Kelly Muir ’16 enrolled in his first tax course at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles to learn more about the income tax process for his personal taxes, with no thought of concentrating on tax law for the long term. But each semester, Muir found himself gravitating toward tax courses, and his interest in the tax code grew.
To gain practical experience in the field, Muir externed at San Pasqual Fiduciary Trust Company, an estate planning firm. There he led client meetings, prepared trust documents and gained unique insight into the estate planning field. During his final year at Loyola, he provided much needed tax representation to low-income and immigrant Los Angeles County residents at different stages of federal taxation controversies through the non-profit organization Bet Tzedek Legal Services. This helped Muir develop a greater understanding of both state and federal tax procedure and policy.
Muir credits Professor Jennifer Kowal, Director of Loyola’s Tax Program, for providing him with the tools and training needed to secure a position at “Big Four” firm Deloitte before graduation. Kowal even aided him in preparing him for a marathon interview session by helping him develop the skills needed to clearly communicate his goals and aspirations in a non-traditional legal job as a Tax Consulting and Controversy Advisor.
“Professor Kowal is the best professor I have had in both my undergrad and graduate programs,” says Muir. “She’s so good I’m coming back to Loyola to get my LLM in tax next semester. The faculty investment in students and the practical training Loyola provides has helped me excel.”