IRS Office of Chief Counsel Honors Program

The following is the job posting for the IRS Office of Chief Counsel Honors Program. The deadline for submitting your application materials will be August 25, 2010. Once it has been determined whether that will be via Symplicity or providing me with hard copies, I will let you know. In the meantime, if you plan to apply, you can start compiling the required materials.


Office of Chief Counsel, Internal Revenue Service

With the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) as its client and 1,500 attorneys on staff, the Office of Chief Counsel is the preeminent employer of tax attorneys in the country. In addition, our General Legal Services Division hires attorneys for non-tax positions, as well. Our attorneys are valued assets and the legal experience provided in Chief Counsel is unlike any other. We have approximately 650 attorneys located in our National Office in Washington, DC and 850 attorneys in field offices throughout the US.

Chief Counsel attorneys provide top-quality legal advice and representation to the IRS in the administration of the nation's tax laws. Chief Counsel field attorneys litigate interesting and challenging issues that range from taxation of individuals to complex international entities. Attorneys in the field find themselves working on exciting and challenging issues involving litigation, corporate law, criminal tax law, disclosure law and international taxation.

Chief Counsel attorneys in the National Office draft regulations and rulings, and provide legal guidance to taxpayers, the IRS and the Treasury and Justice Departments. Attorneys have an extraordinary opportunity to develop expertise and sharpen technical skills. Furthermore, both field and National Office attorneys have the opportunity to work with a variety of tax practitioners and distinguish themselves within the greater tax and legal communities.

Working as an attorney for the Office of Chief Counsel offers a unique opportunity to serve the public interest by providing correct and impartial interpretation of the Federal tax laws without bias in favor of either the taxpayer or the government.

In addition, one of our business units, General Legal Services, focuses on personnel and labor law. This business unit is the part of Chief Counsel responsible for providing legal advice on, and litigating, non-tax administrative law issues such as EEO matters, labor and employee relations, personnel matters, ethics, procurement, fiscal and appropriations law and laws relating to information technology management.


Chief Counsel Honors Program
The IRS Chief Counsel Honors Program is available primarily to third-year law students and graduating Tax LLM students who have less than one year of post-JD legal work experience. Our entry-level positions provide the opportunity to acquire significant training and experience in tax law (or personnel and labor law in our General Legal Services Division). Honors Program positions at the IRS Office of Chief Counsel are open to individuals each year who have superior academic qualifications or relevant experience to the work of Chief Counsel. Appointments under the Honors Program are made at GS-11, Step 8 for JD applicants, and at GS-12, Step 4 for LLM applicants. These positions are available in our offices nationwide.

Honors Qualifications
• Class rank top 20% preferred
• Work or achievement in the law school’s law review or other recognized law journal;
• Special high-level honors 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 related course work (e.g., “A” grades in tax courses);
• Winning a moot court or mock trial competition or membership on a moot court or mock trial team;
• Significant participation in legal public service (e.g. public sector or non-profit organization internship, work in tax clinic as a VITA volunteer, etc.); significant legal tax related or other relevant experience while in law school (e.g. law firm internship, clerkships, or other work which has substantially contributed to the candidates preparation for the position);
• Citizenship requirements: Applicants must typically be a US citizen or a permanent resident of the US seeking US citizenship. More detailed information regarding hiring of non-US citizens by the federal government is available at http://www.usajobs.gov/ei/noncitizensemployment.asp.


Chief Counsel Office Locations
Birmingham, AL; Anchorage, AK; Phoenix, AZ; Laguna Niguel, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Oakland, CA; Sacramento, CA; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; Thousand Oaks, CA; Denver, CO; Hartford, CT; Washington, DC; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Jacksonville, FL; Miami, FL; Atlanta, GA ; Honolulu, HI; Chicago, IL; Downers Grove, IL; Indianapolis, IN; Louisville, KY; New Orleans, LA; Boston, MA; Baltimore, MD; Detroit, MI; St. Paul, MN; Kansas City, MO; St. Louis, MO; Omaha, NE; Las Vegas, NV; Newark, NJ; Buffalo, NY; Long Island, NY; New York, NY; Greensboro, NC; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Oklahoma City, OK; Portland, OR; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Nashville, TN; Austin, TX; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; Richmond, VA; Seattle, WA; Milwaukee, WI

How to Apply

Complete application packages are composed of a resume; a law school transcript (an unofficial copy is fine); an 8 -10 page writing sample; a completed Form 6524, “Office of Chief Counsel Application;” and a completed Form OF-306, “Declaration for Federal Employment.” Copies of the Forms 6524 and OF-306 may be downloaded from our website at http://jobs.irs.gov/student/occ-apply.html. Application materials not previously submitted to your career services office should be brought to the interview.

Veterans’ Preference Documentation

If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing 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 required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form. An SF-15 may be found at http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf. If you are claiming preference but are currently in the military, you must submit a memo from your current military personnel office. This memo must include years of service, projected terminal leave date, campaign and expeditionary medals (including Purple Heart, if applicable) and statement about the character of service (honorable). For more information on veterans' preference, click this link:
http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetsinfo.asp#Entitle
The Office of Chief Counsel, IRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Selection for positions will be based solely on merit without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, political affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, marital status or other differences.