Is it easier to find a job as a tax lawyer than as a normal lawyer?
Sunday, December 5th, 2010 at
11:03 am
I’m an accounting major, and I have a serious knack for it (not to toot my own horn, of course). After undergrad, I’m going to get my master’s in accounting. I would like to go to law school online pharmacy without prescription after completing my master’s and possibly get an LLM in taxation.
I keep hearing/reading about how bad the job market is for lawyers, is the job market better for those with an LLM in taxation?
Start your own business.
First, the market for tax lawyers is somewhat saturated, as it is for all attorneys. There are certainly many LLM graduates who are unemployed, even from NYU (the longstanding #1 tax program). Many people with JDs from lower-ranked schools and/or low law school GPAs run to LLM programs after their other options don’t pan out. Even going to a top tax LLM program (NYU, Georgetown, Florida) probably won’t improve prospects for most of those people. So do not go into tax because it seems like an easy job; it isn’t. Only go if that’s actually what you want to practice, which it seems like you do.
Second, although the MA in accounting may help with some employers (generally the Big 4 accounting firms) it’s not necessary, especially if you want to get your JD/LLM. The LLM alone is sufficient to be a practicing tax lawyer at a law firm, the government, and even some accounting firms. The MA will not help much working for law firms, which generally pay the most. Accounting firms will probably be looking for experience as a CPA more than the MA, so working at an accounting firm may be a better option.
It’s important to remember that tax lawyer and tax accountant aren’t quite the same thing, and accountant training isn’t directly transferable to tax lawyer experience. My boyfriend works at a tax firm and they almost never do individual returns, and they send all returns work to CPAs. Try to determine whether you want to do accounting or tax law, because though they are related, they have different demands and requirements.
The LLM alone without the MA will give you enough training in tax law, but neither will guarantee you a job. If you want to try to work for a law firm, going to a top school and having top grades (for both JD and LLM) is your safest route. If you want to try to work for an accounting firm as a tax lawyer, then CPA experience is very important and the MA may help.