The Tax Division is a great place to spend a summer or semester or to start a legal career. Our attorneys are litigators, pure and simple. Although tax forms the background of our cases, we represent the United States in cases involving a wide spectrum of cutting-edge and interesting issues in federal district, bankruptcy, and appellate courts, as well as state courts, across the country. Our attorneys investigate and prosecute individuals and entities engaged in a wide variety of domestic and international tax fraud schemes and evasion; file suits to enjoin fraudulent tax return preparers and promoters of tax scams or other fraudulent activity; and defend the United States when suits are brought against the IRS with respect to refund claims, disclosure actions, and claims arising under the Freedom of Information Act.
For a would-be prosecutor, the Tax Division is one of the few places where you can begin prosecuting federal white-collar cases immediately after passing the bar. Aspiring civil litigators are assigned a docket of their own cases from the very first day. These are experiences that are simply unmatched in the private sector.
The Tax Division is ranked as “one of the best places to work” in government by the Partnership for Public Service. We seek to create a work environment and organizational culture that reflect the diversity of American society and that foster the success of every employee by appreciating and building upon the skills, experiences, and uniqueness that each employee brings to the workplace. We also place a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspective and encourage applications from all interested eligible candidates, including attorneys of all ages from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, all sexual orientations and gender identities, political affiliations, marital or parental statuses, religious backgrounds, with or without disabilities, and with or without military service.
Law Student Internships: The SLIP is the Department’s competitive recruitment program for compensated summer internships. The Tax Division also offers uncompensated volunteer internship opportunities for students during the academic year, usually for work-study credit. Law students who have completed at least one full semester of law school by the application deadline are eligible to apply for SLIP, however the majority of SLIP interns work at the Department during the summer between their second and third years of law school. The SLIP is also open to recent law school graduates between graduation and the start of a judicial clerkship or full-time qualifying legal fellowship. Volunteer internships are available to all currently enrolled law students.
The Tax Division anticipates hiring approximately 15 summer law interns for the summer of 2017. We will also be hiring up to 15 volunteers during each semester of the next year. You can find out more about the SLIP, including how to apply, at http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/summer-law-intern-program. Please note that this year, the online centralized electronic application opened on July 31, 2016, and will close on September 6, 2016. Information about the Department’s Volunteer Internship Opportunities, including how to apply, can be found at https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/volunteer-legal-internships.
Full-Time Attorney Positions: The Honors Program is the Department’s recruitment program for entry-level attorneys, and is the only way the Department hires law students directly out of law school. Judicial law clerks, full-time graduate law program (LLM) students, and law school graduates in qualifying full-time legal fellowships are also eligible. The first opportunity for law students to apply for the Honors Program is the summer before their third year of law school.
The Tax Division anticipates hiring 6 entry-level attorneys for the Civil Trial and Appellate Sections and 6 entry-level attorneys for the Criminal Enforcement Sections through the Honors Program. You can find out more about the Honors Program, including how to apply, at http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/entry-level-attorneys. Again, please note that this year the online centralized electronic application opened on July 31, 2016, and will close on September 6, 2016.