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Trial Attorney

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Jan 31, 2021
Duties

Summary

The Tax Division is hiring criminal lawyers who have a passion for litigation, a deep interest in public service, and the ability to work both collaboratively and independently. Litigation experience is required, and criminal litigation experience is preferred. Familiarity with tax law, managing complex litigation, and the use of technology in organizing, developing, and presenting a case at trial is helpful, but not required.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Tax Division's jurisdiction is the United States - accordingly, travel to multiple jurisdictions is an essential component of the job. Travel frequency and location varies and is based on the attorney's litigation schedule.

Trial attorneys in the Criminal Enforcement Sections have a significant amount of responsibility and work in a collegial environment with experienced litigators. Persuasive legal writing, oral advocacy, and ability to analyze and organize significant documentary evidence are critical components of the position. Our attorneys work with federal agents to investigate and prosecute offenses arising under the internal revenue laws and related federal statutes. Our attorneys' responsibilities encompass the investigative use of the grand jury and other investigative techniques, such as search warrants. Attorneys also engage in all facets of criminal litigation, including indictment, motions practice, jury trial, and sentencing. Besides working with federal agents, a trial attorney usually works with another Criminal Tax Division Trial Attorney and Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA) litigating matters as the lead attorney, second chair, or consulting attorney. Our cases involve traditional violations of criminal tax laws by taxpayers having legal sources of income, including, for example, tax evasion and the filing of false tax returns, as well as cases involving tax defiers, identity theft, financial institution fraud, securities fraud, health care fraud, public corruption, organized crime activities, and narcotics trafficking.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - The amount of travel can be significant. Travel frequency and location varies and is based on the attorney's litigation schedule.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment


  • This is an attorney position. You must have a Juris Doctorate degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of the bar of a state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
  • You must meet all minimum qualifications to be considered eligible.
  • Only experience obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
  • This position requires a favorably adjudicated background investigation. You will need to successfully complete a pre-employment background security process pending completion and adjudication of the background investigation before you can be appointed into an attorney position.
  • You may need to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result before you can be appointed into this position.
  • Attorneys selected for a position in the Tax Division must commit to working for the Tax Division for three years.
  • Although applicants who are not citizens of the United States but who meet certain criteria may be considered for employment, Department security requirements generally require that most employees be U.S. citizens, with limited exceptions. Applicants who are not U.S. citizens will need to be approved by the Department before they can be approved to enter on duty.
  • We must receive your resume by 11:59 pm (EDT) on the closing date.


Qualifications

The Tax Division anticipates hiring criminal litigators with varying levels of experience. Applicants must have at least 3 years of full-time post-J.D. litigation experience by the closing date of the announcement. Litigation experience is required, and criminal litigation experience is preferred.

Applicants should have a strong demonstrated interest in federal litigation and trial work; strong writing, oral-advocacy, research, and organizational skills; an academic background that demonstrates a commitment to producing professional work of a consistently outstanding caliber; and the ability to handle multiple matters concurrently. The work of the Criminal Enforcement Trial Sections requires the application of analytical, research, and writing skills to complex and significant issues involving all aspects of criminal law and criminal tax enforcement. Persuasiveness, judgment, initiative and a collaborative orientation are also highly valued. Familiarity with tax law, managing complex litigation, and the use of technology in organizing, developing, and presenting a case at trial is helpful, but not required. Candidates should also have a strong interest in developing their litigation skills, in learning about and applying new technologies, remaining current on developments in the law, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Applicants with an accounting, tax, or business background are encouraged to apply.

Education

This is an attorney position. Applicants must have a Juris Doctorate degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and must be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia. Active bar membership (of any jurisdiction) is required.

Additional information

Years of experience will be considered in determining the appropriate salary level. Positions may be filled at the GS 12-14 levels. Positions may occasionally be filled at the GS-15 level.

The amount of travel can be significant. Travel frequency and location varies and is based on the attorney's litigation schedule.

Attorneys selected for these positions will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Form within thirty (30) days of entering into the position. This information must be reported annually.
Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify the Tax Division if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which the Tax Division is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which the Tax Division is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. Additional information about hiring under the Schedule A authority, as well as the documents required to demonstrate eligibility, can be found at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/getting-a-job/#url=Schedule-A-Hiring-Authority . DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: http://www.benderconsult.com .

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Candidates will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their application materials.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

Applications must include:
  • a cover letter;
  • resume;
  • law school and any advanced degree transcripts;
  • a list of three professional references; and
  • a completed assessment questionnaire.
All documents should be provided in either PDF or MS Word format. The cover letter, which should not exceed two single-spaced pages, should describe how your background and qualifications make you well suited for the position as a Trial Attorney. Accordingly, you should specifically provide a description of prior litigation experience, and your interest in public service and the Tax Division in particular. Failure to include all required documents may affect consideration of your application.

Candidates selected for further consideration will be required to submit a writing sample prior to an interview.

Applicants who are eligible for veterans' preference or consideration under a special hiring authority (such as programs for individuals with disabilities) must submit appropriate documentation demonstrating eligibility. In order to verify Veterans' Preference entitlement, please submit the Member copy 4 of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty; official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions. In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the natural mother of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a signed and dated Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and the other required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim.

Department of Justice attorneys eligible for priority consideration under the Department's Reemployment Priority List Program must include notice to the Division of their eligibility in their application package.

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