Trial Attorney

Closing Date: 31st March, 2023

Description:

Summary:
The Tax Division is hiring civil appellate lawyers who have a passion for litigation, a deep interest in public service, and the ability to work both collaboratively and independently.

Duties:
Join one of the best places to work in the federal government -- the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice! The Tax Division ranked as the #1 organization in the Department of Justice -- and the 9th highest among 432 agency subcomponents throughout the Government -- in the Partnership for Public Service's 2021 "Best Places to Work". Tax Division employees consistently report feeling motivated, respected and listened to, a sense of personal accomplishment, and a belief that they use their talents at work. If you are looking for a place where you can develop and apply your skills to work with a significant purpose and mission, the Tax Division might be the right place for you.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

Attorneys in the Appellate Section have a significant amount of responsibility and work in a collegial environment with experienced litigators. The work of the civil appellate attorney includes preparing briefs and presenting oral arguments in the United States Courts of Appeals nationwide and state appellate courts when an appeal is taken from a decision of a United States district court, the United States Tax Court, the Court of Federal Claims, or a state trial court. Civil appellate attorneys review adverse decisions from these courts and prepare recommendations to the Office of the Solicitor General about whether the government should appeal. Attorneys in the Appellate Section also assist the Office of the Solicitor General in preparing briefs in the United States Supreme Court.

Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
You must meet all minimum qualifications to be considered eligible. Only experience obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. 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. This position requires a favorably adjudicated background investigation. You will need to successfully complete a pre-employment security process pending adjudication of the background investigation before you can be appointed to this position. 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. We must receive your resume by 11:59 pm (EDT) on the closing date. 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.
Applicants should have a strong interest in federal appellate work, strong writing and oral-advocacy skills and an academic background that demonstrates a commitment to producing professional work of a consistently outstanding caliber. The work of the Appellate Section requires the application of analytical, legal research, and writing skills to complex and significant issues. Persuasiveness, judgment, and a collaborative orientation are also highly valued. A background in tax law is helpful, but not required. A judicial clerkship is a plus, but not required.

Our civil appellate attorneys must be able to work independently to develop their cases factually and legally. They must be willing to work collaboratively with the Internal Revenue Service, internal supervisors and peers to present those cases in the most effective manner. Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, are essential.

Applicants Must Have:

• Substantial organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple matters concurrently;
• A strong interest in developing their litigation skills, in learning about and applying new technologies, and in remaining current on developments in the law; and
• An ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

We value persuasiveness, judgment, initiative and teamwork. Familiarity the use of technology in organizing, developing, and presenting a case at trial is helpful, but not required.

Applicants must have at least three (3) years of full-time post-J.D. legal experience by the closing date of this announcement.

Salaries: Years and quality of experience will be considered in determining the appropriate salary level. Positions may be filled at the GS 13-14 levels. Positions may occasionally be filled at the GS-15 level.

Travel will be required. The location and frequency of travel varies, depending on the attorney's litigation schedule.

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:

• 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 202-257-1997. 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 this 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.
• 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 authorized to enter on duty.
• 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.
• You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
• Applicants 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.
• Applicants are encouraged to ensure their materials clearly demonstrate their knowledge of subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Required Documents:
Applications must include:

• a cover letter;
• resume;
• law school and any advanced degree transcripts;
• a list of three professional references;
• a writing sample; 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 an Appellate Attorney, taking into account the Responsibilities and Qualifications described in the advertisement. Furthermore, you should specifically provide a description of prior appellate and/or litigation experience, your interest in public service, and your interest in the Tax Division in particular. Consider the cover letter an opportunity to inform hiring officials about something not reflected in your resume that you would like them to know about you.

The writing sample should reflect your best writing, and be an original piece that has not been extensively edited by a third party. Persuasive writing is preferred because most of the writing we do should persuade its audience. The sample should be no more than 10 pages, double spaced. Whether your sample is an entire document or part of a larger piece, a paragraph on a separate page providing background on the writing sample and enough context for the reader to understand the sample is very useful and will not count against the 10 page limit. Please include your full name at the top of the first page of the document.

If you don't include all of the documents we require, we may not be able to fully consider your application.

Applicants who previously applied to the Tax Division must reapply in order to be considered under this job announcement.

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.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply:
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.)

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the "more information" link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EDT) on 03/31/2023 to receive consideration. Click this link to preview the assessment questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11872574.

If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site (for everything on the USAJOBS-side), or the Application Manager Help Site (for everything on the DOJ-side). Regrettably, the Department of Justice cannot assist you with USAJOBS account issues. If you contact us for assistance and the problem is related to your USAJOBS account, we will have to direct you to USAJOBS to remedy the issue.

Reasonable Accommodations: If you are unable to apply online due to a disability or overseas deployment, you must request an alternative application, which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Senobia West at senobia.west@usdoj.gov or (202) 616-1852 to discuss your situation. Accommodations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online, contact Ms. West by email at Senobia.West@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.

If you submit more than one application, the last application to be received will be the one considered.

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.

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