines questions of law, and either recommends adoption of a decision prepared by another attorney or drafts an independent decision for consideration and adoption by the General Counsel and, as appropriate, senior management who exercise final authority in such matters.
• Drafts agreements, many of which are complex, that protect the agency's legal status and interests while mitigating significant levels of risk.
• Evaluates proposed agreements and activities in terms of their intellectual property implications, including their foreseeable effect on agency program, policies, procedures, regulations, methods of operation, and extent of operation.
• Prepares recommended interpretation outlining the facts and the applicable law; and is often responsible for developing the material which, in effect, becomes the agency justification for pursuing certain transactions.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation.
• Complete a Trial Period.
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• Submission of Bar Membership that is in good standing.
• Submission of a Writing Sample.
• Submission of a Cover Letter.

Conditions of Employment

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS:

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Qualification requirements must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date.

Qualifications

ATTENTION: Due to the large number of qualified applicants for positions of this type, this job announcement will close at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on either: (A) The closing date listed above or (B) The date that 200 applications are received; whichever occurs first. If the announcement closes on the date that 200 applications are received, all applications submitted by 11:59pm that day will be given consideration, including those in excess of 200.

There is no OPM qualification standard established for positions in the Attorney-Advisor, 0905 series, and agencies may establish their own standards for these Excepted Service positions. The following minimum qualification requirements will be used to determine if applicants are eligible for further consideration:

Experience: Applicant must have four years of specialized legal experience relevant to the duties of the position or education beyond the first professional degree which included courses directly related to the duties of the position and which has enabled the applicant to step into complex legal work and to operate with a substantial degree of independence and responsibility at the grade 14 level. For this position, specialized experience is defined as advising on the legal, intellectual property, gift, sponsorships and policy implications of intellectual property-related and procurement matters.

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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Education: An applicant must have professional law degree (J.D., LL.B., or LL.M) from an accredited law school, college, or university. (Submit either a copy of your Official or Unofficial Transcripts)

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Bar Membership: An applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the Bar of the highest court of any state, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory or the District of Columbia. (Submit a copy of your membership)

Additional information

This position is not included in the bargaining unit.