FINRA Legal Extern, Enforcement (UNPAID) - 2027 SPRING SEMESTER

Location: New York, NY (Job Posting)

Legal externs work closely with Enforcement’s attorneys, investigators and management to assist Enforcement in investigating and determining whether FINRA regulated firms and/or associated individuals violated the federal securities laws or FINRA, or MSRB rules. Externs perform a variety of tasks including legal research and writing, and document review, as well as assisting staff to prepare for on-the-record testimony. Externs also have the opportunity to observe on-the-record interviews and settlement negotiations, and to attend departmental meetings and participate in trainings designed to build or enhance skills and knowledge.

Term of Position

Spring: January - April

Hiring Criteria

Graduate student pursuing JD or LLM

Securities law related course work and/or knowledge of securities law or brokerage regulations are not required, but preferred

Securities industry experience is a plus

Strong writing, analysis and research skills

Strong work ethic, positive attitude and professional demeanor

Ability to work with others to meet deadlines

Ability to perform multiple tasks efficiently and accurately

Fall and Spring externs must work a minimum of 12 hours weekly.

Externs must earn current course credits (determined by school) and cannot work purely as a volunteer.  FINRA requires at least one credit.

Application Process

Applicants must submit

Legal writing sample

Current resume

Current unofficial transcript

Cover letter explaining your interest in the externship, preferred posting location, and the qualifications making you an appropriate candidate

Applicants must upload all of the required documents. Applications that do not include all of the required documents will not be considered.

All successful applicants will be required to pass a drug screening test and a minimal background check prior to starting the externship.

Legal externs will not be eligible for permanent attorney positions following graduation.  The FINRA Enforcement Department generally only hires experienced attorneys into permanent positions.

#LI-Hybrid

To be considered for this position, please submit an application. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

The information provided above has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required.

Please note: If the “Apply Now” button on a job board posting does not take you directly to the FINRA Careers site, enter www.finra.org/careers into your browser to reach our site directly.

Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Non-exempt employees are also eligible for overtime pay in accordance with federal, state, or local law. As part of its dedication to employee wellness, FINRA provides comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance. Additional insurance includes basic life, accidental death and dismemberment, supplemental life, spouse/domestic partner and dependent life, and spouse/domestic partner and dependent accidental death and dismemberment, short- and long-term disability, long-term care, business travel accident, disability and legal. FINRA offers immediate participation and vesting in a 401(k) plan with company match and eligibility for participation in an additional FINRA-funded retirement contribution, tuition reimbursement, commuter benefits, and other benefits that support employee wellness, such as adoption assistance, backup family care, surrogacy benefits, employee assistance, and wellness programs.

Time Off and Paid Leave*

FINRA encourages its employees to focus on their health and wellness in many ways, including through a generous time-off program starting at 15 days of paid time off (increasing with years of service, up to 25 days), 5 personal days, and 9 sick days, unless otherwise required by law (all pro-rated in the first year). Additionally, we are proud to support our communities by providing two volunteer service days (based on full-time schedule). Other paid leave includes military leave, jury duty leave, bereavement leave, voting and election official leave for federal, state or local primary and general elections, care of a family member leave (available after 90 days of employment); and childbirth and parental leave (available after 90 days of employment). Full-time employees receive nine paid holidays.

• Based on full-time schedule

Important Information

FINRA’s Code of Conduct imposes restrictions on employees’ investments and requires financial disclosures that are uniquely related to our role as a securities regulator. FINRA employees are required to disclose to FINRA all brokerage accounts that they maintain, and those in which they control trading or have a financial interest (including any trust account of which they are a trustee or beneficiary and all accounts of a spouse, domestic partner or minor child who lives with the employee) and to authorize their broker-dealers to provide FINRA with duplicate statements for all of those accounts. All of those accounts are subject to the Code’s investment and securities account restrictions, and new employees must comply with those investment restrictions—including disposing of any security issued by a company on FINRA’s Prohibited Company List or obtaining a written waiver from their Executive Vice President—by the date they begin employment with FINRA. Employees may only maintain securities accounts that must be disclosed to FINRA at one or more securities firms that provide an electronic feed (e-feed) of data to FINRA, and must move securities accounts from other securities firms to a firm that provides an e-feed within three months of beginning employment.

You can read more about these restrictions here.

As standard practice, employees must also execute FINRA’s Employee Confidentiality and Invention Assignment Agreement without qualification or modifi