New Tax Program Announced

Highly selective Tax LL.M. geared toward practicing attorneys and law graduates

USC Law is launching a new graduate Tax Law program for practicing attorneys and recent law graduates.  The rigorous and highly selective LL.M. in Taxation provides an advanced study of tax laws.  Upon completion of 24 units, students will receive a Master of Laws in Taxation degree. Students may begin applying for fall 2010 enrollment on a full-time or part-time basis in October 2009.

“We are very pleased to add this exciting new degree program to our repertoire,” said USC Law Dean Robert Rasmussen. “Through our program, students will gain a deep understanding of the policies that form the basis of tax laws. And in these tough economic times, lawyers will definitely benefit from specializing in this key area.”

Some of the nation’s most esteemed tax scholars teach at USC Law, creating an ideal setting for a new tax program, Rasmussen added.

“It only makes sense that USC Law offers students the opportunity to study with exceptional professors and earn a graduate-level Tax LL.M.,” said Rasmussen.

Tax scholars at USC Law include Elizabeth Garrett, a member of the 2005 Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform; Edward McCaffery, a fellow at American College of Tax Counsel; Edward D. Kleinbard, former chief of staff of the U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Taxation; and Thomas Griffith, who has written extensively on tax matters and is the winner of the USC Law William A. Rutter ’55 Distinguished Teaching Award.

The LL.M. in Taxation program includes a variety of courses ranging from Bankruptcy Taxation and Tax Policy to International Taxation and Income Tax Timing Issues.

“Tax issues intersect so many areas of law and business and graduates of our LL.M. in Tax program may decide to pursue, or continue, careers in the private practice of tax law,” said Deborah Call, an associate dean who oversees graduate and international programs at USC Law. “They may seek employment within the tax departments of a variety of companies or pursue positions in academia. The possibilities are endless.”

USC Law is the only top 20 law school on the West Coast and one of only six of the top 20 law schools in the nation to offer an LL.M. in Taxation.

USC Law is Southern California ‘s oldest and most prominent law school. Ranked number 18 by U.S. News & World Report, it is recognized as the nation’s most diverse top law school. USC Law offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary learning environment that includes a wide range of public interest programs and free law clinics that serve individuals and communities in Los Angeles and elsewhere.