Loyola's graduate tax program takes a personalized approach to helping students find jobs that meet their career goals. Most students find their jobs by taking advantage of Loyola's extensive connections in the tax community. Prospective employers of all types often contact Loyola's tax professors to ask for recommendations of strong candidates. Professor Kowal, the program's full-time Director, spends considerable effort trying to match students with the right career opportunities, depending on their interests. She meets with each graduating student to target potential employers who meet the student's individual career goals in terms of the type of work, type of employer, salary, and location, and then works with other tax faculty and Loyola's connections in the tax community to recommend students for positions.
Career counselors in the Career Development Office also assist students with their job searches by offering résumé advice and mock interview sessions. Graduate tax students also can participate in Loyola's On Campus Interviewing program. Additionally, students network with prospective employers and tax attorneys at the California State Bar Tax Section Annual Meeting each fall, at the USC Tax Institute each spring, and at frequent LACBA Young Tax Lawyers events throughout the year.
Recent program graduates are employed by small and large law firms, small and large accounting firms, the Internal Revenue Service, and businesses. Most of our graduates obtain full-time, tax-related jobs within 6-9 months after graduation.
"The Loyola LLM Program has given me a much greater understanding of the complexities of tax law. The combination of the outstanding professors and progressive curriculum provided me with an outstanding foundation to launch my career. I know my education from Loyola will be invaluable throughout my professional life.
-Megan Earhart, LLM 2013, Associate at Calleton, Merritt, DeFrancisco & Bannon LLP
"I attended Loyola Law School as a visiting student from another law school to obtain an LL.M. in taxation. It turned out to be one of the best career decisions I could have made. The tax professors at Loyola are well connected in the tax law industry and search diligently to find employment for their students upon graduation. Professor Kowal put me in contact with many potential employers and made the job hunting process significantly less stressful."
-Kevin Day, LLM 2013, Tax Staff Member, Ernst & Young
"As a Tax LLM student, I received specialized care and attention from Professor Kowal and several other professors within the LLM program. After I had identified the specific areas where I would be interested in practicing upon graduation, I was quickly connected to several internship opportunities. After going through several rounds of interviews, I was offered a summer internship. That internship eventually led to a full-time offer before the start of my 3L, which greatly reduced the stress of job searches as I completed my final year of law school and prepared for the bar exam."
-Jenny Wang, JD/LLM 2013, International Tax Senior Associate at Grant Thornton