Summary
Office of Chief Counsel, IRS, seeks enthusiastic individuals to serve 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. Please click "Learn more about this agency" to find out more about Chief Counsel's various offices, to view some of the workplace attributes that Chief Counsel's workforce rates most favorably, and to hear from employees themselves.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
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 Office of Chief Counsel. In the National Office, 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 2025.
- Participants who graduate law school by Fall 2026, 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.
We are recruiting for both our National Office and our Field Office Divisions throughout the country. Descriptions of the type of work performed in National Office and Field Offices are detailed below.
National Office
GLS is recruiting for our National Office Branches located in Washington, DC, which include Claims, Labor & Personnel Law (CLP), Ethics & General Government Law (EGG), and Public Contracts & Technology Law (PCTL).
- Claims, Labor & Personnel Law (CLP): Attorneys in CLP provide legal advice and representation on a wide variety of complex issues, including labor-management relations, personnel, and EEO matters; the interpretation of civil service laws and regulations; government representation; the Federal Tort Claims Act; and other related "non-tax" matters. CLP also provides program coordination to Field Office Divisions in all of these matters; participates in negotiation of collective bargaining labor agreements of national scope; and litigates arbitrations and unfair labor practices involving agency-wide issues.
- Ethics & General Government Law (EGG): Attorneys in EGG provide ethics opinions, advice, and training on issues arising under the federal conflict-of-interest statutes, related government-wide and agency-specific regulations, and other rules. EGGalso issues advisory opinions to agency officials on non-tax laws, regulations, and decisions governing the management of federal agencies with respect to matters such as appropriations and fiscal law, delegations of authority, records and property management, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, intellectual property, and a wide range of other general government issues.
- Public Contracts & Technology Law (PCTL): Attorneys in PCTL provide advice on complex legal issues on a wide variety of procurement matters involving the interpretation of applicable laws and regulations; advise on contract formation and administration, licensing and intellectual property issues, interagency agreements and memoranda of understanding, and handle litigation before the Government Accountability Office and the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.
Area Counsel Field Office Divisions
GLS is recruiting in the following Field Offices located in Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Farmers Branch (Dallas), TX; Los Angeles, CA; New York (Manhattan), NY; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, DC.
Field Offices: Attorneys in the GLS Field Offices provide advice, support, and litigation representation for IRS and Chief Counsel management in administrative fora and in arbitration, with the majority of case work centering on labor, equal employment opportunity (EEO), and personnel law and assisting the Department of Justice in federal courts on such matters, as well as for suits against IRS employees, and may assist with processing claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Target Start Date: Summer 2025
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Refer to "Additional 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 students who have completed one (1) full year of legal studies at an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school.
- 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, related graduate program (including a LL.M. 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 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 Requirements for Honors Program Law Clerk:
- 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 J.D. program, OR
- A J.D. cumulative GPA of 3.35 or higher, OR
- If the school does not have class rank or GPA, a minimum LSAT of 160 is required.
Note: See "Required Documents" section for GPA/Class Rank/LSAT supporting documents.
Attributes of an Ideal Candidate are as follows:
- Special high-level recognition for academic excellence in law school, such as selection to Order of the Coif, receipt of the American Jurisprudence Award, or CALI Excellence for the Future 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 or participation in law school clinics,
- Work or achievement in the law school's law review or other recognized law journal,
- Success in 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).
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 overall background as it relates to the position to be filled. 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: Professional Order will be used to refer and select eligible candidates. Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference eligibles will be listed at the top of the certificate in alphabetical order and considered before 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.
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 - If you are using your class rank or LSAT score to qualify, you must submit documentation within your application to prove your claim. If your school does not calculate neither GPA nor Class Rank, please include supporting documentation from the college/university.
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 DOCUMENTATION: 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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on 09/03/2024 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET, Monday - Friday). To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12461392
If you require a reasonable accommodation for a disability or medical condition during any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Kimberly Johnson, Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator, HR Labor & Employee Relations Division, by phone at 469-801-1728 or by email at Kimberly.F.Johnson@irscounsel.treas.gov. The IRS - Office of Chief Counsel provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. You must contact us by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the announcement's closing date to request accommodation. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
- 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.
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/.
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