Legislative Branch

Attorney Advisor (Assistant General Counsel)

Washington, District of Columbia Full time

Attorney Advisor (Assistant General Counsel)

Department: Legislative Branch

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $167603 - $195200 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is located in the Office of The General Counsel, Copyright Office. Copyright is a form of legal protection provided by the laws of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) to authors of literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and other works. The Assistant General Counsel position works in the Office of General Counsel of the Copyright Office. The incumbent serves as an expert on all legal and factual matters related to the administration of title 17 of the U.S. Code.

Major Duties:

  • The United States Copyright Office, located within the Library of Congress and under the direction of the Register of Copyrights, administers the Copyright Law, advises Congress and government agencies on legal and policy matters; provides international representation on copyright issues; administers the national copyright registration system; provides collections materials to the Library through voluntary registration and mandatory deposit programs; records documents relating to copyright chain of title; administers statutory license provisions of the law, including collecting and distributing royalties; maintains the world’s largest database of copyright public records; and provides information and reference services to the public. Serves as an expert on all legal and factual matters related to the administration of title 17 of the U.S. Code, including matters related to registration and recordation of claims but also emerging technological issues such as those involved in 17 U.S.C 1201, implicated by artificial intelligence, or other new subjects which have been added to title 17. Provides authoritative advice and assistance on all policy and legal issues in these areas. Evaluates the merits of complex laws, legislative proposals, regulations, and policies governing the administration of title 17. Provides professional legal advice and related services to the General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, and the Register of Copyrights on matters concerning specified matters relating to the administration of title 17, including the implementation of procedures pursuant to the amendment of title 17. Prepares probing and innovative written legal analyses, and other analytical documents such as reports requested by Congress or memoranda on complex legal questions arising from the administration of title 17. Applies a comprehensive knowledge of a range of specialized areas of the law to the development, interpretation, and implementation of sensitive public policies with long-range national or international significance. Drafts the most complex regulations and policies dealing with the administration of title 17 and makes recommendations for revisions to existing procedures and policies based on changes in the law, developments in technology, developments in the Library of Congress and the Copyright Office and other decisions or developments that affect title 17. Conducts extensive legal research on highly intricate and exceedingly complex and novel questions of law and policy concerning all aspects of title 17. Performs analyses involving the interpretation and application of complex laws and regulations, or court rulings affecting the administration of title 17. Prepares complex proposals, responses to policy inquiries, letters, legal memoranda, litigation materials, and testimony. Analyzes complex proposals originating from other departments/agencies, including the Department of Justice, Congress, or the White House and responds to substantive or procedural questions concerning the operation of the title 17. Prepares written material on matters of potential significance to the courts, the Copyright Office, and the Library and on matters relating to pending reports, advisory committees, professional organizations, and other interested parties. Drafts reports and notices in the Federal Register soliciting responses on matters related to the administration of title 17. Analyzes Library operations, precedents, and current practices to recommend management's position on issues related to various legal areas. Represents the Copyright Office at professional, business, and bar association meetings and symposia. Acts as the legal counsel to the General Counsel and the Deputy General Counsel. Develops networks of key national and international individuals and organizations and communicates regularly to share and receive critical information. Serves as a principal liaison between the Library and other agencies or Congress on specific matters or areas related to the administration of title 17. Also serves as a liaison for the General Counsel's Office with other divisions of the Copyright Office and others. Performs other related duties as assigned. The position description number for this position is 012595. The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area. The incumbent of this position will work a flexitime work schedule. This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position. Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.

Qualifications: Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision. Ability to Write/Communicate in Writing. ** Ability to Conduct Legal Research. ** Knowledge of Copyright Law. ** Knowledge of Administrative Law. Ability to Meet and Deal with Others. Ability to Convey Legal Analysis and Information Orally Through Briefings, Consultations, and Other Presentations. Ability to Communicate Effectively Other Than in Writing.

How to Apply: Please carefully follow all instructions under the How to Apply tab to ensure you are considered for the position. Please note, there is no page restriction to your resume, and you are allowed to upload a resume longer than two pages in the documents section within the application process. When the application system prompts, please proceed to the agency site to complete your application. You are required to apply online for this announcement. We are unable to accept mailed or emailed documents. You must complete the entire application process, including submission of all documents BEFORE this announcement closes. To do so, complete the following steps. Step 1: If you do not already have one, create a resume on USAJOBS. Although you must enter your Social Security Number for USAJOBS, this information will not be provided to the Library of Congress. Step 2: Review the Job Announcement. We recommend you go to the end of the Qualification and Evaluation section of the job announcement to preview the online questions that you will answer in Step 4. You may wish to customize your USAJOBS resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Step 3: Click on the "APPLY ONLINE" button to the right of this announcement. Follow USAJOBS' instructions to access your account and submit your resume. You will be redirected to the Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be asked to answer questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. You will be able to update this information and save it to our account for future announcements. Step 4: Once you have completed the eligibility questions, you will be taken directly to the vacancy application questions. Answer all questions honestly and thoroughly. Step 5: Hiring Management offers three options that will electronically attach your documentation to your online application once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement. (1) You may select a document that you have already uploaded to USAJOBS for a previous announcement. (2) You may electronically upload a document directly from your computer to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation of the document uploaded and click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have multiple documents of the same kind, e.g. 2 undergraduate transcripts from different schools or 2 SF-50s, etc., be sure that they are all in the same file on your computer or in your USAJOBS profile before uploading them. If you try uploading them individually, only the last one sent will be visible in our system. If you have any questions about this information, please contact the person on this announcement BEFORE the closing date. Step 6: Click on "Finish" after you have completed your application. Once you have submitted your application, you can check your status online through your Hiring Management or MY USAJOBS account. Your complete online application and any required supplemental documentation (e.g., SF-50, etc.) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure that all documents are received on time and that the materials are readable. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from consideration for this announcement. If you are experiencing any technical difficulty with the online process, you MUST CONTACT THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. For all technical issues please contact jobhelp@loc.gov , no later than 4:30pm EST of the Closing Date. REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GRANTED.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-02