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. To learn more, click the links below: IRS Office of Chief Counsel Careers Site Meet Our People Learn about our Legal Divisions Responsibilities The IRS Office of Chief Counsel's Honors Program is a highly competitive program available to graduating or recently graduated law students who have been admitted to a State Bar. The program offers entry level positions that provide the opportunity to acquire significant training and experience in tax law. The positions are open to individuals each year who have superior academic qualifications or relevant experience to the work of the Office of Chief Counsel. Appointments will be made to a General Attorney (Tax) at the GS-12/13 with promotion potential to the GS-14. Participants must be admitted and in Good Standing with a State Bar. As an Attorney with the Office of Chief Counsel, you will work for one of several major Counsel organizations, based on your particular interest, qualifications, and the staffing needs of the Office. Whether you are in a field office or National Office position, you will receive substantial training and responsibility. The following link describes our legal divisions Legal Divisions | IRS Careers We are recruiting for both our National Office and our Field Office Divisions throughout the country. Current Openings are detailed below: National Office: National Office Divisions located only in Washington, D.C. include Corporate (CORP), Employee Benefits, Exempt Orgs, Employment Taxes (EEE), Energy, Credits, and Excise Tax (ECE), Financial Institutions & Products (FIP), Income Tax & Accounting (ITA), International (INTL), Passthroughs, Trusts, and Estates (PTE), and Procedure & Administration (P&A). We are currently recruiting for our Division Counsel (Litigation & Advisory) in the following cities: Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Birmingham, AL; Boston, MA; Buffalo, NY; Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; East Hartford, CT; Farmers Branch (Dallas), TX; Greensboro, NC; Honolulu, HI; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Jacksonville, FL; Kansas City, MO; Lake Forest (Laguna Niguel), CA; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Louisville, KY; Miami, FL; Milwaukee, WI; Nashville, TN; Newark, NJ; New Orleans, LA; New York (Manhattan), NY; Oklahoma City, OK; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Plantation, FL; Portland, OR; Richmond, VA; Sacramento, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; Seattle, WA; St. Louis, MO; St. Paul, MN; St. Petersburg, FL; Washington, DC; Westbury (Long Island), NY. We are currently recruiting for our Office of the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (Criminal Tax) in the following cities: Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Jacksonville, FL; Los Angeles, CA; Nashville, TN; Newark, NJ; New Orleans, LA; Portland, OR; Richmond, VA; Salt Lake City, UT; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; St, Louis, MO; St. Paul, MN; Washington, DC; Westbury (Long Island), NY. We are currently recruiting for our Office of the Division Counsel (Tax Exempt & Government Entities Division Counsel) in the following cities: Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Farmers Branch (Dallas), TX; Jacksonville, FL; Los Angeles, CA; New York (Manhattan), NY; Seattle, WA; Washington, DC; Westbury (Long Island), NY. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Who May Apply: Law School Students or Recent Law School Graduates who are eligible for participation in the IRS Chief Counsel Honors Program AND who have been admitted to a State Bar: Students pursuing a Tax LL.M. who will graduate from an ABA accredited law school by the Graduation Requirement Date: September 30, 2026 OR Recent Law School Graduates from an ABA accredited law school who within 9 months of graduating law school began participating in eligibility preserving activities. Law school graduates who received their J.D. prior to October 1, 2022, are ineligible. Eligibility Preserving Activities are defined as: 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, tax or accounting-related graduate programs (including Tax 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 program year (may run later). To qualify for this position of Honors General Attorney (Tax), you must meet the qualification requirements listed below by the closing of this announcement: Basic Requirements for Honors General Attorney (Tax): Possess at least the first professional law degree (J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; AND Applicants must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. To qualify for the Honors General Attorney (Tax) at the GS-12 grade level, you must be a LL.M. candidate/graduate AND meet one of the following by the closing date of the announcement: A class ranking in the top 25% of J.D. program AND/OR a J.D. cumulative GPA of 3.35 or higher. A class ranking in the top 25% of your class in the LL.M. program AND/OR a LL.M. cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. If neither J.D. nor LL.M. program has class rank or GPA, a minimum LSAT of 160 is required. To qualify for the Honors General Attorney (Tax) at the GS-13 grade level, you must be a LL.M. candidate/graduate, possess one year of professional legal tax experience, AND meet one of the following by the closing date of the announcement: A class ranking in the top 25% of J.D. program AND/OR a J.D. cumulative GPA of 3.35 or higher. A class ranking in the top 25% of your class in the LL.M. program AND/OR a LL.M. cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. If neither J.D. nor LL.M. program has class rank or GPA, a minimum LSAT of 160 is required. One year of professional legal tax experience is defined as performing legal research and/or providing legal guidance in federal tax controversy, federal tax litigation, or federal tax consulting. One year of professional legal tax experience must be equivalent to the work performed at the next lower grade level/position in the federal service (GS-12). Only experience gained after Bar Admission may be credited as Professional Legal Experience. 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 tax or related course work (e.g., "A" grades in tax courses); Evidence of background or experience in the position to be filled, such as taking relevant law school classes (e.g., tax law, bankruptcy/debtor creditor law, administrative law) or relevant legal or tax experience (e.g., tax legal experience) or relevant tax volunteer experience (e.g., VITA, Tax Clinic); 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. Applicants Not Admitted to a State Bar: Applicants who have not been accepted into a State Bar are not eligible to apply to the Honors General Attorney (Tax) Program and may apply to the following Honors Program (Law Clerk) announcement for consideration: GS-11 Law Clerk - CCCM-26-12870084-HON-SR; GS-12 Law Clerk - CCCM-26-12870095-HON-SR. 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). 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 division and 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 bargaining unit position. We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules. The salary range listed includes locality. Exact salary will be determined at time of selection based on location. Conditions of Employment Continued: All newly appointed employees to the excepted service are subject to a one-year trial period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the trial period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the trial period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding. Subject to a Tenure Commitment of up to 3 years. 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. Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. 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. There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents: Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information).
