Best SEC Divisions? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Can someone with knowledge of the SEC please rank divisions from best to worst in terms of exit options, prestige, etc.? Thanks so much.

[Anonymous User]

This is about as broad as asking to rank biglaw departments from best to worst. It completely depends on what you want to do. Also the fact that you're asking what division to work in, I'm guessing you're still in law school since it wouldn't be a question, or at least wouldn't be as broad of a question if you were a lateral. But let's see if I can give you some guidance.

Corp Fin: Corp Fin can either be great or horrible. Some people get screwed and end up looking at public filings the entire time. However, the horrible is truly horrible. I know attorney's who've burned out in less than a year.

Investment Management: Great place to be if you have any interest in financial regulatory work. Get ready to learn the 40-Act. Lot of people who worked there during school ended up going into investment management practices at big law firms.

Trading and Markets: Don't really know too much about this division

Economic and Risk Analysis: No clue

Enforcement: Enforcement is made up of ex-biglaw litigation associates. It's broken up into two parts, the investigative side, and the trial side. When a case gets close to trial, the SEC has a distinct trial team that comes in and handles it. I went to school in DC and probably over 100 people at my school interned there and most of them did not have great things to say. We're all glad we have SEC on our resume, but many of us found the actual experience underwhelming. If you're asking about an internship, unless you have something on your resume that would make you an ideal candidate for one of the other divisions, you will most likely be placed here. Enforcement takes something like half of all the SEC interns.

[eagle2a]

In terms of divisions:
West >>>>>>> East

In terms of teams:
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Ole Miss/Tennessee
4. Arkansas/Georgia

I don't see anyone below this really being serious next year but it's the SEC, anything can happen

[zeg]

In terms of divisions:
West >>>>>>> East

In terms of teams:
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Ole Miss/Tennessee
4. Arkansas/Georgia

I don't see anyone below this really being serious next year but it's the SEC, anything can happen

Auburn IMO

[Anonymous User]

This is about as broad as asking to rank biglaw departments from best to worst. It completely depends on what you want to do. Also the fact that you're asking what division to work in, I'm guessing you're still in law school since it wouldn't be a question, or at least wouldn't be as broad of a question if you were a lateral. But let's see if I can give you some guidance.

Corp Fin: Corp Fin can either be great or horrible. Some people get screwed and end up looking at public filings the entire time. However, the horrible is truly horrible. I know attorney's who've burned out in less than a year.

Investment Management: Great place to be if you have any interest in financial regulatory work. Get ready to learn the 40-Act. Lot of people who worked there during school ended up going into investment management practices at big law firms.

Trading and Markets: Don't really know too much about this division

Economic and Risk Analysis: No clue

Enforcement: Enforcement is made up of ex-biglaw litigation associates. It's broken up into two parts, the investigative side, and the trial side. When a case gets close to trial, the SEC has a distinct trial team that comes in and handles it. I went to school in DC and probably over 100 people at my school interned there and most of them did not have great things to say. We're all glad we have SEC on our resume, but many of us found the actual experience underwhelming. If you're asking about an internship, unless you have something on your resume that would make you an ideal candidate for one of the other divisions, you will most likely be placed here. Enforcement takes something like half of all the SEC interns.

Completely agree from my experience with SEC, but was in a different office.

[Anonymous User]

Are you talking about internships or actual attorney positions? If actual attorney positions, I would say the two divisions/offices that actually deal with registrants have the best exit options but it will vary based on what you do:

1. Enforcement: outstanding exit options to law firms, in house, high level compliance, regulatory consulting

2. OCIE (not the chief counsel's office though-exam positions are pretty rare for attorneys, but they do exist): outstanding exit options to in house, high level compliance, and regulatory consulting. Exit options to law firms are rare.

The policy oriented divisions have worse exit options but still decent:

3. IM/TM: decent exit options to law firms and in house

4. CF: exit options are generally worse than other divisions except in the chief counsel's office

There's also a bunch of smaller offices and divisions that have attorney positions. Exit options from these vary greatly but the general rule is the more contact with registrants, the better the exit options.

In terms of what division is best to work in, it totally varies. I know people who hate enforcement and others who love CF. Also, the SEC pay scale and benefits mean that many people see no reason to leave the commission at all, and you should really be picking a division based on your interests and not based on "prestige" or exit options. Of course, when you actually start looking for a job at the SEC you will realize that your options are actually very narrow based on your background, what openings there are, and the very difficult and lengthy interview process.

[MyNameIsFlynn!]

In terms of divisions:
West >>>>>>> East

In terms of teams:
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Ole Miss/Tennessee
4. Arkansas/Georgia

I don't see anyone below this really being serious next year but it's the SEC, anything can happen

Ole Mi$$ and Arkansas are too high. The former because the program won't exist once they get the death penalty, and the latter because it has nothing beyond a solid rushing game. Sure they can put up points but you need a defense to succeed in the SEC

[magnum_law]

In terms of divisions:
West >>>>>>> East

In terms of teams:
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Ole Miss/Tennessee
4. Arkansas/Georgia

I don't see anyone below this really being serious next year but it's the SEC, anything can happen

Auburn IMO

I wouldn't underestimate Florida.

[Nat Sherman]

In terms of divisions:
West >>>>>>> East

In terms of teams:
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Ole Miss/Tennessee
4. Arkansas/Georgia

I don't see anyone below this really being serious next year but it's the SEC, anything can happen

He asked about exit options. You have to be careful getting pigeonholed into Bama's QB practice group. Yea, there are some unicorns who go onto the next level, but most end up dropping out of the profession altogether and become car salesmen in Mobile.