Assistant Attorney General (Tax & Public Finance)

Description of Job:
The Tax & Public Finance Unit is one of 11 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 Taxation Division and Property Tax Administrator. 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, 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 more than one Assistant Attorney General position in the Tax and Public Finance Unit.

Salary Note:
The Department of Law uses a wage progression 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 $83,292-$92,400/annually.

Attorneys with more than 3 years of experience practicing as an attorney will be hired as an Assistant Attorney General II (AAG II). The AAG II salary range is $96,420-$120,000/annually.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights:
What we are looking for:
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
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

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.