What does it take to get into a top tax law institution? Seeking advice...

Graduate School Law School
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<p>I am seriously looking into applying to an elite law school and get into a joint LLM/JD program for tax law. </p>

<p>My current major is applied math, but I am thinking of combining some courses this year and consequently double majoring in applied math AND astrophysics.. The reason those are my majors is simply because I enjoy the subjects and am good at them... The reason why the shift from science to law in terms of career is because A. I want to help people (can't help people with science even if I tried, they just don't want to be helped lol); B. The money involved in being an attorney and the relatively instant results stemming from the work put in; and C. My father is involved in this business as well. </p>

<p>I also heard somewhere that there is a correlation with high LSAT's and people with math/physics majors so that is a pleasant coincidence. However, I am not sure whether those people also get into great law schools. </p>

<p>Some additional info: I do not intend to work in a firm, that is far from what my intentions are... My goal is to start my own practice, and help people for a change. I also aim to become a CPA right after I receive my Bachelor's.... </p>

<p>What do tax law schools require of their applicants? What about anything extra that might set me ahead? I still have a chance to change my major, so what major would be more competitive? All suggestions, experiences and advice will be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you ever so much!! :)</p>

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<p>If you are majoring in applied math and astrophysics how are you going about getting the necessary accounting and business courses and hours needed to take the CPA exam and become a CPA in most states?</p>

<p>There is no such thing in the US as a “tax law school” and law schools do not specialize in taxes. They do have courses you can take, usually one each in personal income, corporate, and estates and gifts tax. Many actually require a personal income tax course. There are none I am aware of that have any “combined” LLM/JD tax law program. There are some that have post-JD tax programs leading to an LLM. However, it is not necessary to have such an LLM to practice tax law.</p>

<p>Also be aware that if you are considering both CPA and law that current rules do not allow lawyers to have a combined business as a CPA; in other words, you could not market yourself as both a CPA and a lawyer.</p>

<p>You also mention a key reason for possibly going this path is the “money involved in being a lawyer.” Not sure what amount you are talking about but the high starting salaries you might hear about go to a small percentage and the average solo practioner attorney is not one of those and few solos are in the high end of income. Moreover, the cost of law school is very high and you could come out with a lot of loans to pay off which you could not possibly do as a new solo practioner trying to build a practice.</p>

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<p>I generally agree with Drusba. However, I think that there are a number of schools that offer four year JD/LLM in tax such as Northwestern, Georgetown, NYU, Loyola, John Marshall in Chicago and others. </p>

<p>I don’t see how you are going to get a CPA unless you also get a MACC too. Frankly, I don’t see why you are majoring in math and physics yet want to go into accounting and tax law. Wouldn’t it have been a LOT more efficient, and probably better and cheaper to major in accounting to begin with?</p>

<p>You are going to be paying over 250K in graduate fees to achieve what you want. The time it will take you to pay this back could be enormous. I surely hope that you don’t need to go into debt for all this.</p>

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<p>What I meant to say was a law school that offered a specialization in taxation. I thought I saw that Harvard offered such a program, the joint JD/LLM as well as the tax law program. Loyola I know for sure offers that program because I have a relative working on that right now. </p>

<p>I also plan to apply for handfuls of scholarships, but honestly, I still don’t know how scholarships for law schools work… but I am getting free ride for my major atm.
Also when I mentioned about the money, I was saying that based on the fact that my family already has base in taxation and such; thus my assumption was that if I build on that, income will come easier than establishing my own science route. </p>

<p>Also, I was wondering if Harvard as well as the law schools taxguy mentioned, weigh the applicant’s major heavily?In other words, does my major have an impact at my admission? As I mentioned, math majors typically score the highest on LSAT’s, if that matters.</p>

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<p>EventHorizon, Please read over the thread, “What we learned about law school admission.” Although some law schools might somewhat discount a major that is considered weak and vocational, the vast majority of law schools simply take the GPA ( as recalculated by the LSDAS) and the LSAT and get a score. The major is , for the most part, irrelavent.</p>

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<p>Okay, will do taxguy! Thanks for the link!</p>

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<p>I looked at some of your other posts and now see what the issues are. You are getting way ahead of yourself for law school since it appears that you have thus far had at most one semester at a CC.</p>

<p>Understand a few things:</p>

<p>If you major in math and astrophysics, you are most likely not going to be a CPA. To even qualify to take the exam in California, you will need 48 hours of college business courses, 24 of which must be accounting (and California’s requirements are actually lower than many states). If you have any plan to graduate within four years, and with the requirements you will need to be a math and astrophysics major, there is really no way you are going get those other 48 hours. You would be foolish to even try.</p>

<p>At your stage, you probably are not even sure about being a math and astrophysics major. If it is truly something you want to pursue do so without trying to figure out whether it will help or hinder getting into law school. Law schools accept virtually all majors, key is high grades and the extreme key is high LSAT score; with both, you will have a chance for high ranked law schools; with a perfect GPA but a lower LSAT score you won’t have a prayers chance in hell for high ranked law schools. So reality is that until you know your LSAT score, you won’t have any idea what your chances at any law school really are and should just pursue the major you like and attempt to get real high grades and also attempt to transfer to a decent four year college. Also, don’t run out and take the LSAT to see what you can score with the idea of taking it again. High ranked law schools will consider bad scores against you even if you retake and score high; thus it is unwise to take it too early in college.</p>

<p>The JD/LLM programs that some law schools have are not things you are admitted to when applying to law school. it is something you apply for after being in law school for at least a year and possibly two. Usually, you will take a couple of usual tax courses offered in law school along the way and then last semester of your third year in law school you take some more which also count toward the LLM which continue into the fourth year for completion of LLM. However, you should never assume that the main thing you will be pursuing in law school to get a JD is tax law. You will be taking mostly other courses that are designed to make you a lawyer, not some one with a specialization. Your goal in law school is to learn a lot in many areas of the law and then pass the bar exam.</p>

<p>You do not need to be either a business major or have a CPA to be a tax lawyer or take the tax law courses that lead to a LLM. It does help to have basic accounting, economics, and perrhaps some finance courses but they are not required.</p>

<p>Most tax lawyers actually become ones after they get out of law school and start working and many of them never dreamed they would become tax lawyers the day they left law school.</p>

<p>Many law schools give merit scholarships, even a number of your high ranks. To get them you will need need high college GPA and high LSAT. For the high ranks you need better than the already high GPA and LSAT scores that you need to get admitted. As you move down the ranks of law schools, it is the same concept; you can often get some merit aid if you are on the higher end of applicants for the law school in GPA and particularly in LSAT score and waht your major was generally makes no difference. Nevertheless, you could still end up with a lot of loans. And I mean a lot. I don’t how well you think you can build a solo practice even if family is in taxes but if you have, like many law school students do, debt of $150,000 or more coming out of law school, you need to make a lot of money and do it quickly to keep up with the necessary loan payments.</p>

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<p>Drusba, thank you for the helpful info. I did not know much of those facts. I will seriously take that into consideration.</p>

<p>Math and physics have always been my strong subjects on top of being the subjects I enjoy the most… although you are right, I am the type of person who always kept options open (tax law has always been on my radar of the “top” alternative options…) And yes, I am concerned about if one option will hinder the other. My original intention was (and actually still IS, obviously besides the fact that I am thinking about law school) to pursue a Ph.D in astrophysics…however I don’t believe in the myth that simply having a career in something you are passionate about is enough. Thus, the new found idea of practicing tax law (which is actually not really new found, as my family has been suggesting me to go into that business anyways). Either way, I am extremely dedicated and strong willed towards any of my goals. Although for now, I am just trying to keep a GPA strong to get into a top tier school and hopefully go from there. (I have a year left until I have to apply to Uni anyways)
So any information about how law school works and how the admission process works would be VERY helpful for me, and I really appreciate your input. </p>

<p>As for the CPA topic, I actually have already accumulated half of the required units for that, so that is why I was thinking I might as well finish and get on with the CPA exams.</p>