Should You Get A Tax LLM? Our Experiences, Pros & Cons, and Things to Evaluate

Seasoned tax professors Leandra Lederman & Allison Christians discuss factors to weigh in deciding whether to get a tax LL.M. and how to choose among tax masters programs. Both of us have an LL.M in taxation. One of us went full-time, one went part-time. We discuss our own LL.M. experiences, the circumstances in which students usually consider a tax LL.M., the pros and cons of getting an LL.M., and how to evaluate LL.M. programs. At the end of the video, we discuss considerations for getting an LL.M. in another country, drawing on Prof. Christians' experiences with crossing borders for the love of tax.

Contents of this video:
00:00 - Introduction
00:17 - Our Perspectives
01:09 - Part-Time LLM Experience
02:51 - Full-Time LLM Contexts
03:51 - Benefits of LLM Training
05:24 - Why Consider An LLM?
05:59 - Tax LLM Content
07:04 - LLM Right After JD
08:38 - Which Tax LLM Program?
10:45 - Tax LLM Downsides
12:46 - Getting An LLM Abroad

Thanks for watching and feel free to comment below. We'll be interested to hear if there are topics you'd like us to cover!

#LLM #TaxLLM #StudyingTax #ProsAndCons #TaxLaw #TaxMasters #MastersInTaxation #GraduateTax #Tax #Taxation #BreakIntoTax #TaxCareers

[BreakIntoTax]

We welcome comments! Feel free to comment with suggestions for future topics for us to cover. And like this video and subscribe, so you won't miss any BiT videos!

[BreakIntoTax]

We've added chapters to this video to make it easier to navigate! And we're trying out a new thumbnail design! What do you think, yea or nay?

[tithineogi]

Loved this video! I have been looking out for short informative clips on tax laws for quite some time, and I am glad you came up with this. Keep up the good work! Also, as a suggestion, maybe you could consider making videos on emerging topics in taxation, such as tax issues related to fintech.

[squeakyz]

Very informative. Thank you for this video. I am an Estate Planning and Probate Paralegal and I am interested in going to law school and obtaining my LL.M for more advanced knowledge and training on taxation for estate planning and probate.

[ECO]

I have a tax LLM, and I enjoyed the experience greatly. What were your favorite tax classes? I loved Tax Procedure, Problems of Timing, & Estate/Gift Tax.

[kendalljohnson]

super useful and helpful video! love the channel. Thank you!

[christinarice]

I have to disagree with you on two points here (speaking as the Director of a highly-regarded Tax LLM program that is not NYU):
1. US News is NOT a good place to look for rankings of LLM programs. US News tax rankings are looking at full-time JD tax faculty and many of those JD faculty DO NOT actually teach the Tax LLM students in their schools. The US News rankings are great to understand which schools have tax faculty who are most actively publishing in law reviews but not much else. They have nothing to do with LLM programs (as you note, many of the schools ranked do not even offer Tax LLM programs). Students should ignore those rankings and instead ask meaningful questions about employment, courses offered, and other factors that actually matter as an Tax LLM student.
2. Having primarily adjunct faculty or evening courses does NOT mean that there is not a strong student community. Students getting an LLM in Tax greatly benefit from having active practitioners teaching their classes who can share real-world experiences and help students build their professional network through those faculty members and their respective connections. A good Tax LLM administrator will facilitate a strong student community even with a fully adjunct faculty and good adjunct faculty can be just as engaged in that community as a full-time faculty member.

[samueloluyinkaojomu]

I have a B. SC degree in Accounting and want fo purse an LLM in Taxation Law. How easy is it going to be for me. And since I don't have an LLB what limitations would I have to practice and in which areas would i be able to work

[TheCho]

If employers can't tell the difference between LLM and non-LLM attorneys after three years, why do practicing tax attorneys go for their LLM's? Learning new areas of tax?

[petersockler]

Hello! Thank you for the video. I am an attorney in NJ and NY. I got into a part-time international tax law program at the University of Vienna (Austria) that lasts 2 years from 2021-2023. I plan on working during this time (I’m an EU citizen also) and I’ll be 28 when I start. Is this too late? Do you think it’s worth it at my age? All the reasons you said about choosing an LLM abroad are reasons I why I chose it (experience New culture, cheaper than the US where I did my JD etc) and just wanted your input on this, thank you!