Trademark Examining Attorney position at USPTO

[Anonymous]

Posting just closed for applicants on USAJOBS.

What is the day to day vibe of this job as a trademarks attorney? There is a production element to it. Is it possible to meet quota in reasonable time frames?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Posting just closed for applicants on USAJOBS.

What is the day to day vibe of this job as a trademarks attorney? There is a production element to it. Is it possible to meet quota in reasonable time frames?

I know former classmates who work there. Apparently, the job is similar to the infamous Board of Veterans’ Appeals in that it is heavy on quotas. However, USPTO is considered by most to be more prestigious than the bottom of the barrel Board of Veterans’ Appeals. The work environment at USPTO is better too.

[Anonymous]

It's very quota heavy but it's doable. There's a learning curve to it but once you know the job, it's a lot easier.

[Anonymous]

How doable after you get your sea legs ?

[Anonymous]

Very doable if you’re good at it. USPTO is a great place to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How doable after you get your sea legs ?

Many examiners not only hit outstanding but earn significant production bonuses.

[Anonymous]

I’m a Trademark Examiner at the USPTO. I’ve been here 27 years.

I can answer these questions. There is considerable training and ramp up time. After the class portion of the training you have a mentor that reviews all your work before you can send it out. They will tell if stuff is missing, if your search isn’t thorough, etc. You are under a mentor for at least a year if not more.

I WAH and have been at home since 2004. My W-L balance is amazing. I work 40 hours a week but if I have to take the dog to the vet or need to go to my son’s school for something, I do it and make up the time later. As long as my numbers stay up and my quality is good, I have that freedom.

We are unionized m, so we have more protections than other attorney feds. The work can get monotonous but so can many other jobs. You always know what is expected of you. There are plenty of opportunities to move up and to other places within Trademarks.

We are fee funded so when Congress shuts down the government, we carry on as usual and get paid as usual.

I worked a bit harder this year due to the added incentives they gave us to hit some goals and earned about 23K extra this year.

Personally, I think it is a pretty good place to work.

I’ll come back on to answer more questions if you have them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Trademark Examiner at the USPTO. I’ve been here 27 years.

I can answer these questions. There is considerable training and ramp up time. After the class portion of the training you have a mentor that reviews all your work before you can send it out. They will tell if stuff is missing, if your search isn’t thorough, etc. You are under a mentor for at least a year if not more.

I WAH and have been at home since 2004. My W-L balance is amazing. I work 40 hours a week but if I have to take the dog to the vet or need to go to my son’s school for something, I do it and make up the time later. As long as my numbers stay up and my quality is good, I have that freedom.

We are unionized m, so we have more protections than other attorney feds. The work can get monotonous but so can many other jobs. You always know what is expected of you. There are plenty of opportunities to move up and to other places within Trademarks.

We are fee funded so when Congress shuts down the government, we carry on as usual and get paid as usual.

I worked a bit harder this year due to the added incentives they gave us to hit some goals and earned about 23K extra this year.

Personally, I think it is a pretty good place to work.

I’ll come back on to answer more questions if you have them.

This sounds pretty amazing. Was there a new production plan sometime in last decade that made the job more challenging? Is it easy to get "errors"? Do most people make outstanding? Or do some people struggle to make the competent or whatever the term is for just getting by?

[Anonymous]

What are the qualifications for a job like this? Do you need to be a member of the patent bar?

[Anonymous]

Trademark Examiner back. Like in any organization, you may work for an a-hole. For the bulk of my career , I was rated outstanding. I had a couple of years where I worked for an a-hole and had a couple of bad years. That law office bled people like crazy. I got out about 2 years ago. I’m now in a different law office with a different manager and life is grand.

The performance plan has varied over the years but I’ve never found it all that difficult to make the numbers. Every so often when I’ve had a week with school stuff, kid doctor appointments, and other random stuff that takes me away from my desk, I will put in time on the weekend. My family schedule and my own circadian rhythms keep me from working after dinner or after my sn goes to bed.

Here is a bit of office culture. My law office meets weekly via teams to discuss difficult cases and bounce ideas off each other. It is helpful and collaborative. Everyone who meets the requirements for getting promoted to the next GS level as outlined in the performance plan will get promoted. There is no competition among each other for a limited number of slots. Everyone is willing to take a look at the case you are working on and give an opinion. It is a nice environment.

FTR, I’m on leave until the end of the year. I made my numbers and I’m now getting ready for the holidays and going on vacation with my family. I’m on my iPad, just so nobody can come in here accusing me of taking advantage of WAH.

[Anonymous]

TM Examiner again. You just need to have a JD and to have passed the bar. Patents need the engineering or science specific background.

[Anonymous]

I'm not the op, but what do hiring managers look for when making hiring decisions? I've applied several times, but haven't made it yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the qualifications for a job like this? Do you need to be a member of the patent bar?

To examine trademarks? lol no. Patents and trademarks are entirely different things.