Senior Counsel

Summary The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is seeking General Attorneys (Senior Counsels) in the Enforcement Litigation Group in Washington, DC. The OGC provides legal advice to the Commission, individual Commissioners, and the Commission's divisions and offices concerning federal securities laws, administrative law, and other applicable laws and rules. Responsibilities Multiple positions are posted in the Office of the General Counsel's Enforcement Litigation Group, which advises the General Counsel, the Commission, and the Division of Enforcement in connection with enforcement matters, the operation of the Commission's whistleblower program, and the application of Commission Rule of Practice 102(e), 17 C.F.R. § 201.102(e), with respect to potential attorney misconduct. For clarity, duties of attorneys within the group are informally grouped below by practice. During the application process, applicants may indicate interest in any combination of the following practices: Enforcement Review - Legal counsel for enforcement matters Whistleblower Review - Legal counsel for whistleblower matters Litigation and Professional Misconduct - Legal counsel for matters involving Commission Rule of Practice 102(e), 17 C.F.R. § 201.102(e), with respect to potential attorney misconduct As members of the broader Enforcement Litigation Group, attorneys selected may be asked to perform work across the informal practice categories and on special projects. In this role as a Senior Counsel, you will perform the following duties: Overall: Provide advice on complex and difficult matters involving the application of federal securities laws. Conduct legal research and analysis of complex matters, particularly with respect to enforcement matters, often under tight deadlines. Work collaboratively with other divisions and offices in the Commission to assess developing legal issues and, as needed, provides briefings to supervisors in the Office of the General Counsel regarding such issues. Work collaboratively with members of the Office of the General Counsel and others to develop recommendations in response to developing legal issues. Enforcement Review: Review recommendations from the Division of Enforcement concerning enforcement of federal securities laws. Work on other assignments or projects concerning the federal securities laws more broadly. Whistleblower Review: Provide legal analysis and guidance concerning the Commission's whistleblower rules and claims processing procedures. Review recommendations from the Office of the Whistleblower and preliminary determinations by Claims Review Staff in connection with the processing of claims for whistleblower awards. Litigation and Professional Misconduct: Conduct investigations into whether attorneys have engaged in misconduct that warrants the institution of administrative proceedings pursuant to Commission Rule of Practice 102(e) to suspend the attorneys from appearing and practicing before the Commission. Advise on matters involving remedies for possible securities law violations by attorneys, including whether to recommend Rule 102(e) suspensions of such attorneys, whether to recommend potential settlements of such suspensions, and whether to prepare and send a referral to the Office of the Inspector General or state bar officials. Additional duties may include work on special projects, including certain cross-office projects. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Please check the How You Will Be Evaluated and Required Documents sections carefully, as missing documents will render the application incomplete and ineligible for review. Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. 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. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENT: All applicants must possess the following: J.D. or LL.B. degree --AND-- Active membership of the bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (Note: proof of bar membership will be required before entry on duty. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must also meet the minimum qualification requirement. SK-14: Applicant must have at least three year(s) of post J.D. work experience, independently identifying legal issues, providing legal analyses, providing legal solutions/recommendations, and preparing legal documents, such as opinions, briefs, pleadings, and motions, which also includes at least two year(s): Conducting legal research and analysis of matters relating to federal securities laws; Providing legal advice (both written and oral) and analysis of legal issues; and Conducting investigations and/or playing an active role in litigation. ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES: Your Accomplishment Record narratives should address the following competencies. See the How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more information: Competency 1: Workload Management- Prioritizes workload in a way that accommodates unforeseen developments and achieves successful outcomes. Competency 2: Teamwork and Collaboration - Interacts with internal and external stakeholders in a manner that advances agency goals and objectives. Competency 3: Legal Analysis and Advice - Utilizes expert legal knowledge to apply relevant law to the facts of each matter and effectively communicates advice based on that analysis. Competency 4: Critical Thinking- Considers a variety of factors, general and subject matter-specific, when making decisions and determining next steps in a case. Education You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts or equivalent by the closing date of the announcement. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Internal Applicants: OHR will verify education qualifications for internal applicants using documents in the Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). If required transcripts or certificates are not present in your eOPF, you will be required to provide them to OHR. If selected, a start date will not be established until official transcripts are received. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. For more information, click here. Applicants may also find the following helpful: National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is an association of 19 credential evaluation services with admission standards and an enforced code of good practice. Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE) is an association of 10 credential evaluation services with a board of advisors and an enforced code of ethics. Additional Information Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement and may be filled from any division or office within the agency. SEC COMPENSATION PROGRAM: Total salary (base pay + locality) is dependent upon duty location. The overall salary range listed above is provided for informational purposes; a selectee's initial pay will be established below the maximum rate of the range. The pay for current SEC employees will be determined according to the procedures specified in the agency's policy. Please click here for a compensation overview. Disability Employment: For information on disability appointments, click here. Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an applicant who needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in the SEC application process due to a medical disability, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io. For religious-based accommodations, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io . Please be sure to submit your request at least 5 business days in advance of the date you need the requested accommodation. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Information for SEC Job Applicants: For more information, please click here. The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged non-compliance by contacting the Legal and Policy Office in the Office of Human Resources at View email address on click.appcast.io.