Summer Intern (Legal Administrative Specialist)

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

Duties

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 labor and employment lawyers. The training and work experience provides developmental assignments and helps prepare law students for a career as a labor and employment 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-9 in the 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 Associate Chief Counsel, General Legal Service (GLS). GLS employs approximately 76 attorneys and 7 paralegals, and has both Field Office Divisions and a National Office component. Whether you are in a field office or National Office position, you will receive substantial training and responsibility.

• GLS serves as in-house counsel to the IRS and the Office of Chief Counsel and provides legal services over a broad spectrum of non-tax matters, including labor and employment, ethics, fiscal, appropriations, procurement, contracts, technology, and other general government matters.
• As a customer-focused organization, we provide our clients with the highest quality legal advice and advocacy to minimize legal risks, reduce litigation exposure, promote legal compliance, and advance our clients' objectives.
• We are one GLS. We embrace teamwork and embody our core values: United in Purpose, Committed to Excellence, and Dedicated to Each Other.

• Claims, Labor & Personnel Law (CLP): Attorneys in CLP provide legal advice and representation on a wide variety of complex issues, including labor-management relations, personnel, and EEO matters; the interpretation of civil service laws and regulations; government representation; the Federal Tort Claims Act; and other related "non-tax" matters. CLP also provides program coordination to Field Office Divisions in all of these matters.
• Ethics & General Government Law (EGG): Attorneys in EGG provide ethics opinions, advice, and training on issues arising under the federal conflict-of-interest statutes, related government-wide and agency-specific regulations, and other rules. EGGalso issues advisory opinions to agency officials on non-tax laws, regulations, and decisions governing the management of federal agencies with respect to matters such as appropriations and fiscal law, delegations of authority, records and property management, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, intellectual property, and a wide range of other general government issues.
• Public Contracts & Technology Law (PCTL): Attorneys in PCTL provide advice on complex legal issues on a wide variety of procurement matters involving the interpretation of applicable laws and regulations; advise on contract formation and administration, licensing and intellectual property issues, interagency agreements and memoranda of understanding, and handle litigation before the Government Accountability Office and the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.

Field Offices: Attorneys in the GLS Field Offices provide advice, support, and litigation representation for IRS and Chief Counsel management in administrative fora, with the majority of case work centering on equal employment opportunity (EEO), personnel law, and assisting the Department of Justice in federal courts on such matters, as well as for suits against IRS employees, and may assist with processing claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
CLP Branch and Area Counsel Field Offices:
GLS is recruiting in the CLP Branch and the following Field Office locations: Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Farmers Branch (Dallas Office), TX; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, DC.
Target Start Date: June 2027
Please note, you will not receive an application status update or communication from the hiring office until early 2027.

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

Who May Apply:
Current law school students who have completed one (1) full year of legal studies at an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school.

• Second-year law students who have completed at least one full year of legal study by the application deadline are eligible to apply (part-time law students must be currently attending law school and have completed the equivalent of one year of full-time study by the application deadline).
• Most applicants participate in the summer after their second year of law school; however, law students graduating in Spring 2027 who will enter a judicial clerkship, fellowship, or tax or accounting-related graduate program (including a Tax LL.M. program) may participate in the summer following law school graduation prior to the start of the judicial clerkship, fellowship, or graduate program.
• If you are applying for, but have not yet accepted a judicial clerkship, fellowship, or been accepted into a related graduate program, you should consider applying to both the Summer Intern (Legal Administrative Specialist) and the Honors Program Law Clerk announcements.

• Must attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.

• A class ranking in the top 25% of the J.D. program or LL.M. program OR
• A cumulative GPA of 3.35 or higher in the J.D. program OR
• A cumulative GPA of 3.25 in the LL.M. program OR
• If the LL.M. program does not have class rank nor GPA, the J.D. program requirements listed above must be met OR
• If neither J.D. nor LL.M. program has class rank or GPA, a minimum LSAT of 160 is required

• Special high-level recognition for academic excellence in law school, such as selection to Order of the Coif, receipt of the American Jurisprudence Award, or CALI Excellence for the Future Award in related courses; or top grades in classes related to the position to be filled,
• Evidence of background or experience in the position to be filled, such as taking relevant law school classes or participation in law school clinics,
• Work or achievement in the law school's law review or other recognized law journal,
• Success in a moot court or mock trial competition or membership on a moot court or mock trial team.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

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 offerbased 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.

• 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).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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 windowLearn 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.