FINRA Legal Extern, Enforcement (UNPAID) FALL 2026 SEMESTER

New York City, NY - USA

Monthly Salary: Not Disclosed

Posted on: 15 hours ago

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Legal externs work closely with Enforcements 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

Fall:August- December

Students will work in their local office three times per week.

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:

Current resume
Current transcript
Legal writing sample
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 referenced above prior to submitting your application.
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 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 of 15 days of paid time off 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

FINRAs 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 Codes investment and securities account restrictions and new employees must comply with those investment restrictionsincluding disposing of any security issued by a company on FINRAs Prohibited Company List or obtaining a written waiver from their Executive Vice Presidentby 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 FINRAs Employee Confidentiality and Invention Assignment Agreement without qualification or modification and comply with the companys policy on nepotism.

Search Firm Representatives

Please be advised that FINRA is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this employment opportunity. Regardless of past practice a valid written agreement and task order must be in place before any resumes are submitted to FINRA. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at FINRA without a valid written agreement and task order in place will be deemed the sole property of FINRA and no fee will be paid in the event that person is hired by FINRA.

FINRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to any legally protected category including race color age national origin ethnicity religion disability genetic information military or veteran status sex or any other status or classification protected by state or local law.

FINRA strives to make our career site accessible to all users. If you need a disability-related accommodation for completing the application process please contact FINRAs Employee Relations team at or by email at . Please note that this process is exclusively for inquiries regarding accommodations in the application process.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified protected veterans and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans.

Required Experience:

Intern