Paralegal Specialist

Summary

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 are seeking administrative professionals to support our legal work. Click to learn more: IRS Office of Chief Counsel Careers Site Meet Our People Learn about our Legal Divisions

Duties

The Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Procedure and Administration) provides legal advice and litigation support services on tax matters involving Federal Tax Procedure and the procedural aspects of filing returns and paying taxes; information reporting; assessment and collection of taxes (including interest and penalties); abating, crediting or refunding over-assessments or overpayments of tax; whistleblower matters; disclosure, Privacy and the Freedom of Information Act; bankruptcy practice and procedure; summonses and the gathering of information; legal ethics; the Administrative Procedure Act; Foreign Bank Account Reporting; user fees; and judicial practice and procedures. As a Paralegal Specialist you will: Process requests for background file documents and underlying written determinations and select documents to be disclosed to the public pursuant to provisions of 6110. Examine Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and coordinate searches for documents maintained within the National Office of Chief Counsel. Make determinations of a judgmental nature regarding requests for document delays. Research and assist in the preparation of legal opinions and formulated advice on a variety of legal tax problems. Draft and redact non-legal memoranda, research reports and correspondence relating to cases. Perform legal research using automated systems and research tools. Develop and perform queries, run reports and retrieve documents from internal sources. 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 for this position of Paralegal Specialist, 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. For GS-9: Specialized Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-7 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is defined as: Reviewing and processing records or disclosure requests; researching statutes, regulations, and related guidance; determining appropriate disclosure or withholding of information; preparing written responses; and coordinating with staff to ensure accuracy and compliance with disclosure requirements. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-7). OR Education Substitution: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: Master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as Paralegal Studies or Legal Studies, OR an LL.B. or J.D. OR Combination of Education and Experience: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education: Options for qualifying based on a combination are identified in the online questions. For GS-11: Specialized Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is defined as: Independently analyzing and applying complex legal and disclosure requirements to determine the release or withholding of information; conducting legal research and preparing written determinations; reviewing documents for compliance with disclosure laws and regulations; and providing guidance or recommendations on disclosure issues, procedures, and sensitive information handling. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-9). OR Education Substitution: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as Taxation/Tax Law. OR Combination of Education and Experience: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education: Options for qualifying based on a combination are identified in the online questions. NOTE: If qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application package. 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

How You Will Be Evaluated

Your application includes your resume, 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 may result in a "not qualified" determination. Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Oral and Written Communication, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Research, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, Teamwork, and Technical Competence. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online USA Hire assessment. The USA Hire assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Cheating on the USA Hire assessment may result in your removal from consideration. The USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. The highest scoring candidates based on the results of the USA Hire assessment will be invited to complete the structured interview assessment. Structured Interview: Eligible and qualified applicants may be evaluated through a structured interview conducted by subject matter expert(s) on the position as a formal assessment and results will be used to rate and rank candidates. Referral: This announcement uses the Rule of Many, a numerical ranking process under which eligible applicants receive a numeric score based on the assessment process for the position. Only applicants who are eligible for veterans' preference receive 5- or 10-point veterans' preference points, which are added to passing scores, as applicable. Applicants are then listed on the certificate in score order, and preference-eligible applicants are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles with the same score. Qualified preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are listed at the top of the certificate in rating order. This announcement uses the set number of applicants referral method under 5 CFR 332.402(b)(3). The top 30 applicants will be referred for consideration. 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. Simultaneous Listing: Candidates may be referred simultaneously on multiple certificates for which they are interested, eligible, and within reach. If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)), you must achieve a well-qualified score of 80 or higher to receive special selection priority.

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 are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) Please limit your resume to two-pages. Applicants with resumes exceeding two-pages will be removed from consideration. 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. Veterans' Preference Documentation If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing actual or expected dates of service 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. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents. 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.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date (07/29/2026) of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer b...

In order to qualify for this position of Paralegal Specialist, 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. For GS-9: Specialized Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-7 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is defined as: Reviewing and processing records or disclosure requests; researching statutes, regulations, and related guidance; determining appropriate disclosure or withholding of information; preparing written responses; and coordinating with staff to ensure accuracy and compliance with disclosure requirements. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-7). OR Education Substitution: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: Master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as Paralegal Studies or Legal Studies, OR an LL.B. or J.D. OR Combination of Education and Experience: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education: Options for qualifying based on a combination are identified in the online questions. For GS-11: Specialized Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is defined as: Independently analyzing and applying complex legal and disclosure requirements to determine the release or withholding of information; conducting legal research and preparing written determinations; reviewing documents for compliance with disclosure laws and regulations; and providing guidance or recommendations on disclosure issues, procedures, and sensitive information handling. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-9). OR Education Substitution: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as Taxation/Tax Law. OR Combination of Education and Experience: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education: Options for qualifying based on a combination are identified in the online questions. NOTE: If qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application package. 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.