Assistant Attorney General - Tax & Public Finance

Department Information

Description of Job

The Tax & Public Finance Unit is one of 10 units within the R&R section. The R&R section represents various state regulatory agencies, including the Department of Revenue, the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), the Department of Agriculture, and the numerous divisions within these departments, such as the Department of Revenue's Taxation Division and the Division of Property Taxation within the Department of Local Affairs. R&R is the largest section in the Office of the Attorney General/Department of Law, comprised of approximately 115 team members who tackle a diverse array of legal challenges for nearly 100 state agencies, boards, commissions, divisions, and ombudsmen.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The Tax and Public Finance Unit represents the Department of Revenue on all State tax matters, including litigation of and advice on matters involving corporate income tax, sales and use tax, firearms and ammunition excise tax, and tax on the severance of nonrenewable resources, among others. The Unit also litigates and advises on matters with constitutional issues—for example, issues involving the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) in the Colorado Constitution and the Commerce and Due Process Clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The Unit provides legal advice to many State agencies and officials in addition to the Department of Revenue—including the Governor and the State Controller on certain issues.

The attorney will litigate State tax matters. Such matters often involve questions of first impression, interesting issues of statutory and constitutional interpretation, the interaction of State and federal law, and a variety of other important legal and constitutional issues. Tax matters are often complex and require sophisticated legal services to ensure that taxpayers, including national and international corporate taxpayers, pay the amount owed under the law, thereby protecting the interests of the State and all taxpayers. These matters often have high dollar amounts at issue with impacts that go beyond any single case. The attorney will handle tax litigation from inception through administrative and judicial processes, including State and, in some instances, federal court. The attorney will also likely handle litigation of TABOR-related issues in all levels of State court.

The attorney will provide general counsel advice to the Department of Revenue regarding rulemaking, proposed legislation, statutory interpretation, policies and processes, and other aspects of the agency's functions and responsibilities. The attorney will also provide general counsel advice to a variety of other State agencies and officials on tax and public finance issues.

The Tax and Public Finance Unit is highly collaborative, and the attorney should anticipate working as part of a team on most matters.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple attorney positions within the Revenue & Regulatory Law section at Department of Law.

Salary note: The Department of Law uses an attorney compensation model. Although a salary range is listed, salary will be set commensurate with the successful candidate's qualifications and in compliance with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.

Attorneys with less than 3 years of experience as a practicing attorney will be hired as an Assistant Attorney General I (AAG I). The salary range for an AAG I is $89,964-$119,047/annually.

Attorneys with more than 3 years of experience practicing as an attorney may be hired as an Assistant Attorney General II (AAG II). The AAG II salary range is $102,099 - $136,468/annually.

Salary will be paid on a biweekly basis.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Qualified applicants must be admitted to the Colorado Bar or be clearly eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar and be in good standing at the time of application. Candidates eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar will be required to submit proof of their completed application and application for Practice Pending Admission before the first day of employment. For more information about admission to the Colorado Bar please review information on the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel.

Our goal is to add someone to our team who is genuinely eager to learn about State tax and TABOR law, excited to do the work we do, and enthusiastic about growing and developing a litigation and general counsel practice with attorneys who are invested in their success.

While experience in tax law is a benefit, tax experience is not required for this position. We have had success in teaching attorneys who join the Unit all they need to know about State tax and public finance law to successfully perform the Unit's work. Further, we are open to receiving applications from individuals with varying years of legal experience.

Our ideal candidates will have the following attributes and interests:

• Excellent writing, research, and analytical abilities
• Eagerness to solve complex problems
• Litigation experience or demonstrated interest in developing litigation skills
• General counsel experience or demonstrated interest in developing client counseling skills
• Interest in growing and developing a State tax law practice and eagerness to seek out opportunities for professional growth
• Interest in developing a strong understanding of TABOR and related public finance issues
• An understanding of corporate structures and operations or eagerness to gain such an understanding
• Developed collaborative skills and commitment to working collaboratively
• Excellent interpersonal skills and eagerness to develop and maintain strong professional relationships with clients and colleagues
• Strong motivation to meet the needs of sophisticated clients
• Willingness to learn new areas of law
• Demonstrated interest in public service

The Office of the Attorney General offers challenging, interesting, and meaningful work. We are an equal opportunity employer and believe that a diverse work force adds quality and perspective to the services we provide to the public. Candidates with diverse qualities and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Conditions of employment:

• Applicants must pass a thorough background investigation prior to appointment.
• All members of the Tax and Public Finance Unit must file all necessary Colorado tax returns and pay all tax obligations. Therefore, prior to appointment, applicants must undergo an evaluation of their tax records/accounts to ensure compliance with this policy.
• Colorado Department of Law participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.
• Candidates eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar will be required to submit proof of their completed application and application for Practice Pending Admission before the first day of employment. For more information about admission to the Colorado Bar, please review information on the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel.
• This position offers flexible work arrangements. Flexible work arrangements may change at any time based on business needs.
  
  

This position is non-classified and is not subject to appeal rights.

Supplemental Information

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants must establish an account with governmentjobs.com and complete the on-line applications including the Contact Information section. Applicants are not required to complete the Work Experience, Education, or Additional Information sections of the on-line application.

Required Application Materials: Applicant may redact information that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Applicants must provide 1) a cover letter detailing their interest in the position and their relevant experience; 2) a resume; 3) a writing sample, and 4) three professional references. Use the "Attachments" feature of the online application to add documents.

WHY WORK FOR US

We Embrace Flexibility
We aim to produce outstanding work product for our clients, be efficient with our time, and support each other as team members – which also means we embrace flexible working arrangements when and where possible.

We Are Committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
At the DOL, our commitment to DEI is thriving. We know that we are better together when our differences are valued and everyone is inspired and empowered to contribute. As such, we strive to provide a safe environment where individuals feel valued and respected for who they are; demonstrate a behavior and mindset where differences are welcomed, and individuals are treated equally and empowered to do their best work; and promote growth and innovation through a diverse workforce. We empower an active Diversity Equity & Inclusion Impact Team that creates approaches to ensure safe spaces and a culture supportive of people being their authentic selves, hosts events and programs on DEI areas important to our employees, enables development and sustainability of resource groups that give a voice to historically marginalized populations, focuses on retaining our incredible talent, and more! If your professional goals include promoting growth and innovation with colleagues who recognize that we are better together when our differences are valued and respected, then DOL is your place to be!

We Have Strong Core Values
Our core values drive our actions. At the Department of Law, we are: 1) principled, maintaining the highest ethical standards, rigorous legal analysis, and careful evaluation of facts; 2) public servants, who are always ensuring our work is not about us, but instead is about the people of Colorado; 3) innovative, by seeking to identify the best approach, make deliberate decisions, and look to improve; and 4) "better together," by working to support each other and collaborate.

We are Committed to Developing our Attorneys
We are deeply invested in our talent and regularly provide meaningful opportunities for personal and professional growth through training and coaching. Further, our professional development and performance goal setting process is collaborative and ongoing, and aimed at helping our attorneys grow and succeed.

We Offer Excellent Benefits

In addition to the comprehensive State of Colorado benefits package including competitive medical, dental, and vision health plans, employer-paid life insurance, paid holidays, retirement plans with Colorado PERA, and vacation and sick leave earned each month, there are many other unique benefits that we offer, including:

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: As a state government employee, you might be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. A borrower may qualify for forgiveness by making 120 on-time payments while employed full-time in public service, if they have certain kinds of federal loans in a qualifying repayment plan
• Free access to an on-site fitness center
• Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible work schedules, professional development opportunities, and an employee discount program
• Employer-paid mental health and counseling services through Colorado State Employee Assistance Program
• Employer-paid annual attorney registration dues
• Employer-provided access to professional development training and CLE through PLI, Department of Law University and other entities.

ADAAA Requests
The Department of Law is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, Julie Christopher at [email protected].

For general information regarding this position and other attorney opportunities at our office, please contact our Legal Talent Director at [email protected].