Information for Students

Tax Clinic student attorneys will meet weekly for seminars, as a group and on an individual basis with the faculty supervisor to discuss cases and strategy. The seminars encompass discussions of substantive, procedural and ethical issues related to tax representation as well as some group review of Tax Clinic cases. All students must attend an all-day skills training program on the first Saturday of the semester. Students are also required to attend weekly intake clinics to interview prospective clients on Wednesday evenings at the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center located at 1030 The Alameda. If there are no intake appointments scheduled, there may be speaker presentations or students will work on their cases.

In the process of securing the best possible result for their clients, the Tax Clinic’s student attorneys will interview clients, gather and analyze relevant information, perform legal research, provide advice, negotiate with IRS agents, and possibly appear before the United States Tax Court or other forums. They will also provide education and outreach to area social services agencies and their clients. Students are supervised by Tax Clinic Director Caroline Tso Chen, a former attorney for more than a decade with the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in San Jose, California.

The smaller size of the Clinic—only six students and one supervising attorney—allows class seminars to be intimate and engaging. Seminar participation is a must. Student attorneys will be given sufficient independence to meaningfully develop their legal skills, and are expected to prepare rigorously to provide excellent, professional legal services with the necessary information, support, and supervision to do so. Upon completing their time with the Clinic, students will have gained vital experience in the field of tax law and developed professional skills applicable to all areas of law.

Students interested in registering for the Tax Clinic must have completed Federal Income Tax 270.

Students interested in obtaining more information about the opportunity to work in the Tax Clinic should contact the Tax Clinic Director Caroline Chen.