Senior Counsel

Summary

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is seeking General Attorneys (Senior Counsel) in the Litigation and Administrative Practice Group in Washington, DC. The Group provides legal and policy advice to the Commission and the SEC's divisions and offices on a wide range of legal matters related to privileges, contracts, appropriations, intellectual property, employment, labor law, and professional responsibility. The Group also defends the Commission in litigation related to each of these areas.

Duties

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Multiple positions are posted in each of the following practice groups:

• Labor, Employment, and Litigation - handling litigation against the Commission and providing advice and representing the agency on matters involving employment and labor law and related matters.
• FOIA and Litigation - handling litigation against the Commission involving and providing advice on matters relating to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Privacy Act, the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Right to Financial Privacy Act.
• Intellectual Property - providing legal and policy advice to the Commission and the SEC's divisions and offices on a wide range of legal matters including procurement, appropriations, real estate, leasing and intellectual property, and defends the Commission in administrative and federal court litigation.

In this role as a Senior Counsel, you will perform the following duties:

- Conducting legal research, preparing memoranda, advising the Commission on applicable laws and regulations concerning the management and operation of the agency and representing the agency in administrative and court litigation.

You will also perform the following duties for the specific group you apply for.

Labor, Employment, and Litigation:

- Providing legal advice to the Commission and its operating divisions and offices on labor and employment law issues.

- Representing the agency in all phases of administrative and federal court litigation, including discovery, hearings and appeals.

FOIA and Litigation:

- Representing the Commission in litigation relating to the FOIA, FTCA, Constitutional claims, and related matters, and acting as agency counsel in those cases where Department of Justice represents the Commission.

- Providing legal advice to the Commission and its operating divisions and offices on the FOIA, Privacy Act, Federal Records Act, FTCA, APA, and Right to Financial Privacy Act.

- Providing legal advice on policies, procedures, and agreements relating to the protection of the Commission's non-public information.

Intellectual Property and Contracts:

- Providing legal advice and guidance on a broad range of intellectual property issues-including patents, trademarks, copyrights, licensing, data rights, and artificial intelligence, serving as a subject-matter resource to the Commission and its offices and divisions.

- Maintaining, protecting, and enforcing the Commission's intellectual property rights and interests by overseeing trademark filings; monitoring and responding to infringements; issuing cease-and-desist communications; drafting, negotiating, reviewing, and advising on intellectual property licenses and related agreements; and pursuing administrative actions or domain-name dispute proceedings as necessary.

- Representing the agency in patent and IP-related disputes, coordinating with the Department of Justice and outside counsel, where appropriate, to advocate for the Commission's interests.

Requirements

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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. a7 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.
• The selectee is required to report to the duty station(s) listed.

Qualifications

Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Please check the HowYou 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must also meet the minimum qualification requirement.

SK-14: Applicant must have at least three year(s) of post J.D. work experience independently identifying legal issues, providing legal analyses, providing legal solutions/recommendations, and preparing legal documents, such as, pleadings, motions and agreements which also includes at least two years:

1. Representing federal agencies or clients in litigation; AND
2. Providing legal advice (both written and oral) on legal issues; AND
3. Drafting legal memoranda, legal documents, and reports pertaining to litigation.

ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES: Your Accomplishment Record narratives should address the following competencies. See the How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more information:

Competency 1: Civil Litigation - Implements litigation strategies and represents the Agency in court or administrative proceedings.

Competency 2: Workload Management - Effectively prioritizes workload in a way that accommodates unforeseen developments and achieves successful outcomes.

Competency 3: Critical Thinking - Considers a variety of factors, general and subject matter-specific, when making decisions and determining next steps in a case.

Competency 4: Teamwork and Collaboration - Interacts with internal and external stakeholders in a manner that advances agency goals and objectives.

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.

Additional 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, click here.

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.

Benefits

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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.