Summer Intern (Legal Administrative Specialist)

About the role

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

What you will do

• 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 tax lawyers.
• The training and work experience provides developmental assignments and helps prepare law students for a career as a tax 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.
• It is anticipated students will work for us the full summer.
• Appointments will be made to a Legal Administrative Specialist at the GS-09 level in Summer 2027.
• Participants who graduate from law school by Fall 2028 may be eligible for consideration for non-competitive placement into an entry-level law clerk or attorney position, subject to position availability, applicable hiring approvals, and other requirements.
• As a Legal Administrative Specialist with the Office of Chief Counsel, you will work for one of several major Counsel divisions 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 OfficeNational 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; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; East Hartford, CT; Farmers Branch (Dallas), TX; Greensboro, NC; Honolulu, HI; Houston, TX; Independence (Cleveland), OH; 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; 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; Buffalo, NY; Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland (Independence), OH; Denver, CO; East Hartford, CT; Farmers Branch, TX; Greensboro, NC; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Jacksonville, FL; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Nashville, TN; New Orleans, LA; Newark, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR; Richmond, VA; Salt Lake, UT; San Diego, CA; 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; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; Washington, DC; Westbury (Long Island), NY.
• Target Start Date: June 2027 Please note, you will not receive an application status update or communication from the hiring office until early 2027.

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: ***

How you will be evaluated

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.

Documents you must provide

• A resume Vacancy question responses An official or unofficial transcript from your law school (an official copy will be required if you are selected) Proof of current enrollment 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.
• Please limit your resume to two-pages.
• Applicants with resumes exceeding two-pages will be removed from consideration.
• (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.
• Education Documentation: You must include supporting documentation to confirm your GPA, class rank, or LSAT score.
• Acceptable documentation includes a transcript, test scores, or verification from the school.
• Your application will be rated ineligible if your education qualifications cannot be verified in your application documents.
• 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, as failure to do so may result in an "incomplete application" determination.

What to expect next

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (***), 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: ***

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 position is not eligible for health benefits. This position is not eligible for leave.

This is a non-bargaining unit position. 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.

For more information about individual rights, Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov).