Supervisory General Attorney, Branch Chief (PA)

DutiesSummary

The Office of Chief Counsel, IRS, the largest tax law firms in the country, is looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our team and gain valuable experience in a legal environment. Our mission is to serve America's 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 Internal Revenue Service. It's a great place to work and a family-friendly atmosphere.



Responsibilities

The Branch Chief is responsible for planning, directing and supervising a staff of attorneys, paralegal and technology advisors providing assistance and advice on a variety of matters. These matters include legal guidance and assistance on complex litigation and federal tax matters involving the review, redaction, and production of legal and electronic discovery (e-discovery) responses, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), section 6110 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), Congressional and other requests and providing complex litigation support services to field offices within the Office of Chief Counsel. The Branch Chief is responsible for the assignment of work to attorneys, paralegals, and technical advisors in the branch. The incumbent also performs other administrative and management tasks within the branch. He or she also serves as a personal consultant to executives on a variety of sensitive and extremely complex legal, technical and tax matters related to the matters handled by the branch.

Duties:

• Acts as a legal advisor to the Office executives on highly complex professional legal matters arising in the administration of the Internal Revenue laws handled by Procedure & Administration (PA).
• As delegated by the manager, independently plans, develops and completes complex legal work product without review.
• Provides complex litigation support to Department of Justice (DOJ) and Chief Counsel Litigators as requested and in coordination with attorneys primarily responsible for case.
• Assists with the preparation of responses to complex FOIA requests and/or discovery requests relating to cases in litigation.
• Serves as a point of contact and office expert on e-discovery issues and provides assistance to the higher level e-discovery expert on highly complex and significant special projects related to electronic litigation or e-discovery.
• Works closely with the higher level e-discovery expert to develop complex case strategy as it relates to e-Discovery.
• Conducts exhaustive and detailed research on legal positions in responding to e-discovery and other electronic requests, including applying privileges, IRC §§ 6103 and 6110, FOIA exemptions, U.S. Tax Court Rules, Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and other procedural provisions, coordinating with PA branches with subject matter responsibility.
• Reviews complex briefs prepared by trial attorneys on specific cases in the United States Tax Court, makes additions, corrections, and deletions, as necessary, so that the brief reflects proper procedure and a logical legal basis in case law, statutes, regulations, published guidance and Service policy with a special regard for uniformity, quality, and fairness to taxpayers.
• Oversees the distribution of work assignments to branch employees, establishing work priorities and deadlines. Evaluates performance of employees, makes recommendations for promotions, awards and assignments. Counsels employees immediately concerning deficient performance and takes appropriate corrective actions. Identifies and recommends development needs of employees, gives advice, counsel, instruction on both work and administrative matters, and resolve any issues raised. Takes positive steps to further equal employment opportunities for all employees.
Travel Required

Occasional travel - 5% or greater

Supervisory status

Yes

Promotion Potential

15

• Job family (Series)

  0905 Attorney

  Similar jobs
  • Attorneys

• Requirements

  RequirementsConditions of Employment
  • Please refer to "Conditions of Employment".
  • Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  • Applications will be accepted on-line via Career Connector.
  • If unable to apply on-line please contact careerconnectorhelp@do.treas.gov
  • Public Trust-Background Investigation required

  Other Information

  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • Must prepare an annual OGE 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report.
  • Subject to a 1-year trial period (unless already completed).
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Undergo an income tax verification.
  • Candidates must be admitted to practice law before the highest court of a state or territory of the United States; the District of Columbia; or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and be an active member by the closing date of the announcement.

  Because of its tax-related mission, the Office of Chief Counsel requires fingerprinting, tax verification, and a background security investigation as part of the pre-employment process.

  Qualifications

  You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:
  
  To qualify for this position at the GS-15 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience, equivalent in scope and effect to the GS-14 level.
  
  Specialized experience: You must possess comprehensive knowledge of privileges, complex litigation and federal tax matters. Alternatively, you must have experience in the review, redaction, and production of legal and electronic discovery responses, the FOIA, or IRC § 6110 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).

  • The J.D. and/or the LL.M. must be from an ABA-accredited law school.
  • Candidates must be admitted to practice law before the highest court of a state or territory of the United States; the District of Columbia; or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
  • One year of professional legal experience refers to full-time work after admittance to the bar. Part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.
  • The professional legal experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or through Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work after admitted to the Bar; part work is considered on a prorated basis.
  • To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate on your resume the dates of employment by month/year, as well as number of hours worked per week.
  • Candidates must be admitted to practice law before the highest court of a state or territory of the United States; the District of Columbia; or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and an active member by the closing date of the announcement.
  Education

  Applicants must possess a J.D. and have one year of general legal experience plus three years of professional legal tax experience. An LL.M. degree in the field of the position (tax) may be substituted for one year of general legal experience listed above.
  
  Specialized experience may have been gained while employed in a professional legal position in the Federal, state, or local government, the private sector including law firms, or nongovernmental organizations.

  Additional information
  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • This is a non bargaining unit position.
  • We offer opportunities for telework.
  • We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
  
  
  How You Will Be Evaluated

  You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

  Your application includes your resume and responses to the online questions and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume will result in a “not qualified” determination.
  
  Applicants will be considered based on their overall background as it relates to the position to be filled. All application materials and interviews, if conducted, will be used in the final evaluation and selection process.
  
  If you meet the eligibility requirements, the Executive Resources Branch will assess your overall specialized knowledge and experience as it relates to the position to be filled, compare it to the other applicants' knowledge and experience and determine the candidate best qualified for the position. The board may or may not conduct interviews. You will be notified of the outcome.
  
  Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating may be lowered, if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the experience described in your application.
  
  Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. 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.
  To preview questions please click here.
  

  Background checks and security clearanceSecurity clearance

  Other

  Drug test required

  No

  Position sensitivity and risk

  Moderate Risk (MR)

  Trust determination process

  Credentialing

• Required Documents

  Required Documents

  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 must submit the following documents: 1) Memorandum of Interest summarizing your interest in the position. 2) Resume detailing your relevant qualifications and specialized knowledge and experience. 3) A copy of your most recent official performance appraisal, or a progress review. 4) Copy of Bar Certification.

  Current Chief Counsel Employees will need a Supervisory Report (ERB Form 1-88, Rev 4/2011) regarding your suitability for the position as completed by your current or most recent 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.
  
  All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. 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.

  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.
  
  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.
  
  If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.
  

  VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Office of Chief Counsel considers veterans’ preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. If you are claiming veterans’ preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing 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.

  CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES - Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment
  
  
  • Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The “position occupied” block on the SF-50 should show a “1” or "2" and your “tenure” block should show a “1” or “2”.)
  
  
  • Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held. If this grade is different from your current grade, submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.
  
  
  • Submit a copy of your most recent, signed, completed annual performance appraisal which includes the final rating. If the performance appraisal is not dated within the last 12 months or if you have not received a performance appraisal, please explain why in your application.

  If selected, you will be required to submit proof of bar membership.Candidates must be admitted to practice law before the highest court of a state or territory of the United States; the District of Columbia; or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and be an active member by the closing date of the announcement.

  The professional legal experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work after admitted to the Bar; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• Benefits

  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. 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.

• Federal employees - Excepted service

  Current excepted service federal employees.

• The public

  U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.