Closing Date: 5th February, 2026
Description:
Summary:If selected, you will serve as an Attorney Adviser (Special Counsel) advisor responsible for a broad range of assignments in the Division of Corporation Finance's Office of Chief Counsel (OCC). OCC provides legal counsel and policy advice to Division and agency staff on the statutes and regulations the Division of Corporation Finance administers. OCC also develops and provides interpretive guidance and assists the public with questions related to those statutes and regulations.
Duties:
- Advising on the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, other federal securities laws, and their associated rules, regulations and forms.
- Applying the federal securities laws to evolving and complex products and capital markets transactions.
- Developing Division interpretive positions under the federal securities laws and ensuring their consistency with the wide range of federal and state legal, regulatory, and administrative requirements applicable to securities issuers and transactions.
- Reviewing and recommending responses to no-action and interpretive requests and exemptive applications.
- Assisting with special projects.
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
- Citizenship: This position is open to US Citizens.
- You must possess a J.D. or LL.B Degree.
- You must be an active member of the bar in good standing
- 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.
Qualifications:
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.
Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the deadline. 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.
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.
- SK-14: Applicant must have 3 year(s) of post J.D. work experienceidentifying legal issues, conducting legal research, providing legal analyses, providing legal solutions/recommendations, and preparing legal documents, such as contracts, dispositions, pleadings, and motions, which also includes, 2 years of which includes:
- Interpreting and providing guidance on rulemaking related to securities regulatory matters;
- Providing legal advice regarding the general application of the Securities Act of 1933, Exchange Act of 1934, and other federal securities laws and recommending the resolution of disclosure reporting issues;
- Providing guidance and evaluation on rulemaking initiatives and overarching policy issues related to the federal securities laws.
Education:
Are You Using Your Education to Qualify? 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 of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
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 and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional Information:
SEC Compensation Program: The overall salary range listed above is provided for informational purposes as it represents the full range that is applicable to current employees in this occupation/grade; however, a selectee's initial pay is always set below the maximum rate of the range. Please click here (https://www.sec.gov/ohr/sec-compensation) for additional information.
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.
Additional Information:
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.
Benefits:
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. Learn more about federal benefits. (https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/ben