Opportunities after SEC?

[Anonymous]

My husband is considering a job with SEC Enforcement. He wants to take it, but the partner he works for told him that nobody takes the SEC seriously and it's a bad career move. I think the partner is just trying to keep DH from leaving, but I'm an employment lawyer with no firsthand knowledge of the SEC. For those of you who do white collar defense and SEC enforcement work, what do you think of the potential value of experience at the SEC?

[Anonymous]

Husband worked for SEC (although not Enforcement) and I take it from him that it's a revolving door. Plenty of folks go out and get positions for $300k on up. And then come back. And then go out. repeat.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on the level of the attorney, the level of the job, and then a bit about the cases one happens to get, which may have to do with which group within enforcement the job is. I'm not an enforcement lawyer anymore but do securities work and I think people who shine at the SEC in enforcement have plenty of opportunities when they come out. Respected or not, the SEC will continue to be out there doing what it does, and the best enforcement defense lawyers are universally the ones who have been at the SEC previously.

[Anonymous]

The only two SEC attorneys I know now work for Big Law.

[Anonymous]

If he spends the majority of his time working for this partner, keep in mind (as you already have) that this partner could really be thinking - I'm about to lose my reliable senior associate. If you want to trust his judgment more, it's possible he could mean - going to the SEC is not a guarantee that you can get back out as a biglaw partner. Frankly there is no guarantee of biglaw partnership whether your DH stays or goes to SEC because there are so many factors and you can't predict the economy but I have seen people who went to the gov't saying "I'll take the pay cut for a few yrs and then come back out and make partner immediately" and it has not happened, esp in recent years. So if he goes, he should feel relatively comfortable that that's where he wants to be - not just that it's a stepping stone to something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Husband worked for SEC (although not Enforcement) and I take it from him that it's a revolving door. Plenty of folks go out and get positions for $300k on up. And then come back. And then go out. repeat.

This. Experience inside the SEC (and certain other government agencies) can be really valuable on the outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Husband worked for SEC (although not Enforcement) and I take it from him that it's a revolving door. Plenty of folks go out and get positions for $300k on up. And then come back. And then go out. repeat.

This. Experience inside the SEC (and certain other government agencies) can be really valuable on the outside.

Yep. This is the way it works for lots of people. If you have skills/experiences, you will do well with the revolving door.

[Anonymous]

I would say the opposite - the SEC is pretty selective about who they hire, and I think you gain a lot of very valuable knowledge working there. Which is one reason people accept the lower-than-big-law salary to go there. (the hours are typically another reason.) My friends who are lawyers (and other jobs) there are very happy.

I think maybe the only downside would be that a future big law firm might think the lawyer couldn't handle the pressure and long hours of a big law firm job, so they went to the SEC. I wouldn't see that as a deterrent, though.

[Anonymous]

Our attorney (in a case regarding the SEC) used to work for the SEC and now is in big law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say the opposite - the SEC is pretty selective about who they hire, and I think you gain a lot of very valuable knowledge working there. Which is one reason people accept the lower-than-big-law salary to go there. (the hours are typically another reason.) My friends who are lawyers (and other jobs) there are very happy.

I think maybe the only downside would be that a future big law firm might think the lawyer couldn't handle the pressure and long hours of a big law firm job, so they went to the SEC. I wouldn't see that as a deterrent, though.

Also keep in mind that although SEC pays lower than biglaw, obviously, they pay higher than the GS scale. These are very coveted jobs and clients value the experience.

Put it this way: If you're considering hiring someone to defend you in an SEC investigation, would you rather have someone who has seen both sides or someone who hasn't? All else being equal I'd take the fomer fed every time.

[Anonymous]

NP here. How do you apply for a job in the Enforcement division? DH wants to leave big law and go to the SEC for a few years but he can't find any info on their website about openings in Enforcement.

To OPs original question, he has always heard that going to the SEC for a few years can help you make partner--I.e., makes you ore valuable. I used to practice as well, though as a BD regulatory lawyer, and we were always looking to hire people with SEC experience. Helped to have people who knew what really was going on from the SEC's POV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. How do you apply for a job in the Enforcement division? DH wants to leave big law and go to the SEC for a few years but he can't find any info on their website about openings in Enforcement.

To OPs original question, he has always heard that going to the SEC for a few years can help you make partner--I.e., makes you ore valuable. I used to practice as well, though as a BD regulatory lawyer, and we were always looking to hire people with SEC experience. Helped to have people who knew what really was going on from the SEC's POV.

Seriously? I'm usually not snarky, but if he is at biglaw and doesn't know how to find SEC jobs he doesn't deserve to go there. Hint: all fed agency jobs are posted on usajobs.com.

[Anonymous]

It is very difficult to get a job at the SEC working in the Office of Enforcement. It is considered very prestigious. I know a bunch of people who went on to other very prestigious jobs after working at the SEC. Your husband will get better experience at the SEC than at a big law firm. He'll also have more of a life.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP. It is very hard to get hired in Enforcement. If he gets an offer, he should take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. How do you apply for a job in the Enforcement division? DH wants to leave big law and go to the SEC for a few years but he can't find any info on their website about openings in Enforcement.

To OPs original question, he has always heard that going to the SEC for a few years can help you make partner--I.e., makes you ore valuable. I used to practice as well, though as a BD regulatory lawyer, and we were always looking to hire people with SEC experience. Helped to have people who knew what really was going on from the SEC's POV.

If you don't know people in Enforcement, forget it.