Junior Appellate Conferee

Most days can involve case file review, supporting senior conferees in settlement conferences, drafting closing analyses for senior review, and learning the technical code or regulatory framework that the agency administers. You're often shadowing experienced conferees through complex cases while handling simpler matters with closer oversight.

The hardest parts often involve the technical depth required — IRS appeals work, for example, demands sustained engagement with the tax code and litigation hazards — and the negotiation skill that develops slowly. Junior conferees often need years to develop the judgment that defines a strong appeals practice; the role rewards both technical fluency and interpersonal patience.

People who tend to thrive here are technically curious, patient with the apprenticeship dimension, and comfortable building toward consequential settlement authority over time. If you want immediate negotiating authority or trial advocacy, the junior conferee path can feel slow. If you find satisfaction in developing into the technically-grounded negotiator that appeals offices rely on, the entry-level role launches careers in agency appeals or related regulatory practice.