Interviews are conducted at law schools and various diversity job fairs throughout the country to recruit the best and brightest law students for the IRS Office of Chief Counsel.There are various beginning entry points for you, each providing the opportunity to acquire significant training and experience in tax law, or government contract, personnel, and labor law.

• Federal Government Programs

Entry Level Hiring:Government tends to hire lawyers with at least some experience, because their lawyers get real responsibility very quickly. However, there are some important paths for direct hiring out of law school or after clerkships or fellowships:. Honors Programs: Some executive branch offices at both the federal and state level hire a small number of 3Ls or clerks each year through “Honors Programs”.

These are competitive programs; some are term-limited fellowships, and others involve open-ended permanent hires. Examples of offices with Honors Programs include the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the state Attorney General’s Offices in Massachusetts, California, and a handful of other states. Hiring Out Of 2L Summer Programs: Some government offices use their 2L summer program as a feeder for their entry level hiring, and make offers out of that program. Examples of such offices include the U.S. General Accounting Office, the Federal Trade Commission’s Competition Bureau, the State Department, and the New York City Law Department.

Simple Direct Hiring: Some government offices do hire directly out of law school or clerkships. Examples of such offices include some local District Attorney’s Offices and Public Defender Offices. Capitol Hill and state and local legislative bodies will also hire directly, though they often look for candidates with prior legislative experience of some kind.

Fellowships: There are a handful of fellowships that can open the door to government for 3Ls and clerks. These include, for example, the Presidential Management Fellowship (federal), and the California Capitol Fellows Program (state).Lateral Hiring:Most government lawyers are hired laterally, after gaining some legal experience elsewhere. Government hires lawyers with all kinds of prior experience, including from other government offices, legal services offices, nonprofits, and the private sector.What Government Lawyers Look for:Government is such a broad employment category that it can be difficult to generalize.

However, most government employers will highly value:. A demonstrated commitment to public service. Hands-on clinical experiences (even in substantive areas that may not overlap with the particular employer). Experience in government (whether before law school or through legal internships or clinics). Strong writing skills.

Relevant substantive and/or skills-based experience. Federal Government. (e-mail for the username and password). (updated every summer). (updated every fall). (Capitol Hill). (Capitol Hill).

The and Employment Bulletins (Capitol Hill). (accessible with a Westlaw password). (contains an A-Z index of Federal departments and agencies). (report published by the Partnership for Public Service). and the (contain contact information for staff at Federal departments and agencies). Off-campus access is controlled by HLS Me Account username and password.

Federal Government Programs

You can reach the directory through the library’s.State and Local Government. PSJD’s. (e-mail for the username and password).