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.
Learn more about this agency
This job is open to
- Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of this agency.
Clarification from the agency
Open to Office of Chief Counsel employees only
Duties
The Strategic Litigation (SL) Division Counsel is a national organization with approximately 90 attorneys and 40 paralegals located in 33 cities nationwide. The SL Division, through its Special Trial Attorneys and paralegals, is responsible for handling the Office of Chief Counsel's most complex, high-profile, and significant cases in the United States Tax Court, which cases often establish national precedent or are otherwise important to tax administration. The SL attorneys and paralegals provide a full range of legal services on all issues, including advising the Internal Revenue Service on its most significant non-docketed cases, handling significant case litigation in the United States Tax Court, and assisting the Department of Justice in the handling of significant cases in both Federal and State Courts.
As a Trial Attorney (Tax) (Special Trial Attorney), you will: - Serves as principal attorney responsible for the preparation, development and presentation of cases before the United States Tax Court anywhere in the United States. These cases are of the magnitude that they will, in many instances, warrant the assistance of one or more junior attorneys or other specialists and the cases are of such importance that they frequently involve matching professional skills against some of the most distinguished legal talent in the country.
- Participates in all aspects of complex litigation, including discovery, pretrial motions, trial memoranda, briefs, and represents the Commissioner before the United States Tax Court at trials and hearings. Handles all aspects of litigation involving the Office's most complex, important, and novel technical issues.
- Handles strategically significant non-docketed matters, including cases being considered for designation for litigation and other matters where litigation is anticipated. May work with the Department of Justice on significant refund and other litigation matters.
- Identifies and assesses legal strategies and consequences of alternate approaches to make recommendations on behalf of the Office to program executives and managers.
- Assists in the development of trial expertise in junior attorneys, both in formal training sessions and on an individual basis in the course of preparation for and trial of cases.
This is not an all-inclusive list.
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
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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 Trial Attorney (Tax) (Special Trial Attorney) you must meet the qualification requirements listed below by the closing of this announcement:
Basic Requirements for Trial Attorney (Tax) (Special Trial Attorney):
- 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-15 Experience Requirements:
- 1 year of general professional legal experience from any area of expertise; plus
- 3 year(s) of professional legal tax experience
Professional Legal Tax Experience is defined as: 1) Thorough and comprehensive professional knowledge of and understanding of Federal tax statutes and regulations pertaining to Subchapter C corporations, and subchapter S corporations and partnerships; (2) Thorough and comprehensive knowledge of litigation strategies and procedures, including technology used in case work; and 3) The ability to apply sound judgment in developing and assessing settlement options/interests.
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 (GS-14).
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, GLS-related, or P&A- FOIA/Disclosure related field) 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.
Time in Grade Requirement for GS-15: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-14).
Education
For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .
Additional information
- This vacancy may be filled in any IRS Office of Chief Counsel field office nationwide. Selectee(s) will remain in current post of duty.
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
- Relocation expenses are not authorized.
- This is anon-bargainingunit position.
- We offer opportunities for telework.
- 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: - Subject to a 1-year trial period (unless already completed).
- Subject to a 1-year supervisory or managerial probationary period (unless already completed).
- 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.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
- 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)"
- 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 window Learn 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: All 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.
- 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 window Learn 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. - Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
A complete application includes 1. A resume, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
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 .
In addition, applicants are required to submit: - A copy of your most recent, signed, completed annual performance appraisal which includes the final rating. If it is not dated within the last 12 months or if you have not received a performance appraisal, please explain why in your application
- A memorandum of interest summarizing your interest in the position.
- A Supervisory Report for Supervisory or Management Positions (ERB Form 1-88, Rev 7/2020) regarding your suitability for the position as completed by your current supervisor. You are responsible for notifying your supervisor that this report must be received no later than five workdays after the closing date of this announcement.
Employment Documentation: Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade.
Education Documentation: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. See "Education" for more details.
Certificate of Good Standing: A certified original copy of your certificate of good standing from your State Bar will be required if you are selected. - How to Apply
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 05/20/2024 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a - 4:30p. ET, Monday - Friday). To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12397745
If you require a reasonable accommodation for a disability or medical condition during any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Keona Hill (EEO Director/Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator) by phone at 202-317-5739 or by email at Keona.L.Hill@irscounsel.treas.gov . The IRS - Office of Chief Counsel provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. You must contact us by 5:00 p.m. Eastern 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. Counsel's EEO Office is not the point of contact for questions about the vacancy announcement.
- 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 .
Agency contact information
Christopher Rhude
Phone
469-801-1513
Fax
855-562-3827
Email
christopher.n.rhude@irscounsel.treas.gov
Address
Office of Chief Counsel, IRS
Staffing and Classification Branch
1111 Constitution Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20224-
US
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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/ . - Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance. - Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Criminal history inquiries
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request
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