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

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.

Qualifications

Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the closing date of the announcement. 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. 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: Representing federal agencies or clients in litigation; AND Providing legal advice (both written and oral) on legal issues; AND 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement. Your resume and application package will first be reviewed to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements outlined in the announcement. Please do not submit an Accomplishment Record at this time. If you are found minimally qualified, the Office of Human Resources will contact you to request an Accomplishment Record. You will have 3 business days from the date of the request to submit it. Failure to submit the Accomplishment Record on time will remove you from further consideration. A response is required even if an Accomplishment Record was submitted at time of application. Because of the short turnaround time, you are strongly encouraged to begin preparing your Accomplishment Record in advance. Once your Accomplishment Record is received, a rating panel will review both your resume and your narrative responses. Your Accomplishment Record must clearly demonstrate your proficiency in the competencies listed in the Qualifications section. Click here for guidance on writing your Accomplishment Record. Your resume must provide evidence that supports the claims in your Accomplishment Record. Each narrative must describe one specific, relevant example from your experience or training. Responses are limited to 300 words per competency; any text beyond this limit will not be reviewed. Accomplishment Record Format: Competency Title Position title and dates from your resume that this experience was obtained Describe the situation (i.e., the challenged faced, the problem solved) Describe the specific actions you took State the outcome, results, or long-term impact of your accomplishment Name and email address of someone who can verify this information Reference checks may be conducted as part of the final selection process, and you will be notified before any contacts are made. Basis for Rating: The rating panel will evaluate applicants' accomplishment records and resume, then place them into one of the following categories: Highly Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has extensive skills and experience in most of the job related competencies. Well Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has a moderate amount of skills and experience in most of the job related competencies. Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but may have a limited amount of experience in several of the job related competencies. Top ranked applicants will be referred to the hiring office for further review and consideration. The hiring office may directly contact recommended candidates for interview(s). To preview the Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13081115

Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes: Required: Your responses to the Questionnaire. Required: Resume - Resumes should include relevant work experience, with specific employment dates, that demonstrates qualifications for the specialized experience and competencies as outlined above. If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position. Resumes that exceed two pages will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration. For resume writing tips, visit USAJOBS and the SEC careers page. Required, if applicable: Veteran's documentation (DD-214, member 4 copy or other documentation containing dates of service and character of discharge.) Required: Unofficial Transcripts - Applicants must submit unofficial transcripts, as outlined under the "Education" section, with their application, demonstrating that they satisfy the specified degree and coursework requirements. If selected for the position, candidates will be required to provide an official transcript showing the degree conferred date, certificate of good standing proof of active bar membership in good standing (i.e. certificate of good standing).

How to Apply

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. No additional documentation will be accepted after the closing date of the announcement. 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/.

What to Expect Next

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.). Candidates external to the SEC will be allowed to submit a comprehensive resume for pay setting purposes after a tentative offer is made. If the applicant fails to provide the comprehensive resume by the specified deadline, the resume submitted at the ti...

Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the closing date of the announcement. 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. 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: Representing federal agencies or clients in litigation; AND Providing legal advice (both written and oral) on legal issues; AND 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.