Working at Federal Reserve as an attorney

[Anonymous]

Please tell me your experience working there as an attorney. What are the people like? What are the hours like?

[Anonymous]

Also, what is the work from home flexibility like?

[Anonymous]

Lots of smart people, interesting work, good money, but can be long hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me your experience working there as an attorney. What are the people like? What are the hours like?

Very smart people. Lots of money compared to rest of government. Hours really depend on the group. Banking Reg group works the most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, what is the work from home flexibility like?

Policy just announced of minimum of six days in office per month, with a requirement to be in every Wednesday at a minimum.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. This is for a job in the Litigation group, if that helps with answering my questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you. This is for a job in the Litigation group, if that helps with answering my questions.

They're a good group. Last time they hired someone was 2019, and the last departure they had was a retirement. Their works runs the gamut from interesting defensive lit to employment and FOIA litigation. There's boring stuff and exciting stuff. I think their hours are pretty reasonable---definitely less than the banking reg group. I would take the position if offered, you're not going to beat the money elsewhere. Only word of caution would be that if you're interested in enforcement, they don't do that (other than defending decisions), but you'd be better positioned already being there if you wanted to later move to enforcement.

[Anonymous]

How much do they make? Compared to, say, someone in SEC Enforcement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much do they make? Compared to, say, someone in SEC Enforcement?

Way more, particularly when you account for salary vs years out of law school. Just be aware that a decent portion of your total comp is the yearly variable comp. Also, don't forget that the Federal Reserve is on its own retirement system (unlike SEC), has a higher Thrift Savings match, and has a stipend to offset health insurance employee premiums.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much do they make? Compared to, say, someone in SEC Enforcement?

Way more, particularly when you account for salary vs years out of law school. Just be aware that a decent portion of your total comp is the yearly variable comp. Also, don't forget that the Federal Reserve is on its own retirement system (unlike SEC), has a higher Thrift Savings match, and has a stipend to offset health insurance employee premiums.

Sorry to press, but how much is way more, considering an average dc SEC staff atty can expect to make 220ish

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much do they make? Compared to, say, someone in SEC Enforcement?

Way more, particularly when you account for salary vs years out of law school. Just be aware that a decent portion of your total comp is the yearly variable comp. Also, don't forget that the Federal Reserve is on its own retirement system (unlike SEC), has a higher Thrift Savings match, and has a stipend to offset health insurance employee premiums.

Sorry to press, but how much is way more, considering an average dc SEC staff atty can expect to make 220ish

Average SEC staff doesn’t make 220, not if they lateraled in. 220 is the top of the scale for staff attorney at the SEC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much do they make? Compared to, say, someone in SEC Enforcement?

Way more, particularly when you account for salary vs years out of law school. Just be aware that a decent portion of your total comp is the yearly variable comp. Also, don't forget that the Federal Reserve is on its own retirement system (unlike SEC), has a higher Thrift Savings match, and has a stipend to offset health insurance employee premiums.

Sorry to press, but how much is way more, considering an average dc SEC staff atty can expect to make 220ish

I would not expect to make "way more" at FRB than SEC in an attorney role. The pension overall makes the Fed more desirable. But the salary and benefits are very comparable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much do they make? Compared to, say, someone in SEC Enforcement?

Way more, particularly when you account for salary vs years out of law school. Just be aware that a decent portion of your total comp is the yearly variable comp. Also, don't forget that the Federal Reserve is on its own retirement system (unlike SEC), has a higher Thrift Savings match, and has a stipend to offset health insurance employee premiums.

Sorry to press, but how much is way more, considering an average dc SEC staff atty can expect to make 220ish

Average SEC staff doesn’t make 220, not if they lateraled in. 220 is the top of the scale for staff attorney at the SEC.

Yep, I've been an attorney for 12 years and I'm no where near 220K. I'm not even that close to $200K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much do they make? Compared to, say, someone in SEC Enforcement?

Way more, particularly when you account for salary vs years out of law school. Just be aware that a decent portion of your total comp is the yearly variable comp. Also, don't forget that the Federal Reserve is on its own retirement system (unlike SEC), has a higher Thrift Savings match, and has a stipend to offset health insurance employee premiums.

Sorry to press, but how much is way more, considering an average dc SEC staff atty can expect to make 220ish

Maybe the average SEC attorney with over 20 years of service. Otherwise, they're nowhere near that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much do they make? Compared to, say, someone in SEC Enforcement?

Way more, particularly when you account for salary vs years out of law school. Just be aware that a decent portion of your total comp is the yearly variable comp. Also, don't forget that the Federal Reserve is on its own retirement system (unlike SEC), has a higher Thrift Savings match, and has a stipend to offset health insurance employee premiums.

Sorry to press, but how much is way more, considering an average dc SEC staff atty can expect to make 220ish

I would not expect to make "way more" at FRB than SEC in an attorney role. The pension overall makes the Fed more desirable. But the salary and benefits are very comparable.

I can assure you knowing people at both that it's not even that close.