Tuesday, October 29, 2013


The FBA Section on Taxation would like to announce the…

2014 Donald C. Alexander Writing Competition

 
Requirements are as follows:

·       Full and part-time J.D. and LL.M. students are eligible.

·       Any original paper concerning federal taxation between 20-50 double spaced pages is welcome.

·       Seminar papers and articles submitted (but not yet selected for publication) to law reviews, journals, or other competitions are eligible.

Winning authors receive $2000 (first place) or $1000 (second place) and a trip to the FBA’s Annual Tax Law Conference in Washington, D.C. The winning entries may be published in the Tax Section newsletter the Report or in

The Federal Lawyer.

Deadline is January 6, 2014 

Entries may be submitted by email to Sherwin Valerio at svalerio@fedbar.org or by mail to:

Federal Bar Association Section on Taxation

Attn: Donald C. Alexander Tax Law Writing Competition

1220 N. Fillmore Str. Suite 444

Arlington, VA 22201

 

 

For more information, see www.fedbar.org.

 

 

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Tax Director's Lunch

All of the spots for next week's Director's lunch have been filled.  I will let post the next date as soon as it is scheduled.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Career Workshop Today - October 23, 2013


We have arranged for a special outside Professional Development Coach, Amy Kosterlitz, J.D., P.C.C. to make this presentation to you today at 12:30 p.m. in room 115. 

Amy has over 30 years of experience in the Seattle legal community. She was a senior partner and member of the Executive Committee at the Seattle firm, Gordon Derr.   She will show you how to assess your strengths and skill and articulate your value to employers. She will help you learn how to craft a compelling story and use that in a cover letter.  She has worksheets which will help you figure out your sweet spot and focus in on what you have to offer. Finally, there will be a short section on dealing with networking aversion. 

Monday, October 21, 2013

WSBA Taxation Section Writing Contest


The WSBA Taxation Section will award $1,000 to up to three Washington state law students and/or WSBA Taxation Section members whose newsletter article submission is chosen for publication in the Taxation Section newsletter. 
 
The Taxation Section newsletter seeks to publish current, relevant tax topic articles of approximately 10–15 pages in length in Word format, double-spaced. The Taxation Section members have varied practices and many areas of tax law are relevant, including state and local tax, international tax, transactional tax, estate and gift tax, tax controversy, etc.
 
The first submissions are due Nov. 15; the second submissions are due Jan. 15; and the third submissions are due March 15. Each Nov. 15 submission, except for the winner, will be included for consideration in the following two submission deadlines; and each Jan. 15 submission, except for the winner, will also be considered with the March 15 submissions. Only one article will be chosen with each submission deadline, and each person may only win one prize. All WSBA Taxation Section Tax Council members are excluded from participation in the contest. A Taxation Section Newsletter Committee comprised of volunteer Tax Council members that do not have a conflict with any participant (or participant’s law firm or school) will review the submissions and make a recommendation for the Tax Council’s final vote. Any Tax Council member who knows or has any relationship with any person making a submission will be excluded from committee review and voting. The Committee will choose the best written article with the broadest appeal and with consideration of current relevance.
 
All submissions and questions may be sent via email to the WSBA Taxation Section newsletter editor, Jennifer A. Gellner, atjennifer@gellnertaxlaw.com. Each participant must disclose if the article for submission has been published in any form prior to submission for the contest, which does not disqualify the submission, but will be considered by the Committee.
 
Please note: each person whose article is selected for publication and a $1,000 prize will have to provide a completed Form W-9 before the prize can be awarded.
   

Thursday, October 17, 2013

LL.M. Job Search Strategies Workshop - Part 2: Friday, October 18


Join coaches from the Center for Professional & Leadership Development this Friday at 3:30 p.m. in room 117 to hone your skills in networking, online job searches, interviewing, and writing cover letters.  If you are unable to join us, the session will be recorded and made available on the LL.M. page of the CPLD website.  You must attend both Part 1 and Part 2 (or watch the session) before meeting with a coach one-on-one. 

Director's Lunches

Tax Program Director Scott Schumacher will be hosting a series of lunches, each limited to 10 students, throughout the academic year, the first one of which will be held on Tuesday, October 29 at 12:30 pm in room 441.  Adjunct faculty member Chris Brown, an attorney with Summit Law Group, will also be there.  If you would like to attend, please email me (hla3@uw.edu).  Attendance is on a first come, first served basis. 

Job Search Workshop - October 23 at 12:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, October 23, Amy Kosterlitz, Professional Career Coach, will be conducting a workshop for the LL.M. students on job search strategies.  I hope you will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.  It begins at 12:30 p.m. in room 115.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Estate Planning Seminar Scholarships Awarded

Thank you to everyone who submitted their name for the John Price Scholarship for the Estate Planning Seminar. The three students who were awarded the John Price Scholarship have been notified.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Rural Alaska Tax Assistance Program


The Rural Alaska Tax Assistance Program is a tax preparation and counseling volunteer program that culminates in a nine day service trip to remote Alaskan villages in late February to provide tax advice, counseling, and preparation services to local residents and fisherman. Up to two credits are available to students. The Program is a collaborative effort between the UW School of Law and the Alaska Business Development Center (ABDC). The Graduate Program in Taxation will provide required in-class instruction on the tax preparation certification, called “VITA certification.” The law school funds the volunteers’ flight from Seattle to Anchorage and ABDC provides for travel to rural villages, as well as further training and all the equipment necessary to provide tax preparation assistance.  ABDC is an Alaskan non-profit devoted to helping meet the business needs of people in rural Alaska.

To participate you must commit to 4-6 hours per week in December, January, and February, as well as the 10-day trip from February 14-23
(because of the President's Day holiday and leaving late on Friday, you will only miss four days of class.) Also you must be willing to fly in small bush planes, sleep on the floor, and prepare your own food in remote Alaska in frigid February conditions.  It is a great opportunity but not for the faint of heart.


Applications can be downloaded here: http://goo.gl/LpfQgK (note: UW Law students do not need to submit a letter of recommendation).

Questions can be directed to Wes Kovarik at weskovarik@gmail.com.

Please submit applications to Wes by Monday, October 14.

 



 

 

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

LL.M. Career Presentation

The recording of last Friday's LL.M. career presentation is now online, along with the slides from the presentation.  The link is on hte LL.M. page of the CPLD website.  It will expire in 90days, so please listen and watch it sooner rather than later.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

PwC Core Tax Intern Summer 2014 - San Jose Office

Unlike the previous PwC Intern Position requirements, the San Jose office will consider applicants from those who have a business background; they do not require an accounting degree. Please note that the application deadline for the San Jose position is October 11, 2013.


Are you interested in the opportunity to work for an industry-leading firm that services clients that include the Fortune 500, and will give you the experience and exposure you need to build your career and personal brand? If you are, then PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (www.pwc.com/us) is the firm for you. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC US) helps clients meet the challenges and opportunities of the US marketplace in the areas of assurance, tax, and advisory. We offer the advantage of being part of a global network of firms combined with detailed knowledge of local, state and US national issues. More than 169,000 people in over 158 countries across the PwC network are committed to deliver quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. People across the PwC network share knowledge, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and deliver practical advice.

At PwC US, you will be part of a learning culture, where teamwork and collaboration are encouraged, excellence is rewarded, and diversity is respected and valued. We offer a flexible career progression model that allows for a variety of challenging opportunities throughout your career. We provide unparalleled coaching, mentoring, and career development programs; global opportunities; and state of the art technology-driven methodologies to help you provide quality service to our clients.

The PwC network is a global market leader in tax services. We assist businesses, individuals, and organizations with tax strategy, planning, and compliance, while also delivering a wide range of business advisory services. With over 23,000 tax professionals, this means that the PwC network can support our clients both locally and globally. We have experience working with an expansive and diverse client-base, which comprises all types of businesses--multinationals, local companies, privately-owned organizations, entrepreneurs, family businesses, trusts, partnerships, and private individuals.
Job Description
As a Tax professional, no two days are the same. The challenges you will face will change continually, and the solutions you devise will be critical to the success of the business. In order to succeed, you need to be creative and analytical; dynamic and collaborative; a strategic thinker and possess a consistent passion to learn. This is Tax at PricewaterhouseCoopers. And we invite you to become a part of it.
Job Duties

Play a role as an intern in PwC's core tax practice, as they provide services to clients.

Participate in select phases of tax compliance engagements.

Participate in select projects; demonstrate creative thinking and individual initiative.

Contribute to collaborative teamwork, through working effectively as a team member: understanding personal and team roles; contributing to a positive working environment by building solid relationships with team members; proactively seeking guidance, clarification and feedback.

Flexibility in prioritizing and completing tasks; and communicating potential conflicts to a supervisor.

Job Requirements

A desire to pursue a career in Tax.

Ability to interact with various levels of client and firm management through both written and verbal communications.

Demonstrated self-motivation and has a desire to take responsibility for personal growth and career development.


Commitment to become credentialed with appropriate primary credentials, which include CPA, JD, or Enrolled Agent certification/license (may vary by practice).
Application Instructions
To be considered for this position, you must:

-      Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher

-      Have a graduation date between December 2014 and August 2015

-      Business related undergraduate degrees are preferred.  Plan to be CPA eligibility upon graduation encouraged, but not required.

To apply, please complete the following steps:

1)       Submit your cover letter, resume, and unofficial transcripts to Heather Alhadeff at hla3@u.washington.edu, AND

2)      Click on the following job-specific link to submit your cover letter, resume, and unofficial transcripts to PwC's online system: https://sjobs.brassring.com/en/asp/tg/cim_jobdetail.asp?partnerid=25163&siteid=5277&AReq=47785BR&Codes=

NOTE: The deadline to apply for this San Jose only position is Friday, October 11th.   

For all questions, please feel free to reach out to Courtney Packard at courtney.c.packard@us.pwc.com.

PwC Associate Position - San Jose Only

Unlike the previous PwC Associate Position requirements, the San Jose office will consider applicants from those who have a business background; they do not require an accounting degree.  Please note that the application deadline for the San Jose position is October 11, 2013.

The job posting is as follows:

Are you interested in the opportunity to work for an industry-leading firm that services clients that include the Fortune 500, and will give you the experience and exposure you need to build your career and personal brand? If you are, then PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (www.pwc.com/us) is the firm for you. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC US) helps clients meet the challenges and opportunities of the US marketplace in the areas of assurance, tax, and advisory. We offer the advantage of being part of a global network of firms combined with detailed knowledge of local, state and US national issues. More than 169,000 people in over 158 countries across the PwC network are committed to deliver quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. People across the PwC network share knowledge, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and deliver practical advice.

At PwC US, you will be part of a learning culture, where teamwork and collaboration are encouraged, excellence is rewarded, and diversity is respected and valued. We offer a flexible career progression model that allows for a variety of challenging opportunities throughout your career. We provide unparalleled coaching, mentoring, and career development programs; global opportunities; and state of the art technology-driven methodologies to help you provide quality service to our clients.

The PwC network is a global market leader in tax services. We assist businesses, individuals, and organizations with tax strategy, planning, and compliance, while also delivering a wide range of business advisory services. With over 23,000 tax professionals, this means that the PwC network can support our clients both locally and globally. We have experience working with an expansive and diverse client-base, which comprises all types of businesses--multinationals, local companies, privately-owned organizations, entrepreneurs, family businesses, trusts, partnerships, and private individuals.
Job Description
As a Tax professional, no two days are the same. The challenges you will face will change continually, and the solutions you devise will be critical to the success of the business. In order to succeed, you need to be creative and analytical; dynamic and collaborative; a strategic thinker and possess a consistent passion to learn. This is Tax at PricewaterhouseCoopers. And we invite you to become a part of it.

Job Duties

Play an integral role in providing tax services to our clients as a professional in PwC's core tax practice.

Participate in all phases of tax compliance engagements, including planning, execution and completion.
Research tax laws, rules and regulations and analyze their application to specific situations.

Participate in a wide range of projects; consistently demonstrate creative thinking and individual initiative.

Consistently demonstrate the ability to work effectively in a team environment: understanding personal and team roles; contributing to a positive working environment by building solid relationships with team members; and proactively seeking guidance, clarification and feedback.

Identify and address client needs: build solid relationships with clients; develop an awareness of Firm services; approach clients in an organized and knowledgeable manner; deliver clear requests for information; and demonstrate flexibility in prioritizing and completing tasks.

Job Requirements

A solid understanding of the technical aspects of tax compliance services, including planning, strategy and execution.

General knowledge of federal and state tax laws.

Demonstrated ability to research and analyze tax laws, rules and regulations and to analyze pertinent client, industry, and technical matters.

Experience demonstrating strong problem solving skills and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks.

Ability to interact with various levels of client and firm management through both written and verbal communications.

Demonstrated self-motivation and has a desire to take responsibility for personal growth and career development.

Completed Bachelor degree in business related major.

Commitment to become credentialed with appropriate primary credentials, which include CPA, JD, or Enrolled Agent certification/license (may vary by practice).
Application Instructions
To be considered for this position, you must:

-      Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher

-      Have a graduation date between December 2013 and August 2014

-      Business related undergraduate degrees are preferred.  CPA eligibility upon graduation encouraged, but not required.

To apply, please complete the following steps:

1)       Submit your cover letter, resume, and unofficial transcripts to Heather Alhadeff at hla3@u.washington.edu, AND

2)      Click on the following job-specific link to submit your cover letter, resume, and unofficial transcripts to PwC's online system:


NOTE: The deadline to apply for this San Jose only position is Friday, October 11th.   

For all questions, please feel free to reach out to Courtney Packard at courtney.c.packard@us.pwc.com.