The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is seeking a Trial Attorney (Senior Appellate Counsel) in the Appellate group. As a Senior Appellate Counsel, you will draft briefs, present oral arguments, and provide legal advice concerning a variety of complex legal issues involving the federal securities laws, the Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Bankruptcy Code.
Duties
The Appellate group represents the Commission in appeals of civil enforcement actions and in petitions seeking review of Commission adjudicatory actions, rulemakings, and other regulatory actions. In this role as a Senior Appellate Counsel, you will be responsible for: Leading appellate litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court, courts of appeals, and district courts, including drafting briefs, preparing submissions, and presenting oral argument in cases arising from enforcement actions, Commission orders, and rulemakings. Providing authoritative legal advice to the Commission, individual Commissioners, and senior SEC staff on complex, significant, and novel legal questions involving federal securities laws, administrative law, constitutional law, and appellate procedure. Evaluating adverse decisions and recommending whether the Commission should pursue further review in the courts of appeals or the Supreme Court. Assessing private litigation for potential Commission participation as amicus curiae and prepare amicus recommendations and draft briefs when appropriate. Supporting OGC leadership, including assisting the General Counsel with special projects and providing legal guidance to rulemaking and trial teams on complex legal issues that intersect with appellate litigation. Preparing memoranda and other written material to support agency positions on challenging legal issues, including statutory construction, procedural questions, and cross-agency policy considerations. Supervising junior attorneys in the conduct of appellate litigation, providing mentorship, strategic guidance, and quality review of briefs and other written work-product.
Salary
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 at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/SK-14 level. Specialized experience includes: Interpreting federal securities laws, Commission rules and regulations, and the Administrative Procedure Act; AND Preparing appellate briefs and presenting oral argument in appellate matters involving legal or factual issues; AND Drafting legal documents and providing legal advice or guidance to clients, management officials, or other attorneys. 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: Written and Oral Advocacy - Applies legal expertise and knowledge of the facts of a case to produce persuasive written products (e.g., briefs and legal memoranda) and/or oral presentations (e.g. arguments). Competency 2: Legal Review - Conducts analysis and reviews documents and reports for compliance with Federal law, including federal securities laws and/or laws governing the rulemaking process. Competency 3: Critical Thinking - Considers a variety of factors, general and subject matter-specific, when making decisions and determining next steps in a case. Competency 4: 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.
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.
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 eligibility via the SEC's personnel database.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. No additional documentation will be accepted after the closing date of the announcement. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
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