Summary
Do you want to perform volunteer legal operations work in a challenging yet professional environment? The SEC is actively recruiting for the Spring 2027 SEC Scholars Legal Program. The program targets currently enrolled JD and LL.M. students to participate in at least a ten-week unpaid program. This internship is not remote.
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Duties
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The program will tentatively begin on the following dates:
- 01/25/2027 - 04/02/2027
- 02/08/2027 - 04/16/2027
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 headquarters, 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 Headquarters offices are seeking JD/LL.M. students to volunteer with us during the
Spring 2027 program. You will be asked to rank your top three choices of office. You will be given priority consideration of these offices but may be contacted by any of them.SEC.gov | SEC Divisions Homepages
- Office of Chairman Atkins
- Office of Chairman Atkins-Crypto Task Force
- Office of Commissioner Uyeda
- Division of Corporation Finance (CF)
- Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA)
- Division of Enforcement (ENF)
- Division of Examinations (EXAMS)
- Division of Investment Management (IM)
- Division of Trading and Markets (TM)
- EDGAR Business Office (EBO)
- Office of Acquisitions (OA)
- Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ)
- Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation (OASB)
- Office of the Chief Accountant (OCA)
- Office of the Chief Data Officer (OCDO)
- Office of the Chief Operating Officer (OCOO)
- Office of Ethics Counsel (OEC)
- Office of Credit Ratings (OCR)
- Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (OEEO)
- Office of Financial Management (OFM)
- Office of the General Counsel (OGC)
- Office of Human Resources (OHR)
- Office of International Affairs (OIA)
- Office of Inspector General (OIG)
- Office of Information Technology (OIT)
- Office of the Investor Advocate (OIAD)
- Office of Investor Education and Assistance (OIEA) (Previously: Office of Investor Education and Advocacy)
- Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs (OLIA)
- Office of Municipal Securities (OMS)
- Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
- Office of the Secretary (OS)
- Office of Support Operations (OSO)
Please see linked announcement for students interested in applying to our Regional Offices announcement.
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 and may be filled from any division or office within the agency.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The anticipated start dates for this program is January 25, 2027 and February 8, 2027.
- Relatives of an SEC Employee may not work directly in their chain-of command.
- AGE REQUIREMENT: You must be at least 16 years of age to apply to this position.
- The selectee is required to report to the duty station(s) listed.
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.
*An applicant who is less than half time enrolled immediately prior to graduating may be considered a student for purposes of this Program.
NOTE:
- STUDENT STATUS: You must maintain status as a law student during your volunteer service.
- PROOF OF ENROLLMENT: You may provide proof of enrollment at the time of application; however, you must provide proof of enrollment at an accredited law school by the selection date.
- ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: All eligibility requirements must be met by the selection date.
- DEFINITION OF STUDENT: You must meet the definition of a "student" by the selection date in order to be eligible for this program.
Education
You will be required to provide 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.
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
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 4, 2026; 12:00-1:00 PM ET; Register Here
Thursday, August 6, 2026; 1:30- 2:30 PM ET; Register Here
Monday, August 17, 2026; 11:00 AM-12:00 PM ET; Register Here
Wednesday, August 19, 2026; 1:30-2:30 PM ET; Register Here
This is a volunteer position. As a result:
- 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 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: For more information, please click
here.
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.
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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
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