I chose Loyola over other law schools in large part because of its strong JD tax program. For me, the program has lived up to its reputation. All of my professors, both full-time and adjunct, have been outstanding. While they are all subject-matter experts, they are also excellent teachers who care that their students understand the material. They also bring a great deal of real-world experience to the classroom and help students apply tax concepts to real transactions and the real practice of law.
Students must complete at least five core courses in taxation to obtain the tax certificate, beginning with Federal Income Taxation in the fall of their second year. Because tax issues pervade so many practice areas, this course is valuable for students regardless of whether they plan to continue with the certificate. Even students who do not plan on being tax lawyers should consider completing the entire tax certificate program. In fact, most of my fellow students in the tax certificate program plan to practice in areas other than tax.
The tax program is valuable to any student who is interested in a career as a business and/or transactional attorney. Most business and personal transactions have important tax consequences, so a lawyer familiar with these issues will have an advantage over his or her colleagues who are unfamiliar with the tax law. And because the tax courses are taught with a focus on the underlying real-world transactions which create the particular tax issues, students learn about many kinds of business, personal, and estate planning transactions.
While tax issues arise from various financial transactions, the practice of tax law is not limited to transactional attorneys. Tax Controversy is a practice area for attorneys who are interested in tax issues and litigation. Students are exposed to tax litigation issues in some of the traditional tax law courses, and can get even more experience by working in the Federal Tax Clinic.
I have found the tax courses to be interesting and the professors to be enthusiastic teachers who treat their students with respect. After graduation I plan on joining a Tax Planning practice group at a Chicago firm. I am looking forward to applying what I have learned while obtaining a tax certificate at Loyola.
Jon Whitacre
