Duties

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.

COVID-19 STATEMENT
As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination. Selectees entering on board after November 22, 2021 must submit proof of vaccination before appointment or onboarding with the Tax Division. The Tax Division will provide additional information to the selectee regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how the selectee can request of the agency a legally required exception from this requirement.

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.
• 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.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: http://www.sss.gov .
• Due to COVID-19, if selected, you may be expected to telework for an undefined period under the Department's evacuation authority. Employees whose homes are located outside the local commuting area may be notified of a requirement to report in person to the component workplace with an advance notice of not less than 30 days. Prior to a requirement to report to the workplace, employees may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the component's telework policy.
• We must receive your resume by 11:59 pm (EST) 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. Also required are strong interpersonal and presentation skills, the ability to communicate effectively with others at all levels, and the ability to establish and maintain strong relationships within the organization and with our law enforcement partners. 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.

Salaries: Years and quality 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.

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

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

DOJ EEO Statement/Policy: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1393306/download

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Tax Division Human Resources office at 202-305-8341. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Our policy can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/manual-and-procedures-providing-reasonable-accommodation

DOJ offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/
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).