in
Securities and Exchange Commission

ATTORNEY - TRADING AND MARKETS RULEMAKING AND RULE FILING SUPPORT

Securities and Exchange Commission See More Job Openings by This EmployerArrow
  • Full Time
  • $151,597 - $256,833/year
  • Washington, DC
April 7, 2026 Attorney Securities Law

Job Description

The Division of Trading and Markets (TM) is seeking applicants to fill their Attorney - Trading and Markets Rulemaking and Rule Filing Support (Attorney-Adviser) positions. The successful applicant will have strong research and writing skills and be interested in learning about the securities markets while working to strengthen our national market system and protect investors.

Duties

In this role as an Attorney - Trading and Markets Rulemaking and Rule Filing Support, you will be responsible for:

  • Developing and preparing guidance and facilitating action on complex legal and policy issues arising from the interpretation and application of the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
  • Reviewing and analyzing proposed rule changes by registered clearing agencies, national securities exchanges, National Market System Plans, and other regulated entities, as well as reviewing and analyzing proposed new trading systems, strategies and products, as applicable.
  • Reviewing, analyzing, and interpreting new legislative initiatives, Congressional mandates, Commission or Court decisions, actions taken by other regulators, and other events that may affect the securities markets.
  • Participating in the development and implementation of regulatory initiatives, including Commission rulemaking, exemptive requests, interpretive guidance, staff studies, and other Commission or staff initiatives.
  • Assisting and providing support and advice regarding TM's oversight of self-regulated organizations (SROs); broker-dealers; transfer agents; alternative trading systems; securities information processors; and other regulated entities.
  • Consulting and coordinating with other regulators, SROs, broker-dealers, transfer agents, and other financial market participants, as well as other staff in the Commission and TM as necessary and appropriate to complete assignments.

Salary
  • $151,597 - $256,833/year
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/).
  • SECURITY CLEARANCE: Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation. Favorable results on a Background Investigation may be a condition of employment or selection to another position.
  • 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.
  • This appointment is not-to-exceed 13 months with the option to extend but may not lead to a permanent position.
  • 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 extension, if needed.
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:

SK-14: In addition to the Basic Requirements, the applicant must have three 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 two years of either:
  1. Interpreting, applying, and explaining the provisions of the laws, rules, and regulations that govern the securities industry, in particular, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and related self-regulatory organization rules; OR
  2. Developing and justifying recommendations or conclusions related to federal, state, or local law regarding financial institutions, including experience gained through relevant litigation or enforcement activities, or similar experience in an area such as banking, commodities, or corporate.

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.
  • Critical Thinking: Considers a variety of factors, general and subject matter-specific, when making decisions and determining next steps in a case.
  • Workload Management: Effectively prioritizes workload in a way that accommodates unforeseen developments and achieves successful outcomes.

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. Other 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, please visit http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/ 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: Federal EEO laws protect all applicants from discrimination on the following bases: race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. Applicants who believe they have been discriminated against on any EEO basis can seek recourse through the SEC's administrative complaints process. To be timely, an individual must enter the EEO process within 45 days from when they know (or should have known) of the alleged discrimination. Click here for additional information. 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. 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.
  • Required, if applicable: Veteran's documentation (DD-214, member 4 copy or other documentation containing dates of service and character of discharge.)
  • Required: Accomplishment Record - The Accomplishment Record is a set of narrative responses that demonstrate your proficiency in the competencies listed. These narratives support your resume by providing specific examples from your training or experience. For each competency, you must provide a 300 word or less written narrative (text only) describing one example of competency-related experience. Text beyond this limit will not be considered. This document must be uploaded to the application under Accomplishment Record. An accomplishment record submitted outside the USA Staffing system will not be accepted. Failure to provide the Accomplishment Record in the correct format will result in an ineligible rating.
  • Required: Unofficial Transcripts/Registration/License - If education is a qualification for this position, you must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts with your application. If you are selected for the position, you will need to provide an official transcript along with your certificate of good standing.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

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/.



Have Questions?

Looking for a job or looking to hire? We're here to help! Get answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Justia Legal Jobs.