US Legal Correspondent

Financial Times•New York, NY

1d•$90,000 - $135,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Financial Times is seeking an experienced journalist for its New York bureau to cover the law and legal industry. The role involves two main areas: white-collar crime and financial enforcement, and the powerful law firms and individuals within the world's largest legal market. The first area requires covering federal prosecutor's offices in New York, and the enforcement arms of the SEC and CFTC, focusing on high-profile white-collar cases. Collaboration with other FT correspondents is expected for covering legal cases nationwide, necessitating strong relationships with defense attorneys and prosecutors. The second area involves breaking news and writing about top American lawyers and law firms who influence business, finance, and politics. The FT is expanding its US professional services coverage amidst significant industry changes, including consolidation, poaching, private equity interest, and the impact of AI on law firms.

Requirements

Proven track record of breaking stories on news-heavy beats
Ability to work well within a team
Ability to quickly parse complex legal documents
Ability to translate legal jargon to deliver clean copy and compelling narratives
Familiarity with the intricacies of international finance is preferred

Responsibilities

Cover federal and New York authorities responsible for investigating and prosecuting financial and corporate malfeasance
Develop sources in the criminal defense bar and state and federal courts to break stories in core FT areas, including money laundering, insider trading and financial fraud
Work closely with Washington, London and corporate correspondents while cooperating within a distributed team to pursue big cases
Pick out unique angles on New York law firms and prominent lawyers for compelling reads on the legal community
Weekend shifts are required as part of the team rota