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Hi all,

I'm a 3L waiting to hear back from Tax LLM programs. I'm looking at NYU, Georgetown, and UF. I'm not sure which of these programs is the best choice for me.

Question: Which program would put me in the best position to get a good job (mid-law or big-law) in Florida? I know NYU and Georgetown are stronger programs than UF, but I Imagine UF has the strongest ties to the Florida market. However, NYU and Georgetown both post strong employment data while UF does not publish employment data for its Tax LLMs. I'm concerned UF's employment stats might be poor.

About me: I'm originally from Florida, but I did not go to undergrad or law school in Florida. I'm at a T-20 law school. Above the median GPA (but below top 1/4). I want to work in trusts & estates. I worked at mid-size firms for my 1L and 2L summers (one of the firms was in Florida). I'm currently debt free and will remain so after my LLM. I will be taking the bar in Florida this summer. I found breaking into the Florida market from a non-Florida law school to be difficult as a 1L/ 2L.

NYU is unequivocally pulling away. It's the preferred school in the TIP program.

And TIP has been leaving TARE in the dust for the past few years. It's also just not really possible to count on just Florida so NYU opening more doors for you is valuable.

notinbiglaw wrote:NYU is unequivocally pulling away. It's the preferred school in the TIP program.

And TIP has been leaving TARE in the dust for the past few years. It's also just not really possible to count on just Florida so NYU opening more doors for you is valuable.

Seconding the above. NYU's Tax LL.M. program is so much stronger than Georgetown's (and Georgetown's is so much stronger than UF's) that, even for someone primarily interested in practicing in Florida, NYU's the best bet.

(Of course, grades will be critical - as they are for anyone doing a Tax LL.M. at any school.)

I worked at a large firm in Florida. All of our LLMs were NYU LLMs. A partner I worked with said that it makes no sense to not hire an NYU LLM who has Florida ties over a UF LLM.

If you look through the profiles of tax attorneys at larger firms, a majority will have NYU. There are more Miami Tax LLMs than Georgetown or UF in Miami, to be honest.

FYI, getting a trusts & estates job at a law firm coming out of a Tax LLM is going to be tough. Make sure getting the LLM is really what you want to do. I know a number of people who've gotten NYU Tax LLMs and then have struggled to find work in T&E. It's probably not even a 50/50 proposition, but it all depends on market conditions, etc.

If you haven't already, you should email firms in Florida, and maybe also the big accounting firms, to see if they might be looking to hire an entry-level T&E associate in 2020. Most firms prefer to hire laterals with 3-5 years of experience because the learning curve in T&E is steep.

I don't know anything about UF, but if you get a scholarship there it might be worth considering if you're sure you want to do the LLM.