Summary
Office of Chief Counsel, IRS, is looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our team and gain valuable experience in a legal environment. Our mission is to serve America’s taxpayers fairly and with integrity by providing correct and impartial interpretation of the internal revenue laws and the highest quality legal advice and representation for the IRS. It is a great place to work with an excellent benefits package and family-friendly atmosphere.
This job is open to
- Students
Current students enrolled in accredited educational institutions from high school to graduate level. Includes internships, pathways and other student programs.
- The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
For more information, see “Who May Apply” in the “Qualifications” section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.
Duties
The IRS Office of Chief Counsel’s Summer Legal Program provides exposure to the Office by enabling primarily second-year law students to work under the supervision, and with the assistance of, experienced labor and employment lawyers. The training and work experience provides developmental assignments and helps prepare law students for a career as a labor and employment lawyer and gives them an excellent view of what the practice of law is like at the Off ice of Chief Counsel. In the National Off ice, law students typically take part in a variety of educational and social events. Offers of full-time employment with our Honors Program may be made to summer law students at the conclusion of the program. It is anticipated students will work for us the full summer.
- Appointments will be made to a Legal Administrative Specialist at the GS-9 in the Summer 2024
- Participants who graduate law school by Fall 2025, may be eligible for non-competitive placement as an entry-level law clerk or attorney position
As a Legal Administrative Specialist with the Office of Chief Counsel you will work for Associate Chief Counsel, General Legal Services.
- GLS serves as in-house counsel to the IRS and Office of Chief Counsel and provides legal services over a broad spectrum of matters, including labor and employment, ethics, fiscal, appropriations, procurement, contracts, and technology.
- As a customer-focused organization, we provide the highest quality legal advice and advocacy to minimize legal risks, reduce litigation exposure, promote legal compliance, and advance our clients’ objectives.
- We are one GLS, embrace teamwork, and embody core values of: United in Purpose, Committed to Excellence, and Dedicated to Each Other.
Additional information about GLS is available on the Chief Counsel web page at https://www.jobs.irs.gov/resources/job-descriptions/legal-divisions.
We are recruiting for both our National Office and our Field Office Divisions throughout the country. Current Openings are detailed below:
National Office
We are recruiting for our National Office Divisions located in Washington, D.C.
Field Office Divisions
We are currently recruiting in the following field offices located in Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Farmers Branch (Dallas), TX; New York (Manhattan), NY; San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA.
Target Start Date: Summer 2024
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Refer to “Other Information”
- Click “Print Preview” to review the entire announcement before applying.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
Qualifications
Who May Apply:
Current law school student who have completed 1 full year of legal studies at an ABA accredited law school and expecting to graduate by the graduation date requirement detailed in the announcement and who are eligible for participation in the IRS Chief Counsel Summer Program
- Second-year law students who have completed at least one full year of legal study by the application deadline are eligible to apply (part-time law students must be currently attending law school and have completed the equivalent of one year of full-time study by the application deadline).
- Most applicants participate in the summer after their second year of law school; however, graduating law students who enter a judicial clerkship, fellowship, or tax or accounting-related graduate program (including a Tax LLM program) may participate in the summer following law school graduation prior to the start of the judicial clerkship, fellowship, or graduate program.
- If you are applying for, but have not yet accepted a judicial clerkship, fellowship, or been accepted into a tax or accounting-related graduate program, you should consider applying to both the Summer Legal Program and the Honors Attorney Program announcements.
To qualify for this position of Summer Legal Administrative Specialist you must meet the qualification requirements listed below by the closing of this announcement:
Basic Requirement for Summer Legal Administrative Specialist:
- Must attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association
To qualify for a Legal Administrative Specialist at the GS-9 grade level, you must meet one of the following by the closing date of the announcement:
- A class ranking in the top 25% of the J.D. program OR
- A J.D. cumulative GPA of 3.35 or higher OR
- If the school does not have class rank nor GPA, a minimum LSAT of 160 is required
Attributes of an Ideal Candidate are
- Special high-level recognition for academic excellence in law school, such as selection to Order of the Coif or receipt of the American Jurisprudence Award in related courses; or top grades in classes related to the position to be filled;
- Evidence of background or experience in the position to be filled, such as taking relevant law school classes and/or participation in law school clinics;
- Work or achievement in the law school’s law review or other recognized law journal;
- Winning a moot court or mock trial competition or membership on a moot court or mock trial team
Education
All applicants must be attending or graduated from an ABA-accredited law school.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
- Hiring managers take into consideration applicant preferred desired location. Applicants who are selected for hire, will be provided one offer based on the ultimate needs of the organization to fill open positions.
- Relocation expenses are not authorized.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- We offer opportunities for telework.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
- The salary range indicated in this announcement covers multiple locality areas. Your salary will be adjusted based on the post of duty for which you are selected.
Conditions of Employment Continued:
- The appointment is temporary not to exceed 89 days
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
- Undergo an income tax verification.
- The employment of any candidate, including a current employee or a new hire, selected for this position may be conditional upon classification and/or audit of federal tax returns. This audit may include up to 2 years of returns.
- This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into “Continuous Vetting.” Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one’s employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI’s Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time.
- “Eligibility preserving activities” are full-time activities starting after law school graduation that can preserve a law school graduate’s eligibility for the Honors Program. The following are eligibility preserving activities: judicial clerkships, related graduate programs (including LL.M. programs) or qualifying legal fellowships. Qualifying legal fellowships must have a formal sponsor(e.g., a public service organization, a foundation, a bar association, a corporation, a law school, etc.), an established legal mission (e.g., purpose, type of work), and be publicly advertised as a fellowship at the time the candidate applied to the fellowship.
- Breaks between consecutive eligibility preserving activities cannot exceed 120 days. Participation in the eligibility preserving activity must be active through at least December 1 of the application year (may run later).
- Law school graduates who received their J.D. prior to October 1, 2020 are ineligible.
- Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants will be considered based on their application package as it relates to the requirements listed in the qualifications section. Interviews may be held at the option of the office. All application materials and interviews, if conducted, will be used in the final evaluation and selection process.
Referral: Veterans’ preference is assessed and applied. Qualified Preference eligibles will be listed at the top of the certificate in alphabetical order and considered before qualified non-preference eligibles. All other candidates will be listed in alphabetical order. If you are among the top qualified candidates, you may be required to participate in a selection interview. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview, such as travel to and from the interview site.
- Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
- Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have – whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.
A complete application includes
- A resume
- Vacancy question responses
- An official or unofficial transcript from your law school (an official copy will be required if you are selected)
- An unedited writing sample (5-10 pages in length)
- Supporting documentation as applicable
All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view Resume Tips.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTAION: If you are using your GPA, class ranking or LSAT Scores to qualify, you must include supporting documentation that confirms your GPA & Class Rank (for example, a transcript, test scores, etc.).
VETERANS’ PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans’ preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing actual or expected dates of service dates of service and type of discharge. Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form.
For more information on veterans’ preference view FedsHireVets.
Please ensure your application includes supporting qualification documentation for this position, failure to do so may result in an “incomplete application” determination.
- How to Apply
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 08/18/2023 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00am-4:00pm. ET, Monday – Friday). To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12025934
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
- It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
- Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
Agency contact information
Kelley Campbell
Phone
469-801-1593
Fax
855-562-3827
Email
Kelley.C.Campbell@irscounsel.treas.gov
Address
Office of Chief Counsel, IRS Staffing and Classification Branch 1111 Constitution Ave, NW Washington, DC 20224 US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
- Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request
Required Documents
A complete application includes
- A resume
- Vacancy question responses
- An official or unofficial transcript from your law school (an official copy will be required if you are selected)
- An unedited writing sample (5-10 pages in length)
- Supporting documentation as applicable
All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view Resume Tips.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTAION: If you are using your GPA, class ranking or LSAT Scores to qualify, you must include supporting documentation that confirms your GPA & Class Rank (for example, a transcript, test scores, etc.).
VETERANS’ PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans’ preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing actual or expected dates of service dates of service and type of discharge. Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form.
For more information on veterans’ preference view FedsHireVets.
Please ensure your application includes supporting qualification documentation for this position, failure to do so may result in an “incomplete application” determination.
How to Apply
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 08/18/2023 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00am-4:00pm. ET, Monday – Friday). To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12025934
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
- It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
- Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
Agency contact information
Kelley Campbell
Phone
469-801-1593
Fax
855-562-3827
Kelley.C.Campbell@irscounsel.treas.gov
Address
Office of Chief Counsel, IRS Staffing and Classification Branch 1111 Constitution Ave, NW Washington, DC 20224 US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request