Assistant Attorney General - Tax and Public Finance

Cobar; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Colorado Office of the Attorney General’s Department of Law seeks an attorney to join its Tax & Public Finance Unit within the Revenue and Regulatory Law Section. You will litigate state tax matters and provide general counsel advice to multiple state agencies, including the Department of Revenue, with opportunities for diverse, complex, public-law work.

We value strong writing, research, and analytical skills, collaboration, and a commitment to public service as you grow in tax and public

Qualifications

• Admitted to the Colorado bar or eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar and be in good standing at the time of application.
• Excellent writing, research, and analytical abilities.
• Litigation experience or demonstrated interest in developing litigation skills.
• General counsel experience or demonstrated interest in developing client counseling skills.

Responsibilities

• Litigate state tax matters from inception through administrative and judicial processes, including TABOR-related issues.
• Provide general counsel advice to the Department of Revenue and other state agencies on rulemaking, legislation, and agency policies.
• Collaborate with a team of attorneys across the Revenue and Regulatory Law Section to handle complex public finance issues.

Skills

Excellent writing

Research skills

Analytical abilities

Litigation experience

General counsel experience

Collaborative skills

Interpersonal skills

Client counseling skills

Job description

Assistant Attorney General - Tax and Public Finance

The Tax and Public Finance Unit within the Revenue and Regulatory Law (R&R) Section is seeking an attorney to join its dynamic and collaborative legal team. The Unit offers the opportunity to litigate and provide general counsel advice in several challenging areas of law that frequently present novel legal questions. Statutes and regulations governing State tax as well as constitutional and statutory public finance issues all have a substantial impact on Coloradans. The Tax and Public Finance Unit's work ensures that State and local governments have the resources necessary to provide essential services. Attorneys in the Unit address a wide variety of interesting and complex tax- and public finance-related legal issues and disputes in their representation of the Department of Revenue's Taxation Division, their collaboration with other Units throughout the Office of the Attorney General on tax and public finance issues, and their work with other State government clients. Tax or public finance experience is not required. If you are interested in this work and want to be a part of a great team that will assist you in learning this complex area of law, this position is for you!

WHO WE ARE

The Office of the Attorney General/Department of Law is the "People's Lawyer." The Attorney General, Phil Weiser, was elected by the people of Colorado and is the State's chief legal representative and serves as legal counsel to all state executive and judicial agencies, departments, boards, and commissions. Our vision for the Department of Law is: "Together, we serve Colorado and its people, advancing the rule of law, protecting our democracy and promoting justice for all." Our core values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, drive our actions and demonstrate our focus on being principled public servants who are innovative and better together. Learn more about the Colorado Attorney General’s Office here.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

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.

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.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

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

This recruitment may be used to fill more than one position within the Revenue and Regulatory Section.