NYU vs. Chicago if you're dead set on becoming Tax Attorney Forum

[EdmundBurke23]

I know that NYU is ranked #1 for it's tax program, but is there a significant difference between focusing on tax at Chicago Law vs. concentrating on tax at NYU law (in terms of being employed as a tax attorney)?

I'm 90% sure that I want to work with tax in future. Could someone please offer some opinions with regards to the relevance of program rankings among elite law schools? Thanks.

[booboo]

Isn't tax one of those law specialties people get LLM's for?

[BetterCallSaul]

You'll need an LLM. NYU would be the #1 place to get it.

For Tax I don't think that there's a huge difference at the J.D. level between Chi and NYU.

[EdmundBurke23]

Okay. I see that an NYU J.D. for tax is pretty much identical to a Chicago J.D. for tax.

But I doubt that I'd ever go to NYU for an LLM, since I'd be hundreds of miles away from NYC.

[blackknight]

You don't have to have an LLM, it just helps. As far as which school to choose I would pick which ever one offers more tax classes. I am interested in tax as well and have been really disappointed with the tax courses my school offers.

[anli]

This is just a silly thread. If you know you want to do tax, come to NYU. Every major tax firm recruits heavily* here based on its reputation, and not just at the LLM level. Plus, if you want a Tax LLM (and you probably do), you can get one here for 1/2 price.

*There is both limited supply and demand for tax attorneys, so they are not exactly popping out behind curtains. That said, I'm a 1L and major tax boutiques and tax divisions of big firms have already informally recruited kids in my class.

[EdmundBurke23]

You don't have to have an LLM, it just helps. As far as which school to choose I would pick which ever one offers more tax classes. I am interested in tax as well and have been really disappointed with the tax courses my school offers.

That's what prompted me to post this question. I noticed that NYU law has at least double, if not triple, the amount of tax courses offered in comparison to Chicago. I know that it might be risky, but concentrating on a shit tone of tax courses at NYU law might not require me to get an LLM later (provided that I secure a tax law job). Just a little worried about this strategy, since it doesn't offer as much flexibility in terms of employment.

If I don't get in NYU, then I'll probably have no choice but to take courses in the "generalist" path and then to go for a part-time LLM later.

[EdmundBurke23]

This is just a silly thread. If you know you want to do tax, come to NYU. Every major tax firm recruits heavily* here based on its reputation, and not just at the LLM level. Plus, if you want a Tax LLM (and you probably do), you can get one here for 1/2 price.

*There is both limited supply and demand for tax attorneys, so they are not exactly popping out behind curtains. That said, I'm a 1L and major tax boutiques and tax divisions of big firms have already informally recruited kids in my class.

Do a lot of students exclusivly take tax courses after their 1L requirements are finished? General advice would be awesome:D

[anli]

You can take Tax as a 1L after your first semester, which gives you an enormous up for SA tax recruiting. Afterwards, take whatever courses you want. You can double-count upperlevel tax courses for 1/2 of a LLM degree, though you'll have to check on the details.

No one takes only tax courses, though there certainly are enough that you can "specialize" in that on your transcript. Remember that an LLM is only a year's worth of classes.