Former Government Officials Offer Job Assistance To Law Students, Lawyers Hit By Trump’s Hiring Freeze

President Donald Trump’s government hiring freeze continues to tank budding lawyers’ career prospects. Not only have third-year law students’ permanent job offers been revoked and summer internship programs been canceled, but government agencies have also pulled out of law school recruitment events for future legal roles. However, thanks to a group of ex-officials from the Treasury and the Justice Department’s Tax Division, things are looking a bit brighter. 

As noted by Bloomberg Law, the group — composed of lawyer representing law firms, accounting firms, nonprofits, and private companies — has stepped in to assist attorneys and law students find jobs. Here are some additional details:

The group has set up an email address (taxhiring25@gmail.com) where students and attorneys whose offers were revoked by the IRS and Justice’s Tax Division can send their resume, a writing sample, offer received, and notice of rescission.

A member of the group with access to the email will review these submissions, ensuring they’re complete, and then send the candidate a survey asking questions about the person’s preferred position, preferred employer such as a law firm, accounting firm, nonprofit, graduation years, and preferred location.

The information will be populated in a spreadsheet, which employers can use as a “sortable index of candidates,” the email said.

Caroline Ciraolo, who formerly served as acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Tax Division, is now a partner and founder of Kostelanetz’s Washington office, and acts as a primary point of contact for the group. “Law firms, accounting and consulting firms, corporations, educational institutions, bar associations, state and local government agencies, courts, non-profits, and other stakeholders are spreading the word regarding these efforts,” she told Bloomberg Tax, “facilitating connections, and meeting with those seeking employment to offer encouragement, networking, and career counseling.”

 Scott Levine, former deputy assistant secretary for international affairs at the Treasury Department, is trying to get other agencies to help the law students and lawyers’ whose jobs were lost. “Some of us are also reaching out to other sectors in an attempt to replicate this initiative in other areas as the IRS and the DOJ Tax Division are not the only federal agencies to rescind offers,” he said.

This is a description from the group of those who now need help securing work: “a pool of approximately 200 candidates, including: law students who accepted summer internships; law and LLM students who accepted permanent positions through the Honors Program; and lateral attorneys with one or more years legal experience.” If your firm or company is willing to step up to the task and offer assistance, please do so.

Best of luck to all aspiring government lawyers who have been left out in the cold by Trump’s hiring freeze.  

IRS, DOJ Hires With Rescinded Jobs Get Aid From Ex-Officials [Bloomberg Law]

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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