Tax Concentration

The Tax Concentration is intended to provide students with an opportunity to pursue a focused and integrated course of study regarding taxation.  The required concentration courses, Federal Income Taxation, Corporate & Partnership Tax, and Taxation of Family Wealth Transfers, are designed to ensure that students develop a broad understanding of key aspects of the United States system of taxation.  The concentration electives enable students to deepen their understanding of specific tax issues, such as an understanding of tax policy, taxation of foreign transactions and taxation of non-profit organizations.

The concentration culminates with the year-long Tax Concentration Seminar, which is team-taught by all of the members of the tax faculty.  Students participate in the Tax Concentration Seminar during their third year of law school.  The seminar is intended to enable students to gain perspective on the overall tax system, provide students with an opportunity to write a significant paper on a tax-related topic of their choice, and foster a sense of community among students and faculty interested in taxation.

In extraordinary circumstances, the concentration adviser, in consultation with the Academic Dean, may waive one of the required courses (other than the Tax Concentration Seminar) for a student who has completed equivalent graduate-level coursework.

Advisor:  Professor Heather Field

TOTAL UNITS REQUIRED: 20*

A.  Required Courses [13 units]*

Federal Income Taxation (first-year statutory or upperclass course) (3)

Federal Income Taxation of Corporations & Partnerships (4)

Tax Concentration Seminar (2)

Taxation of Family Wealth Transfers (3 or 4)*

 *From time to time, Taxation of Family Wealth Transfers will be offered as a 3-unit course.  Any student taking the 3-unit Taxation of Family Wealth Transfers will only be required to complete 12 hours of “Required Courses” and 19 total units in order to complete the Tax Concentration.

B.  Qualifying Tax and Tax-Related Electives [7 units]

Advanced Issues in Corporate and Partnership Taxation (2)

Business Planning Seminar (2)

Estate Planning Seminar (2)

Federal Income Taxation of Real Estate & Other Investments (3)          

Land Trusts & Conservation Easements Seminar (2)

Nonprofit Organizations (2 or 3)

State and Local Taxation (2 or 3)

Tax Policy Seminar (2)

Tax Procedure (3)

U.S. Taxation of Foreign Transactions & Investments (2 or 3)

Independent Study (1 or 2) (with permission of Tax Concentration Coordinator)

C.  Non-Tax Electives [maximum of 3 units toward 20-unit minimum]

Advanced Business Law Seminar (2)

Advanced Corporate Law (2)

Advanced Negotiation: Art of the Deal (2 or 3)

Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Remedies (3)

China – Business Law & Economic Rights Seminar (2)

Corporate Finance (3)

Hedge Funds & Investment Management (2)

International Business Transactions (3)

Law & Business in Japan Seminar (2)

Law & Economics Seminar (2)

Mergers & Acquisitions (3)

Political Economy of Law Seminar (2)

Public Finance Seminar (2)

Securities Regulation (3)

Venture Capital & the Start-Up Technology Company (2)