Careers at the OCC:
Legal Careers

LEGAL CAREERS

Chief Counsel's 2009 Employment
Program for Law Graduates

NOTE: New Attorney Hiring:The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Law Department has completed its recruiting for the 2008 employment year. Five new attorneys will join the Law Department in the fall of 2008. Recruiting will resume in August 2008 for attorneys who will start work in 2009. Applications should be submitted by September 22, 2008 for full consideration. Interviews for these positions will be conducted at the OCC's Washington headquarters during October 2008 and successful candidates will be notified in November and December 2008.

Experienced Attorney Hiring (for graduates from 2006 or earlier): Please call the Executive Assistant (202-874-5200) before submitting an application. You may also check our Web site for current specific job vacancy announcements, if any. Go to www.occ.treas.gov. Select Careers at the OCC, then Job Search, then Headquarters (Hq). Review the list of all current openings for attorney, attorney-advisor, senior attorney, district attorney, management positions, etc.

Interns: The OCC is accepting applications for internships for spring 2009 and summer 2009. See details under Applications below.

District Office locations: The OCC's district offices are located in New York, Chicago, Dallas, and Denver. Positions for new attorneys may be available in one or more of these offices, although most new positions will continue to be in the OCC's Washington headquarters. Applicants for attorney positions should indicate on their application whether they are interested in working in one or more of the district offices.

Why Become an Attorney for

the Comptroller of the Currency?

OCC attorneys work in one of the most exciting and expansive areas of law developing today: financial services law. The OCC is regarded as an innovative supervisory agency, requiring a forward-thinking, creative, and intellectually rigorous legal staff. Attorneys for the OCC:  

Practicing law at the OCC is different from most federal agency practice that is focused on one subject area or one activity. Bank regulatory practice at the OCC, however, involves all aspects of national bank organization and operations and in this sense is truly a "federal" corporate law practice. In addition, the OCC is one of the few agencies that litigates its own cases in the federal courts. 

OCC legal practice reflects the evolution occurring in the financial services industry today and is characterized by breadth of subject matter, globalization of financial services, sophistication of clientele, diversity of population affected by OCC regulation, scope of individual responsibility, and the constant opportunity to hone legal skills and gain substantive knowledge in new areas.

OCC legal practice is conducted in small working units with multiple responsibilities. Rotations and transfers among seven practice groups in Washington and the district offices are possible. These small groups of select attorneys deliver daily high-quality legal services to agency policy makers, national banks and their counsel, other regulators, and the public. The units provide a supportive, cooperative, and productive atmosphere for learning and applying this dynamic area of law.

Because the mission of the agency is to ensure the systemic health of national banks, OCC attorneys maintain a very high professional standard. Opportunities for further training and education abound. Employee benefits and working conditions are superior.

OCC provides excellent support services, including an exceptionally fine library, up-to-the-minute computerized research facilities, state-of-the-art computer and word processing support, paralegal/legal technician support, and a variety of other specialized professional and administrative support staff.

THE LAW DEPARTMENT IS PARTICULARLY PROUD OF BEING INCLUDED IN KIMM WALTON'S PUBLICATION AMERICA 'S GREATEST PLACES TO WORK WITH A LAW DEGREE. In addition, once again the OCC has made the list for best places to work in the federal government, according to the Partnership for Public Service and American University's Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation. In 2007, the OCC placed 4th out of more than 200 comparable government agency subcomponents.

Additional information about the organization and work performed by the Law Department can be found on the OCC's website at www.occ.treas.gov/law.htm.

The Chief Counsel's Employment Program for law school graduates is designed to provide valuable, stimulating opportunities for outstanding candidates. OCC assigns appointees to positions affording both extensive legal experience and substantial individual responsibility. The OCC's training program ensures careful evaluation and supervision of new attorneys' work.

The OCC relies upon the experience and expertise of its attorneys. The Chief Counsel's Employment Program emphasizes exposure of new attorneys to as wide a variety of legal questions as possible.

The OCC welcomes candidates interested in a career in government service. We prefer to hire individuals who expect to work for the OCC for at least three or four years.

The program is open to third-year law student applicants throughout the country who have excelled in their law school work. In addition, the program is open to attorneys who have graduated from law school in 2007 or later, including attorneys who are completing judicial clerkship programs.  

Opportunities for more experienced attorneys (graduates from 2006 or earlier) are limited. Before applying, experienced attorneys should call the Executive Assistant at (202) 874-5200 to determine what vacancies are available.

Competition for available entry-level positions is keen. Appointees are selected on the basis of merit. OCC considers the following factors in reviewing an application: 

Statutory requirements applicable to applicants who are veterans of military service are observed.

The written qualifications of all applicants are carefully reviewed, and selected applicants are invited to the Law Department's offices in Washington, D.C., for interviews with experienced agency attorneys. Travel reimbursement may be available for interviewees. Initial interviews are also conducted at some law schools.

The OCC's Law Department is committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace that fully uses the many talents of our diverse staff. By recruiting and retaining the best people from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences, we achieve our objective of providing the highest quality legal services and ensuring the safety and soundness of the national banking system. Our commitment to diversity starts with our firm belief that the continued success of the OCC and the utility of the legal services we provide depend on the employment of talented people and the full and effective use of their skills. Recognizing that the demographics of the United States and the world are changing, we benefit from greater diversity and improve both our effectiveness and responsiveness in addressing the cutting-edge legal issues with which OCC attorneys regularly deal.

The OCC's Law Department is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity to all applicants. All decisions regarding employment, including selection, promotion, employee development, and salary are made solely on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability. We provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities.

The OCC has a very comprehensive benefits program. OCC benefits include: 

Appointment, Salary and Promotion

Appointment and Salary - OCC initially appoints law school graduates before bar admission as law clerks for a period not to exceed 14 months from the date of appointment. If the employee does not acquire bar membership within 14 months, the initial appointment is terminated. Upon being admitted to the bar, an employee is reclassified as an attorney. Reclassification as an attorney does not involve a promotion or a salary increase. Salary for incoming 2009 attorneys will be in the range of $81,000+. Attorneys in Washington headquarters receive an additional 13% geographic differential; other geographic differentials apply in the various district office locations. The OCC also offers incoming attorneys up to $2,500 for a bar review course and $2,500 for relocation expenses when an applicant is required to move 50 miles or more for their work location. Additional salary information is available upon request..

Promotions - After one year of satisfactory service, an entry-level appointee is eligible for consideration for promotion to the next level. Thereafter, appointees are considered along with other attorneys in the regular promotion program of the OCC. All promotions are based on merit, and require at least the prescribed minimum time in each salary level.

Applications

New Attorney Applications

A complete application should include all of the following:

Comptroller of the Currency
250 E Street, SW
Attention: New Attorney Recruitment
Mailstop 7-5
Washington, D.C. 20219 Telephone: (202) 874-4460 Fax (202) 874-4555.

You can also e-mail your new attorney application to: Jacquelyn.Newman@occ.treas.gov. Please put "Chief Counsel's 2009 Employment Program" in the subject line of the e-mail.

Experienced attorneys who graduated in 2006 or earlier should inquire about vacancies before submitting an application. Call the Executive Assistant at (202) 874-5200. You may also check our Web site for current specific job vacancy announcements, if any. Go to www.occ.treas.gov. Select Careers at the OCC, then Job Search, then Headquarters (Hq). Review the list of all current openings for attorney, attorney-advisor, senior attorney, district attorney, management positions, etc.

Deadline Date - There is no deadline for filing applications; however, students and graduates should apply by September 22, 2008 to be considered for the first round of job offers to be made by late November or early December.

Investigations - Background investigations are conducted on employees, applicants, and contractors to ensure that they are initially and continuously suitable for positions with the OCC.

Reporting Dates - Most selections for job offers and commitments are expected to be made late in the calendar year. Selectees will ordinarily report the following fall. There is usually some flexibility in determining the specific date.

Internship Applications

The OCC Law Department is soliciting applications for interns for spring 2009 and summer 2009. Spring interns would be assigned to the Enforcement and Compliance Division and summer interns would be assigned to either the Enforcement and Compliance Division or the Bank Activities and Structure Division. This is an unpaid position for second or third year law students. Top 25% preferred, but not mandatory. Also preferred are students with a sincere interest in the field of financial institutions law and enforcement, relevant course work (financial institutions law, securities law, commercial law, administrative law, trial practice, etc.), law review, clinical programs, moot court, judicial clerkships, and financial institutions-related work experience (legal or business). Internship applications for the part-time spring positions and for the full-time summer positions are due no later than February 2, 2009. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

How to Apply for Internship:
Please e-mail a cover letter, resume, transcript, and writing sample to Liana.Prieto@occ.treas.gov and Christian.Errico@occ.treas.gov.

We prefer electronic mail submission, but you can also mail or fax your application materials to:
Comptroller of the Currency
250 E Street, SW
Attention: Intern Recruitment
Mailstop 8-10
Washington, DC 20219
Telephone: (202) 874-4800                  Fax: 202-874-5301

Accommodation for Disabilities - The OCC provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify us of your needs. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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