General Attorney (Non-Tax), Employment and Labor Law

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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.

Duties

The Office of Chief Counsel, General Legal Services (GLS) employs approximately 92 attorneys and 7 paralegals. Work in the GLS Area Counsel field offices is focused on providing advice, support, and litigation representation for IRS and Chief Counsel management in administrative fora and in arbitration, with the majority of case work centering on labor, EEO, and personnel law. The field offices also provide assistance to 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. As a General Attorney, you will: Provide legal advice on labor, employment, personnel, and EEO matters to the Office of the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Office of Chief Counsel (Counsel), and components reporting to those offices. Provide legal representation to the IRS and Counsel in cases before administrative fora, such as the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), hearings in Office of Professional Responsibility matters and in arbitrations stemming from the IRS and Counsel collective bargaining agreements. Provide advisory opinions and advice, both written and oral, on issues arising from labor-personnel and equal employment opportunity (EEO) matters, the interpretation of civil service laws and regulations, government representation, the Federal Torts Claim Act, and other related "non-tax" matters. Provide legal assistance and support to the Department of Justice or Assistant U.S. Attorneys in federal court litigation and appeals. 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.

Qualifications

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 you must meet the qualification requirements listed below by the closing of this announcement: Basic Requirements for General 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-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 General Legal Service (GLS) legal experience GS-14 Experience Requirements: 1 year of general professional legal experience from any area of expertise; plus 2 years of professional General Legal Service (GLS) legal experience Professional Legal Services experience is defined as: Experience involving litigation and complex legal questions relevant to personnel and labor law requiring extensive research, analysis, and evaluation. 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 you're 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 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.

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

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Relocation expenses are not authorized. This is a non-bargaining unit 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 Tenure Commitment of up to 3 years. 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. Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. 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)

1,634 (72%) Chief Counsel employees took the 2023 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey and most rated critical workplace characteristics favorably - view a selection below. If you seek a professional environment where employees rate their supervisors highly, are treated with respect and supported in their efforts to balance work and other life issues, and collaborate with colleagues to produce meaningful work, consider Chief Counsel. Sample of High-scoring 2023 FEVS Questions (percent favorable): My supervisor treats me with respect (93%)- supports my need to balance work and other life issues (93%)- listens to what I have to say (91%) - supports employee development (90%)- I have trust and confidence in my supervisor (88%). Employees in my work unit produce high-quality work (94%)- share job knowledge (92%)- cooperate to get the job done (91%)- support my need to balance my work and personal responsibilities (87%)- respect people's differences (87%)- make me feel I belong (86%)- care about me as a person (85%). My organization is successful at accomplishing its mission (90%)- I am given a real opportunity to improve my skills in my organization (86%)- I recommend my organization as a good place to work (85%)- I can be successful in my organization being myself (83%). To learn more, click the links below: IRS Office of Chief Counsel Careers Site Meet Our People Learn about our Legal Divisions Come Join the Department of the Treasury and Invest in Tomorrow.