Students who complete the Tax Law Certificate are ready to meet the growing demand for attorneys with tax expertise. Courses cover the basic principles of taxation and finer points of tax law and practice, allowing students to develop the skills needed to build successful careers.
The Tax Law Certificate is available to concurrently enrolled KU Law J.D. students
The Tax Law Certificate is a response to the growing demand for attorneys with expertise in the tax field. Completion of the certificate requirements allows students to develop the practical and technical skills needed to build successful careers.
Certification also assures employers that the student not only has a mastery of basic principles of individual and entity taxation but has been exposed to some of the finer points of tax law and practice.
Students who intend to pursue a certificate program should complete the Declaration Form. The form deadline for your intention to pursue a certificate is November 1st of your 3L year, though you may certainly do so at an earlier point. If you fail to meet the requirements of the certificate by the time you graduate, you will not earn the certificate.
In addition to all other J.D. degree requirements, students must complete the requirements below to earn the Tax Law Certificate.
Required Courses:
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| Federal Income Taxation | |
| Taxation of Business Enterprises | |
Elective Courses (four of the following):
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| Business Planning Seminar | |
| Estate Planning: Practice | |
| Estate Planning: Principles | |
| Intro to Employee Benefits | |
| Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations | |
A minimum of 20 hours of participation in:
An Internal Revenue Service-sponsored Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program or a similar nonprofit tax assistance program.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Acquire Knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law.
- Develop legal analysis and reasoning, legal research, problem-solving, professional skills, and written and oral communication in the legal context.
- Exercise proper professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and the legal system.
