Duties
As a Attorney - Rulemakings and Releases Legal Review, you will perform statutory and rule-focused review of the Division's work product concerning the operation of securities markets and the regulation of major participants in the securities markets. This includes, for example, legal review of Commission rulemaking releases, exemption orders, orders for registration applications, orders approving or disapproving self-regulatory organization proposed rule changes, staff no action letters, and frequently asked questions. You will consult with Division staff to help identify solutions to complex legal or procedural issues and assist with the timely progress and completion of the Division's work. You will also assist with centralizing and coordinating projects that have an impact across various Division offices, such as responding to Executive Orders, intra-Divisional workstreams, and legislative affair matters (including technical assistance on bills and Congressional correspondence).
In this role as an Attorney - Rulemakings and Releases Legal Review, you will be responsible for:
- Performing legal review of draft rulemakings, orders, and other SEC and Division documents.
- Performing legal research and engaging in robust legal interpretation and reasoning to formulate advice and recommend legal courses of action that meet the needs of both mission accomplishment and compliance with law and regulation.
- Providing legal advice for sensitive and complex programs, issues, and problems.
- Analyzing and interpreting legislation and implementing regulations.
- Communicating legal feedback and advice with Division senior officials, supervisors, co-workers, and staff.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- CITIZENSHIP: You must be a US Citizen.
- SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/).
- DRUG TESTING: This position may be subjected to drug testing requirements.
- PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS): Moving/Relocation expenses are not authorized.
- DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
- TRIAL PERIOD: Consistent with 5 U.S.C. § 7511, you will be required to serve a two-year trial period (one year for preference eligible veterans) if the position to which you have applied is not the same or similar to your current position of record.
- You must possess a J.D. or LL.B Degree and you must be an active member of the bar in good standing.
- If selected, you may receive a salary increase for the duration of the temporary promotion. You will be returned to your original salary at the end of the appointment.
- This appointment may be extended OR it may end at any time during the course of the appointment at the discretion of management. Applicants should also be available for possible extension, if needed.
- This is a temporary promotion not-to-exceed 1 year from the date of appointment to the position.
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. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 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-16: Applicant must have four years of post J.D. experience identifying legal issues, providing legal analyses, providing legal solutions/recommendations, and preparing legal documents, such as filings, memoranda, contracts, pleadings, and motions, which also includes at least three years of:
- Performing legal research, analysis, and interpretation of securities laws and rules; AND
- Applying contemporary trends, precedent decisions, legislative changes, and regulatory and compliance actions relative to assigned area of expertise.
ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES: Your Accomplishment Record narratives should address the following competencies. See the
How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more information:
- Legal and Regulatory Analysis: Conducts analysis and prepares documents and reports in compliance with Federal law that governs the rulemaking process.
- Teamwork and Collaboration:Interacts with internal and external others in a manner that advances SEC goals and objectives.
- Workload Management: Effectively prioritizes workload in a way that accommodates unforeseen developments and achieves successful outcomes.
- 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. The pay for current SEC employees will be determined according to the procedures specified in the agency's policy. If your selection results in a change in grade from an SK-15 to an SK-16, you will maintain your current salary.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SURPLUS OR DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) is available to individuals who have special priority selection rights under this plan. Individuals must be minimally qualified for this position to receive consideration for special priority selection. CTAP eligibles will be considered minimally qualified if they meet the minimum requirements for this position.
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 reasonableaccommodation@sec.gov. For religious-based accommodations, please contact religiousaccommodation@sec.gov . 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 ElliottT@sec.gov.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your resume and application package will first be reviewed to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements outlined in the announcement.
If you are found minimally qualified, the Office of Human Resources will contact you to request an Accomplishment Record. You will have 3 business days from the date of the request to submit it. Failure to submit the Accomplishment Record on time will remove you from further consideration. Because of the short turnaround time, you are strongly encouraged to begin preparing your Accomplishment Record in advance.
Once your Accomplishment Record is received, a rating panel will review both your resume and your narrative responses. Your Accomplishment Record must clearly demonstrate your proficiency in the competencies listed in the Qualifications section. Click here for guidance on writing your Accomplishment Record.
Your resume must provide evidence that supports the claims in your Accomplishment Record. Each narrative must describe one specific, relevant example from your experience or training. Responses are limited to 300 words per competency; any text beyond this limit will not be reviewed.
You must upload one document containing your narrative responses for all four competencies. Failure to address each competency annotated on the announcement or failure to provide the correct document will result in loss of further consideration. Please note: A Performance Appraisal does not satisfy the requirement for an Accomplishment Record.
Required Accomplishment Record Format:
Applicant First Name and Last Name
Competency Title
- Position title and dates from your resume that this experience was obtained
- Describe the situation (i.e., the challenged faced, the problem solved)
- Describe the specific actions you took
- State the outcome, results, or long-term impact of your accomplishment
- Name and email address of someone who can verify this information
Reference checks may be conducted as part of the final selection process, and you will be notified before any contacts are made.
Basis for Rating: The rating panel will evaluate applicants' accomplishment records and resume, then place them into one of the following categories:
- Highly Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has extensive skills and experience in most of the job related competencies.
- Well Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has a moderate amount of skills and experience in most of the job related competencies.
- Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but may have a limited amount of experience in several of the job related competencies.
Top ranked applicants will be referred to the hiring office for further review and consideration. The hiring office may directly contact recommended candidates for interview(s).
To preview the Questionnaire, click
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12962218
Required Documents
You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:
- Required: Your responses to the Questionnaire.
- Required: Resume - Resumes should include relevant work experience, with specific employment dates, that demonstrates qualifications for the specialized experience and competencies as outlined above. If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position. Resumes that exceed two pages will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration. For resume writing tips, visit USAJOBS and the SEC careers page.
SEC EMPLOYEES: OHR will verify your competitive service eligibility via the SEC's personnel database.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.