
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. Attorneys in the Appellate group 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 If selected, you will serve as Appellate Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel in Washington, DC.
Primary duties include:
- Prepare briefs and other documents for filing in the United States Supreme Court, courts of appeals, and district courts.
- Present oral argument in appeals from district court enforcement actions, Commission adjudicatory orders, Commission rulemakings, and other regulatory actions.
- Review records in cases where the Commission received an unfavorable decision to determine whether to recommend appeal to a higher court or rehearing.
- Analyze private litigation cases to determine whether the Commission should participate as amicus curiae.
- Prepare legal interpretations, legal memoranda, and other advice for the Commission with respect to difficult, complex, and/or novel legal problems.
- Assist the General Counsel with special projects at the direction of the General Counsel.
- Represent the Office of the General Counsel in providing advice to rulemaking and trial teams regarding complex legal issues.
- $151,597 - $256,833/year
- CITIZENSHIP: You must be a US Citizen.
- You must possess a J.D. or LL.B Degree and you must be an active member of the bar in good standing.
- This position is open to current SEC employees.
- Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all the instructions carefully. Failure to follow the instructions may result in you not being considered for this position.
- 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.
- This position has promotion potential to the SK-14.
- 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.
- 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.
- This position is in the collective bargaining unit NTEU Chapter 293.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
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.
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 one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/SK-13 level. Specialized experience includes:- Applying federal securities laws, federal administrative law, and the rules governing practice in federal courts; AND
- Providing legal advice (both written and oral) and analysis of complex legal issues relating to the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder; AND
- Conducting litigation by drafting briefs and presenting oral arguments.
You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:
- Required: Your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.
- Required: Your complete and comprehensive resume that includes a complete history of your work experience and the applicable employment dates with months and years. It is recommended that your resume include the title, series, and grade (e.g. SK-0301-12) for all relevant Federal experience . To determine if you qualify for this position, OHR will review your work history that is relevant to the specific position for which you applied. If you are a current SEC employee selected for this position, the standard percentage increases will be applied (i.e., 6% for non-supervisory and 10% for supervisory positions) if your selection results in a promotion. If your selection results in lateral movement (i.e. no change in grade) you will maintain your current salary. If your selection results in a change in grade from an SK-15 to an SK-16 you will maintain your current salary. Note: Your resume must directly address the definition of specialized experience listed in the qualification section of this announcement and must NOT contain pictures.
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.
- 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/.