General Attorney

Are you an experienced attorney with a background in intellectual property law? Come join us at the forefront of innovation at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)! We're seeking a General Attorney in the Office of the Solicitor. 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.

Duties

As an attorney on a particular case or policy matter, you will be responsible for analyzing legal and factual issues, developing the strategy to deal with these issues, and producing legal briefs, pleadings, or memoranda on such matters. In this role, you will typically deal with senior management officials for the Agency, other attorneys within the Office of the Solicitor, and individuals and entities outside of the Agency in representing the agency before federal district and appellate courts. This position will necessarily entail defending the agency in district court litigation. In particular, the applicant will work with the Department of Justice in district court patent litigation, including all aspects of discovery (e.g., propounding and responding to discovery requests, preparing experts and expert reports, filing and responding to discovery motions, preparing for and making court appearances, etc.) and filing and responding to other pretrial motions, preparing for and conducting trial, and handling any subsequent appeals. The applicant should be familiar with the USPTO's patent rules of practice and patent examination procedures.

In addition to defending decisions of the Director, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in federal district courts and appellate courts, you will potentially also be responsible for:

• Providing legal counsel to the USPTO Director on intellectual property matters.
• Preparing and filing amicus briefs on behalf of the Director on issues of importance to the development of patent or trademark law.
• Coordinating with the Department of Commerce (DOC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist the Solicitor General in intellectual property cases before the United States Supreme Court.
• Representing the Director at depositions and testimony of USPTO employees.
• Conferring with legislative representatives on proposed legislation.
• Providing legal and policy advice on patent-related matters to senior management and other offices within the Agency.

>> APPLY on USAJOBS by 4/16/2026

>> LEARN MORE about the USPTO's comprehensive benefits

Qualifications

Qualified applicants should possess both specialized experience and professional law/legal experience as listed below:

Specialized experience for this position is defined as:

• Primary drafting responsibility for motions, briefs, and other litigation documents in the area of patent law or trademark law.
• Taking and defending depositions.
• Conducting hearings or trials before a judge or jury.

AND

Applicants must possess a minimum of four (4) years of professional law/legal experience, post J.D. as described below:

Experience in Intellectual Property (IP) litigation and/or judicial clerkship(s), in the area of Intellectual Property (IP). IP litigation includes patent or trademark litigation in federal district court, patent or trademark appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, proceedings before the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) or Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).

Education

You must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or Master of Laws (L.L.M) degree from an American Bar Association accredited law school and an active bar membership of any state.

Conditions of employment

Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals and your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies. If selected, you will be required to pass a background investigation.

The full list of conditions and qualifications can be found on the USAJOBS posting.

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.