**This announcement has been extended and will now close on Friday, September 20, 2024.**
Do you want to perform volunteer legal operations work in a challenging yet professional environment? Begin by investing in your career and future at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) !
The SEC is actively recruiting for the Spring 2025 SEC Scholars Legal Program. The program targets currently enrolled JD and LL.M. students to participate in at least a ten-week program.
Summary
**This announcement has been extended and will now close on Friday, September 20, 2024.**
Do you want to perform volunteer legal operations work in a challenging yet professional environment? Begin by investing in your career and future at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) !
The SEC is actively recruiting for the Spring 2025 SEC Scholars Legal Program. The program targets currently enrolled JD and LL.M. students to participate in at least a ten-week program.
The Spring 2025 SEC Scholars Legal program will tentatively begin on the following dates:
1/13/2025-3/21/2025
1/27/2025-4/4/2025
Law students will be assigned to work with SEC staff members on projects and assignments that cover a broad range of the Commission's work. Intern assignments range from supporting litigation to assisting with drafting new regulations to helping with reviews, exams, or public outreach. For information about the opportunities and the work that interns do in specific division/offices within the regional offices, please read the SEC's website.
The SEC Scholars Legal Program will be full-time or part-time during the Spring. 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. Students must work a minimum of 16 hours per week.
The following divisions and offices within our Regional offices are seeking JD/LL.M. students to volunteer with us during the Spring 2025 program.
Atlanta Regional Office (ARO)
Boston Regional Office (BRO)
Chicago Regional Office (CHRO)
Denver Regional Office (DRO)
Fort Worth Regional Office (FWRO)
Los Angeles Regional Office (LARO)
Miami Regional Office (MIRO)
New York Regional Office (NYRO)
Philadelphia Regional Office (PLRO)
San Francisco Regional Office (SFRO)
For more details on Internships at the SEC, please attend our external information sessions. Links to register can be found in the "Additional Information" section of this announcement.
Please see linked announcement for students interested in applying to our Headquarters Offices announcement.
UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP: Must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
You must be enrolled as an 1L, 2L, 3L, or LL.M. law student during the Spring 2025 term.
SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
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.
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.
DRUG TESTING: This position may be subjected to drug testing requirements.
PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS): Moving/Relocation expenses are not authorized.
This position is not in the collective bargaining unit.
GPA: You must maintain at least a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent.
PROOF OF ENROLLMENT: You may provide proof of enrollment at the time of application. You must submit proof of enrollment at an accredited law school by the selection date.
STUDENT STATUS: You must maintain status as a law student during your volunteer service.
WORK SCHEDULES: The SEC Scholars Program will be full-time or part-time. This will be discussed, determined, and agreed upon based on the selectee's academic course load schedule and division/office needs.
Volunteers are eligible to request telework in accordance with the SEC's telework policy.
The anticipated start dates for this program is January 13, 2025 and January 27, 2025. You must meet the definition of a "student" by the selection date in order to be eligible for this program.
Relatives of an SEC Employee may not work directly in their chain-of command.
Qualifications
Eligibility Requirements: In order to be eligible for this internship under the SEC Scholars Legal 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 volunteer service under the SEC Scholars Legal Program.
All eligibility requirements must be met by the selection date.
Individuals with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.
Education
You will be required toprovide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Documentation may be submitted at the time of application. All materials will be required upon selection.
See Required Documents section below. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Additional information
If you would like to learn more about the SEC Scholars Program, please register for one of our upcoming information sessions.
Information Session Links:
Tuesday, August 20, 2024; 5:00 - 6:00 pm (ET) - Register Here
Wednesday, August 21, 2024; 2:00 - 3:00 pm (ET) - Register Here
Wednesday, August 28, 2024; 2:00 - 3:00 pm (ET) -Register Here
Under 5.U.S.C. 3111, a student volunteer is not a Federal employee for any purposes other than injury compensation and law related to the Tort Claims Act. Service is not creditable for leave or any other employee benefits however, transportation subsidy to and from your assigned duty station may be available.
Volunteer Service may be extended at the discretion of the agency.
Selectees for this position are ineligible for health benefits, life insurance, retirement (including the Thrift Savings Plan), and long-term care insurance.
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.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the eligibility requirements above.
All applicants will be notified of their application status once the vacancy announcement has closed. Applicants that have a tentative eligible rating will be referred to the hiring office for review. You may be required to submit additional documentation upon selection to verify eligibility and qualifications. If additional documentation is required, OHR will contact you directly.
Applicants will be required to submit a writing sample as part of the initial application process. The writing sample may be used to further assess applicants who meet the basic eligibility requirements.
Note: You may select up to three location(s) you want to be considered for. You may only be considered for the location(s) indicated in your application.
The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 10 minutes to complete. To preview the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link
You must provide a complete Application Package; please read the following requirements carefully. Your name should be included on all documents, these include:
Required: Your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire (this is built into the online application).
Required, Resume: Please provide your complete and comprehensive resume that includes a complete history of your work experience, education, and the applicable dates with months and years.
Cover Letter.
Required, Writing Sample: Your legal writing sample should be no longer than 10 pages in length. Ensure your writing sample does not contain any non-public information (you may redact as necessary).
Transcript: Transcripts may be submitted at time of application. Upon selection, you will be required to provide your most recent transcript from your most recently completed academic term that includes grades to verify eligibility.Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcripts will be required.
Proof of education enrollment: Proof of enrollment may be submitted at time of application. Upon selection, you will be required to submit official documentation prior to finalizing your internship offer.
Verification of enrollment can be one of the following:
A screen shot of the semester class schedule,
An official letter of enrollment , or
Listed on the official transcript
The enrollment documents should show student's name, academic institution, the degree or certificate program, and enrollment in at least half-time status (as defined by the academic institution).
Important Notes:
Utilize the preview feature of USAJobs to view your documents and ensure the formatting remains and all documents are legible.
Screenshots of documents should be legible.
Your application materials should not contain photographs .
Your full name should be clearly visible on all documents.
Do not submit encrypted documents.
Tips: Encrypted documents do not transmit properly through USAJobs. We recommend, you save the document as a new PDF, or Print to PDF to ensure the document comes through properly and is displayed properly using the USAJobs preview feature.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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 résumé 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 assessment questionnaire which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the assessment questionnaire, 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/.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Track Your Online Application."
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired, you may be terminated after you begin work, or you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. You will be required to submit official documentation before appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, Veterans' Preference, certification of disability, etc.).
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
You must provide a complete Application Package; please read the following requirements carefully. Your name should be included on all documents, these include:
Required: Your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire (this is built into the online application).
Required, Resume: Please provide your complete and comprehensive resume that includes a complete history of your work experience, education, and the applicable dates with months and years.
Cover Letter.
Required, Writing Sample: Your legal writing sample should be no longer than 10 pages in length. Ensure your writing sample does not contain any non-public information (you may redact as necessary).
Transcript: Transcripts may be submitted at time of application. Upon selection, you will be required to provide your most recent transcript from your most recently completed academic term that includes grades to verify eligibility.Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcripts will be required.
Proof of education enrollment: Proof of enrollment may be submitted at time of application. Upon selection, you will be required to submit official documentation prior to finalizing your internship offer.
Verification of enrollment can be one of the following:
A screen shot of the semester class schedule,
An official letter of enrollment , or
Listed on the official transcript
The enrollment documents should show student's name, academic institution, the degree or certificate program, and enrollment in at least half-time status (as defined by the academic institution).
Important Notes:
Utilize the preview feature of USAJobs to view your documents and ensure the formatting remains and all documents are legible.
Screenshots of documents should be legible.
Your application materials should not contain photographs .
Your full name should be clearly visible on all documents.
Do not submit encrypted documents.
Tips: Encrypted documents do not transmit properly through USAJobs. We recommend, you save the document as a new PDF, or Print to PDF to ensure the document comes through properly and is displayed properly using the USAJobs preview feature.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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 résumé 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 assessment questionnaire which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the assessment questionnaire, 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/.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Track Your Online Application."
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired, you may be terminated after you begin work, or you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. You will be required to submit official documentation before appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, Veterans' Preference, certification of disability, etc.).
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
