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Student Trainee (Law) - Summer 2023

Securities and Exchange Commission
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Summary

The SEC is actively recruiting for the SEC Scholars Legal Program for Summer 2023 The program targets currently enrolled JD (starting 3L year in Fall 2023) and LL.M. students to participate in a ten-week internship, these are temporary appointments. Please see linked announcement for students interested in applying to our Regional Offices.

The SEC Scholars Program will tentatively begin June 5, 2023 and conclude on August 11, 2023.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/31/2022 to 11/25/2022
Salary
$28.71 to - $35.27 per hour
Pay scale & grade
SK 9
Location
many vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
23-HQ-PW-11706767-JH
Control number
685931500

Videos

Duties

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*** This announcement was extended and will now close on Friday, November 25, 2022. ***

JD/LL.M. students will be assigned to work with SEC staff members on projects and assignments that cover a broad range of the Commissions' work. That work depends upon the division or office where the student works.

The SEC Scholars Program will be full-time in the Summer. Work schedule will be determined and agreed upon based on the selectees academic course load schedule and division/office needs. You will have the opportunity to discuss schedule, hours, etc. upon selection and acceptance into the program.

The following divisions and offices within our Washington, D.C. Headquarters are seeking JD/LL.M. students to work with us during the Summer 2023 program at the SEC. You will be asked to rank your top three choices of office. You will be given priority consideration by these offices, but may be contacted by any of them.
SEC.gov | SEC Divisions Homepages

  • Division of Corporation Finance (CF)
  • Division of Economic & Risk Analysis (DERA)
  • EDGAR Business Office (EBO)
  • Division of Enforcement (ENF)
  • Executive Staff (ES)
  • Division of Examinations (EXAMS)
  • Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology (FinHub)
  • Division of Investment Management (IM)
  • Office of the Chief Accountant (OCA)
  • Office of Credit Ratings (OCR)
  • Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (OEEO)
  • Office of the General Counsel (OGC)
  • Office of International Affairs (OIA)
  • Office of the Investor Advocate (OIAD)
  • Office of the Information Technology (OIT)
  • Office of Municipal Securities (OMS)
  • Division of Trading and Markets (TM)

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • 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.
  • 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 not in the collective bargaining unit.
  • UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP: Must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • GPA: You must have and maintain at least a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent.
  • PATHWAYS AGREEMENT: You will be required to sign a Pathways Internship Program Participant Agreement.
  • ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENT: You must be enrolled at least half-time at an accredited law school pursuing a degree or certificate.
  • PROOF OF ENROLLMENT: You must provide proof of enrollment at an accredited law school. For students who have been accepted for enrollment but do not yet have a transcript (e.g. LL.M., transfer students), you must provide your acceptance letter.
  • STUDENT STATUS: You must maintain status as a law student while on this appointment.
  • WORK SCHEDULES: The SEC Scholars Program will be full-time. This will be discussed, determined, and agreed upon based on the selectees academic course load schedule and division/office needs.
  • The anticipated start date of this position is June 5, 2023. You must meet the definition of a "student" currently and after this date to be eligible for hire.
  • Due to COVID-19, the SEC is currently in an optional telework posture. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station.
  • If you wish to continue your internship into the next session, you must reapply and start the program again.

Qualifications

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible for this internship under the SEC Scholars Program:

  • You must be accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a JD or LL.M. at an accredited law school on at least a half-time basis (as determined by the educational institution); AND
  • You must possess a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of a 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, or the equivalent.
You must continue to meet these eligibility requirements throughout the duration of your appointment under the SEC Scholars Program.

All qualification requirements must be met by the start of the program.

Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

In order to qualify for this position at the grade GS/SK-09 level you must have successfully completed:
(A) A master's degree or equivalent graduate degree
OR
(B) Two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree (e.g. completed your second year of law school, and beginning your third year of law school in fall 2023).

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. See Required Documents section below.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

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

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Benefits include Federal paid holidays and other benefits which may include a flexible work schedule. Selectees for this position are ineligible for health benefits, life insurance, retirement (including the Thrift Savings Plan), and long term care insurance. As a federal employee, selectees are eligible to receive a transit subsidy each month to compensate you for your travel to and from work via certain types of public transportation.

Converting to the Competitive Service: This appointment does not confer eligibility to be noncompetitively converted to a term, career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service.

Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an applicant who needs a reasonable accommodation for disability to participate in the application process at the SEC, submit the form for Reasonable Accommodation for Participation in Job Application Process here. 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, sex (not limited to conduct which is sexual in nature, includes pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender status), age (40 and over), religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, retaliation for participating in the EEO process or opposing discrimination. 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.

TTY/ASCII: Video Relay Service users are welcome to contact the appropriate SEC office or employee via the contact information listed above. If you do not otherwise have access to a Video Phone or Video Relay service, you may send us an email or use the Federal Video Relay Service via the internet. For more information about using the Federal Relay Service and to create a new account, please see: https://www.federalrelay.us/

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

After review of your application materials, if you are determined to meet the basic eligibility requirements, you will be referred to the selecting official. Veterans' preference applies to selection for positions in the Pathways Programs. Selections must be made in accordance with the requirements of 5 CFR part 302, veterans' preference laws, and OPM guidance.

The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 10 minutes to complete. To preview the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11706767.

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