Attorney Advisor (Trademark Examining Attorney) for USPTO Forum

[Anonymous User]

Yay! We are pumped to have you here! Do not worry too much about the super low morale postings. It could be temporary. Yea, the handling of the PAP by current management (we call it the “10th Floor”) is a textbook example of “bad management” for a business school case study, and should probs be studied in classrooms on how leaders should NOT act slash how NOT to humanely treat employees. BUT a new Commissioner (the Boss of our entire Office) is starting in March. Everyone here has high hopes that the morale (the lowest it has been here since I started working here by FAR) will improve under new leadership. Be pumped about joining Trademarks! And Welcome!!!!

[S.P.F. 30]

To those starting in the May 2020 Class:

First off, congrats and I look forward to meeting the 24 of you on Day 1.

I understand that for those of you with families early May is a difficult time to move to DMV area due to school ending and other considerations.

If anyone is planning on doing a hotel or other similar medium-term lodging arrangement during the six-week orientation and training period, I might have a cheaper alternative. PM me and we can discuss.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard anything back yet about the background checks and things? I am in the May class so it may take a bit longer I assume.

[S.P.F. 30]

Has anyone heard anything back yet about the background checks and things? I am in the May class so it may take a bit longer I assume.

Check your letter. The big background check event won't trigger until 30 days before the start date (Mid-April). Likely because they are still having to process the 25 March hires first.

[Anonymous User]

Random Question - Do Examining Attorneys have to bill their time like how attorneys do in private practice?

[Anonymous User]

Hi all-

I’ve been applying to the USPTo for various years with no luck. I took electives concentrated in IP Law and Trademarks. I was hoping to get some insight as to the KSAs given my career track is not really the best. 2 years in civil, 3 years in another field that I believe has stalled my career because it didn’t involve the practice of law. Did any of you hire someone for the KSAs? Is there a KSA guide for this agency (I haven’t found it but there are for others). Any guidance would be appreciated. Maybe hiring a professional is the way to go. If this question has been answered I apologize Thoroughly in advance. Thanks and best to all!

[Anonymous User]

Random Question - Do Examining Attorneys have to bill their time like how attorneys do in private practice?

Nope. We work on a production system that is entirely point based. They track the overall hours worked (80/biweek), but we don't do any sort of billing.

[jjmmc12]

Congrats to all that were selected!

For those who already live in the area, any advice on how to find reliable roommate(s)?

Or, if there's anyone relocating to Alexandria and searching for a roommate feel free to reach out. I'm looking to rent a place in Carlyle / Old Town / Del Ray at least for the first 6-months to a year. Open to other neighborhoods.

[Anonymous User]

Ok... $200 a month for parking?! Dang. Can someone explain the metro stipend situation if there still is one please? Thanks.

[Anonymous User]

Ok... $200 a month for parking?! Dang. Can someone explain the metro stipend situation if there still is one please? Thanks.

The east and west parking garages right next to madison are only $90/month. Dont really know about the metro stipend but I do know one exists. Hope that helps

[Anonymous User]

Ok... $200 a month for parking?! Dang. Can someone explain the metro stipend situation if there still is one please? Thanks.

The stipend is pretty straight-forward. Once you are hired, you can register your metro card with the program and each month, you will be allotted a certain amount (I think it's up to almost a maximum of $300) for fare to/from work. You don't have to do anything special other than a training. You just provide basic information like your start station and the stop (typically King Street). You use the fare only for getting to/from work and any fare you don't use just disappears at the end of the month and you get a new amount the next month. You can't have both a parking pass and metro stipend, but that's pretty much it.

[Anonymous User]

For those of you in the March class, Is training continuing as planned? Just curious if everything is going on schedule at the moment. Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous User]

I'll be the first to admit that I am freaking out. Trademark filings tend to match the economy, and with the situation these days, the economy is--well--in a less than ideal position. I am worried that tentative offers may get rescinded if USPTO has to update their budget. There have been layoffs in the past and, apparently, stealth removals recently? I have a firm offer for May. I don't know how firm it is in light of the current situation. I hope I don't sound obnoxious or whiny--I have a lot riding on this offer, as do many of us I'm sure. Is anyone else feeling anxious? Any input/feedback of any kind would help ease my nerves, thank you!

[Anonymous User]

Training is continuing, but doing it from home via webex is not nearly as good/interactive as it was in person. That said, this is all uncharted territory and everyone is figuring things out as they go, just like people everywhere this week. Hopefully they'll get it figured out soon, and/or we'll be able to get back into the office in a few weeks.

No reason for anyone in the May class to panic as it'll be 6 months before you'll be productive anyway so they may as well get your training started on time. By the end of the year this will all be a distant memory. As for stealth removals, I'm not concerned. If someone gets fired before their 6 month/1 year/2 year anniversary there's no way they didn't already know their performance an issue.

Everyone has been great so far and they all seem to enjoy working here. From what I hear, people coming to the USPTO from other agencies didn't necessarily have the same experience at their old jobs, so this seems like a great place to be.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for your reply, poster 8:48pm! That’s helpful to know.

[Anonymous User]

To all the March classers, hows it going? May classer here. Thanks for letting us know that they are still starting on time.

[Anonymous User]

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! Have other folks from the May class heard anything from HR about the coronavirus situation or reached out to them? I haven't yet.

[Anonymous User]

Hi all-

I’ve been applying to the USPTo for various years with no luck. I took electives concentrated in IP Law and Trademarks. I was hoping to get some insight as to the KSAs given my career track is not really the best. 2 years in civil, 3 years in another field that I believe has stalled my career because it didn’t involve the practice of law. Did any of you hire someone for the KSAs? Is there a KSA guide for this agency (I haven’t found it but there are for others). Any guidance would be appreciated. Maybe hiring a professional is the way to go. If this question has been answered I apologize Thoroughly in advance. Thanks and best to all!

I am not an EA but am someone who has been in your position so just want you to know you are not alone. In my experience, there is little, if any, feedback re: KSA's on this forum. I would be happy to share my personal experiences interviewing with USPTO multiple times (before finally getting the offer), but don't want to risk losing anonymity. Apparently I haven't posted enough here to be able to send private messages.The interview and written assessment are both structured; which are you struggling with? I'm happy to give some general feedback, and I'm sure there are others on the forum who have the same questions as you.

[Anonymous User]

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! Have other folks from the May class heard anything from HR about the coronavirus situation or reached out to them? I haven't yet.

I've reached out and received no response. That was over a week ago. I want to be grateful that I got the offer, but feels like any day now I'll have the rug pulled from under my feet. I have so many major decisions to make which all ride on whether or not we definitely start in May. I know others who are relocating. How are you all holding up? The anxiety is killing me.

[Anonymous User]

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! Have other folks from the May class heard anything from HR about the coronavirus situation or reached out to them? I haven't yet.

I've reached out and received no response. That was over a week ago. I want to be grateful that I got the offer, but feels like any day now I'll have the rug pulled from under my feet. I have so many major decisions to make which all ride on whether or not we definitely start in May. I know others who are relocating. How are you all holding up? The anxiety is killing me.

Another May-class poster here. I reached out a few days ago and have not received any response. I am also relocating from out of state so I'm hoping we will hear something by mid-April. I plan to reach out again next week to follow up. Stay safe everyone!

[Anonymous User]

Another May-classer here.

HR has been Unresponsive, probably because don’t have any guidance on the matter at this time. That’s been their usual modus operandi on other things in the past. If they don’t have hard information, they don’t speculate.

It would be nice to know though as, before the current crisis, I had already initiated the process of giving notice, and transitioning from job to coincide with mid-April. That way, we could do a smooth handoff at work and still afford some time off for the relocation. It’s going to be hard touring places now and I don’t want to live only to have the offer rescinded or rescheduled. I believe someone earlier in the string said March folks are doing virtual training? Did the office send you computers or are we going to have to supply our own rigs?

[Anonymous User]

May class here, I just got an email stating that the new start date is going to be October 13th 2020.

[Anonymous User]

May class here, I just got an email stating that the new start date is going to be October 13th 2020.

Can confirm. 4:50pm est on a Friday... These people have some real class.

[Anonymous User]

How can they do this? I already gave notice to my job, moved cross-country, signed a lease. We are six weeks from the start date. The March class is doing it online. Why can’t we?

How can they do this?

Is there anyway that it can start before October?

How can this be?

[Anonymous User]

How can they do this? I already gave notice to my job, moved cross-country, signed a lease. We are six weeks from the start date. The March class is doing it online. Why can’t we?

How can they do this?

Is there anyway that it can start before October?

How can this be?

Brutal, you already uprooted the family and everything. I had signed a lease for around the start date and am now having to review possible rescission penalties. Check through that grenade they threw on Friday. I believe there was contact information that some of those questions could be directed to. I'd be interested to see if they have the courtesy to respond.