Trial Attorney

DC Government; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in the District of Columbia is the chief legal office of the District. This position sits in the Tax Litigation Section of OAG’s Commercial Division, handling affirmative and defensive tax litigation before the DC Superior Court.

The successful candidate will work under the Section Chief, collaborate with the Office of Tax and Revenue, review tax assessments, prepare motions and briefs, supervise staff, and contribute to monthly and quarterly reports.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years of litigation experience, preferably in state and local tax law in the District of Columbia.
• Familiarity with analysis of financial statements (including income and expense reports).
• Familiarity with mass appraisal and property valuation concepts.
• Excellent oral and writing skills.
• Ability to be a team player and to lead support staff in a litigation environment.

Responsibilities

• Review information presented by OTR and relevant case law to determine which tax assessment appeal cases should be set for the trial track.
• Prepare responses, motions, legal briefs, and memoranda for tax assessment appeal cases and other assigned tax matters.
• Participate in all facets of discovery, including propounding and responding to written discovery requests, collecting responsive documents, taking and defending depositions, and identifying and working with expert witnesses.
• Present oral arguments and conduct bench trials, including preparing fact and expert witnesses, examinations, and exhibits.
• Perform extensive legal research and prepare detailed findings of fact and conclusions of law after trial, in accordance with policies and precedents.
• Assess cases for settlement, handle mediations and other dispute resolution conferences, consult with OTR and prepare settlements and court papers to implement them.
• Assist with compiling monthly and quarterly statistical and status reports.
• Perform other related tasks as assigned by the Section Chief or supervisors.

Skills

Litigation experience

Oral communication

Written communication

Team leadership

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Job description

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Located in the nation’s capital, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is the chief legal office of the District of Columbia. OAG enforces the laws of the District, defends and provides legal advice to the District’s government agencies, and protects the interests of the District’s residents. This position is in the Tax Litigation Section of OAG’s Commercial Division.

The Tax Litigation Section provides legal advice and litigation support to the District Government across a range of tax matters, including real property, personal property, franchise, income, estate, and transfer and recordation. Under the supervision of the Section Chief and alongside a team of other Assistant Attorneys General, the successful candidate will handle the District’s affirmative and defensive litigation concerning these matters, typically in the Tax Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Tax Litigation Section Chief, and in collaboration with the Office of Tax and Revenue’s (OTR) Real Property Tax Administration, reviews information presented by OTR and relevant case law to determine which tax assessment appeal cases should be set for the trial track. Reviews for this purpose include interviewing agency officials and other witnesses and reviewing documents and other sources of information.

Prepares responses, motions, legal briefs, and memoranda as appropriate for tax assessment appeal cases and other assigned tax matters.

Participates in all facets of discovery, including propounding and responding to written discovery requests, collecting responsive documents, taking and defending depositions, and identifying and working with expert witnesses.

Presents oral arguments and conducts bench trials, including preparing fact and expert witnesses, examinations, and exhibits.

After trial, and in coordination with the Section Chief, performs extensive legal research and prepares detailed findings of fact and conclusions of law in accordance with judicial and office policies, procedures, and precedents, for submission to the court.

Assesses cases for settlement, handles court-ordered mediations and other dispute resolution conferences, consults with OTR to provide legal guidance in determining when continued proceedings are no longer in the best interest of the District of Columbia, and prepares settlement agreements and other court papers to implement settlements.

Assists with compiling monthly and quarterly statistical and status reports.

Performs other related tasks as may become necessary in the course of the work or as otherwise assigned by the Section Chief, Division Deputy, or Division Assistant Deputy.

QUALIFICATIONS

The candidate must have at least one to three years of litigation experience, preferably in the area of state and local tax law, in particular in the District of Columbia; familiarity with the analysis of financial statements (including income and expense reports); familiarity with mass appraisal and property valuation concepts; excellent oral and writing skills; and demonstrated ability to be a team player and to work with and serve as a lead for support staff in a litigation environment.

The successful candidate must have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school at the time of appointment and be an active member in good standing of the Bar of any jurisdiction. If not a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the selected candidate must be sworn into the District of Columbia Bar within 360 days of initial appointment.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

The incumbent must be sworn into the District of Columbia Bar within 360 days of his/her initial appointment with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.

WORKING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENT

Work is generally performed in an office setting. Generally, work is sedentary, some walking, handling, and carrying of light to moderately heavy objects (such as case records, briefcases, and exhibits) may be required.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTORS

Type Of Appointment: Legal Service (LS) – Regular

Pay Plan, Series and Grade:LS-905-12

Salary:$100,172;based on available funding for this position.

Area Of Consideration:Open to the Public

Number of Vacancies:One (1)

Tour of Duty:Monday-Friday; 8:45 am- 5:15 pm

In-person reporting with limited telework and flexible work schedules available upon eligibility.

Promotion Potential:No known promotion potential.

Collective Bargaining Unit:This position is in the collective bargaining unit represented by AFGE Local 1403.

RESIDENCY PREFERENCE:Applicants claiming “Residency Preference” will be required to maintain residency in the District of Columbia for a minimum of seven (7) years. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of employment.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:The District of Columbia Government does not discriminate or retaliate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender identity and expression, national origin, family responsibilities, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, homeless status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, participation in a legally protected activity, parental status, matriculation, personal appearance, credit information, status as a victim or family member of a victim of domestic violence, sexual offense, or stalking, military service, or other non-merit factor.

NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION:In accordance with the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977, as amended, D.C. Official Code, Section 2-1401.01 et. seq., (Act) the District of Columbia does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, genetic information, status as a victim or family member of a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense or stalking, credit information, or homeless status of any individual. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that is also prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above-protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subject to disciplinary action.

OFFICIAL JOB OFFERS ARE TO BE MADE ONLY BY THE HUMAN RESOURCES SECTION OF THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL