With nearly 1,700 attorneys, IRS Chief Counsel is the largest tax law firm nationwide. Our attorneys are among top tax law practitioners and some of the very best legal minds found anywhere. Together with the IRS, we serve the public by applying the tax code with fairness and integrity. After pausing hiring in 2025, we now seek new law graduates and experienced attorneys to join us. Click to learn more: IRS Office of Chief Counsel Careers Site Meet Our People Learn about our Legal Divisions
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements detailed below by the closing date of this announcement. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. To qualify for this position of General Attorney (Tax) you must meet the qualification requirements listed below by the closing of this announcement: Basic Requirements for General Attorney (Tax): Possess at least the first professional law degree (LL.B. or 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; GS-11 Experience Requirements: 1 year of professional legal experience; or An LL.M. degree; or Possess an LL.B. or J.D. degree plus superior law student work or activities. Superior law student work or activities is defined as: Academic standing in the upper third of the law school graduating class; Work or achievement of significance on law reviews or journals; Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school ( e.g., election to the Order of the Coif, winning of a moot court competition, or membership on the moot court team that represents the attorney's law school in competition with other law schools); Full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program (as opposed to one-time, intermittent, or casual participation); Significant summer law office clerk experience; or Other evidence of clearly superior accomplishment or achievement. GS-12 Experience Requirements: 1 year of general professional legal experience from any area of expertise. GS-13 Experience Requirements: 1 year of general professional legal experience from any area of expertise; plus 1 year of professional legal tax experience. GS-14 Experience Requirements: 1 year of general professional legal experience from any area of expertise; plus 2 years of professional legal tax experience Professional Legal Tax Experience is defined as one or more of the following: Tax litigation (please specify type of tax litigation: trial or pre-trial; federal or state court(s) (Tax Court, District Court, etc.)), tax controversy (Administrative practice), tax consulting/advisory, transactional tax work involving corporations or partnerships, or transfer pricing experience. At least one year of this experience must be equivalent to the work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service for the grade(s) you are applying to. Note: Only experience gained after Bar Admission may be credited as Professional Legal Experience. Education Substitution: An LL.M. degree in the field of the position (Tax Law/Taxation) may be substituted for the one year of the general legal experience listed above. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.
The Office of Division Counsel (Litigation & Advisory) (L&A) provides legal services for the Internal Revenue Service Large Business and International (LB&I) and Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) Divisions on tax matters, legal issues, regulations, and needs relevant to individuals filing Schedules C, E, F, and Form 2106, subchapter C corporations, subchapter S corporations, partnerships, estates, and trusts. The Office of Division Counsel L&A is a nationwide organization headquartered in Washington, DC, divided into seven geographic areas and one nationwide strategic advisory function. Each Area is responsible for legal work within a defined geographic group. We work with complicated issues of tax law and accounting principles in the context of an expanding global environment. L&A employs over 960 attorneys and paralegals nationwide, who provide a full range of legal services on all issues, including advising LB&I and SB/SE compliance agents, handling litigation in the U.S. Tax Court and referring and recommending litigation to the Department of Justice. As a General Attorney (Tax), you will: Provide full range of legal services on all domestic and international tax issues. Prepare answers to petitions, replies, motions, and other documents relevant to Tax Court, District Court, or Court of Federal Claims cases. Research, analyze facts, and write legal opinions in response to questions from the IRS, Independent Offices Appeals, other Division Counsel offices, and DOJ concerning issues within their area of topical jurisdiction. Provide legal advice and recommendations to IRS agents. Represent the IRS in U.S. Tax Court. This is not an all-inclusive list. If selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform the duties of the position, and will receive training to help you grow in the position.