be an expert in Tax Law
The Tax Program provides a practice-oriented curriculum to help lawyers expand their opportunities by obtaining both a better understanding of tax law and a respected credential in the tax field. The 24-credit LL.M. degree program is flexible, offering: Weekend courses, some weekday sections, and special sections beginning after the February bar exam; Accelerated classes to accommodate our students' desires to balance their education and family lives; Full availability of classes year-round; Short, one-credit courses in "hot topics;" A degree that can be completed in as little as one year or as many as three years.
Why an LL.M. In Tax Law?
- The Tax Program offers busy professionals an opportunity to take courses to earn an LL.M. degree or as a guest taking a few credits without earning the degree.
- The Tax Program's focus is to provide courses that give lawyers the knowledge and skills they need to accelerate their careers. To this end:
- All of our full-time and adjunct faculty have significant experience in a variety of tax practice settings and specialties;
- Our curriculum focuses on the practical aspects of tax practice and we use problem-oriented teaching;
- Our mix of required and elective courses provides broad exposure to tax as a subject;
- We permit specialization within tax law through special mixes of electives and independent study for those who wish to specialize in estate planning, state and local taxation, or to become corporate counsel; and
- Our program includes the opportunity to obtain practical tax experience through externships with the Internal Revenue Service, state taxing entities or specialty tax practices.
- We keep our fingers on the pulse of the marketplace to enhance the quality of the educational offerings and the career paths of the program's graduates by maintaining open lines of communication with the state's top tax attorneys.
Degree Requirements
To obtain the LL.M. degree, students must successfully complete 12 credits of required courses in the areas of Income Taxation, Corporate Taxation, Partnership Taxation, and Tax Practice and Procedure, and a sufficient number of elective courses to earn the 24 credits required. Guest students may earn up to eight credits.
Dan Houlf
Director of Tax Program
houlfd@cooley.edu