The Tax Lawyer

The Tax Lawyer

The Tax Lawyer is the only student-edited law journal published jointly with the American Bar Association (ABA). Our publication is not only the nation’s premier tax journal; it is also one of the most respected and popular law journals in the country. Each issue reaches over 20,000 readers—the largest circulation of any student-edited law journal.

While The Tax Lawyer is the only business-centered law journal at Georgetown Law, its readership extends far beyond the corporate world. Because taxation pervades all areas of the law, The Tax Lawyer accommodates an extensive range of scholarship. Our members develop writing and editorial skills that are advantageous regardless of one’s desired career, whether it be the practice of law or the pursuit of a cross-disciplinary specialty. Neither knowledge of nor a desire to practice tax law is a prerequisite for membership. Most of our Editorial Board and staff members had no experience with tax law prior to joining The Tax Lawyer. Nonetheless, many journal members have appreciated their exposure to tax law and current tax issues as a building block for understanding a wide cross section of legal practice areas.

In short, The Tax Lawyer offers a broad range of unique opportunities for students, including:   

Access and Prestige. Membership on The Tax Lawyer stands out to potential employers, who recognize the significance of our exclusive affiliation with the ABA and the quality of our publication. The Tax Lawyer is popular not only among tax lawyers, but is also read by corporate transactional lawyers, labor lawyers, judges, and many others. Indeed, interviewers often have first-hand experience with our journal, and many are longtime subscribers. 

Student Publication. The Tax Lawyer prides itself on a strong commitment to the publication of student work, and publication space allows for up to half of the student notes submitted each year to be published. Students are paired with an LL.M. student mentor and a faculty advisor to assist in the writing process and provide tax expertise. We have consistently published four issues each year since our first student editorial board took office over thirty years ago, and our members continue to provide a fresh perspective on a number of cutting-edge tax and tax-related issues.

Networking and Social Opportunities. While most of our present members chose to join The Tax Lawyer because of its national reputation, this advantage constitutes only a part of the journal experience. The Tax Lawyer is also a resource for social interaction, networking, and career advice. We hold fully-funded social events throughout the school year–including an annual Tax Prom and ABA-sponsored networking events–and pride ourselves on having a friendly, open working environment. In addition, individual practitioners, law firms, and judges often send notices of employment to our office because of our strong reputation and closely-knit network of former members.

Leadership. The Tax Lawyer offers outstanding leadership opportunities. Our editors develop invaluable interpersonal and managerial skills which serve them well after graduation. We also offer several different types of advanced editorial opportunities and experiences.

Membership. Our membership selection process is very competitive. If you are considering The Tax Lawyer, our journal must be ranked as one of your top two choices. In considering Write On candidates, equal weight is given to the Write On score and grades.

If you have any questions, please contact me at swc29@law.georgetown.edu or stop by our office. We hope to see you next year.

Best regards,

Sarah W. Colangelo

Editor-in-Chief

The Tax Lawyer

Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy

Dear Rising Second Year Students,

The Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy (GJLPP) is one of six law journals in the country dedicated to championing and critiquing conservative, libertarian, and natural law perspectives on law and policy. Because our journal focuses not on a particular topic but on a way of thinking, journal members are exposed to a nearly endless array of subject matter. For example, our recent issues contain articles and notes on topics as varied as Social Darwinism, tax reform and government bonds, cyber strikes against American companies, redistricting, the Affordable Care Act, the Two Kingdoms Theory of natural law, clemency, parole and good-time credits in prisons, due process and drug testing and tobacco control regulations. Furthermore, thanks to our unique ideological focus and location in Washington, D.C., we are able to publish work from top legal scholars and high-profile authors such as Ted Olson, Kenneth Starr, Richard Posner, Ed Meese, Michael Chertoff, Douglas Ginsburg, and Senators Bill Frist and John McCain.

GJLPP is a relatively young journal, and as we celebrate our eleventh anniversary this year we take pride that our influence continues to grow. Our journal was cited by Justice Scalia in District of Columbia v. Heller, by Justice Thomas in Northwest Austin Utility District v. Holder, by the lead attorney for the appellant in McDonald v. Chicago, and by the Seventh Circuit in Ezell v. City of Chicago. State supreme courts, federal district courts, and numerous law reviews have also cited our journal.

If you have a particular interest in conservative, libertarian, or natural law scholarship, we hope that you will preference GJLPP at the top of your list. Even if you do not consider yourself a proponent of conservative, libertarian, or natural law theory, we still encourage you to consider our journal, as we gladly welcome students whose ideas span the political and ideological spectrum. We are dedicated to publishing top-rate material from notable authors and outstanding students. GJLPP makes an extra effort to publish as many student notes as possible, and our editors will provide guidance and feedback during topic selection and note drafting to increase the chance of publication. The journal will also provide social and educational opportunities to ensure a rewarding journal experience.

In evaluating write-on candidates, we consider academic achievement and write-on scores in equal proportion (50/50). We do not require a résumé or personal statement. Because of the strong interest in our journal in recent years, you must preference GJLPP within your top three choices to be considered for selection. Please do not hesitate to contact me at wae6@law.georgetown.edu if you have any questions. I look forward to welcoming many of you to GJLPP as staff members for Volume 12.

Best Regards,

Whitney Ehlin

Editor in Chief, Volume 12

Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy\

Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics

Dear 1L,

First of all, congratulations on almost finishing your first year at Georgetown! Now breathe. With that out of the way, the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics (GJLE) hopes you will consider joining the editorial staff of our upcoming Volume 27.

GJLE is the nation’s leading journal on legal ethics and the future of the legal profession—and one of the three most-cited student-run specialty journals in the country. GJLE is also the second-ranked Journal at Georgetown and in the top 100 Journals nationally. During a moment of rapid change in the profession, the ethical issues confronting lawyers and scholars have never been more complex and relevant; topics of debate range from jurors contacting defendants on MySpace to political interference with law schools’ clinical programs.

As a member of GJLE, you will be a published author by the end of your 2L/3E year, which makes us unique among Georgetown’s journals. You have the opportunity to choose your own topic, write an original note, workshop it with the help of our editors, and have offprints of your published work in hand as you apply to jobs and clerkships at the end of your 2L summer. Like most things worth doing, it is challenging but enormously gratifying to write a printable note. Our editorial board is committed to making the authorship and publication process as collaborative, smooth, and intellectually rewarding as possible.

GJLE’s success draws heavily on our commitment to the values of public service and social justice. When the late Father Robert Drinan founded the journal in 1987—after his career as a congressman and human rights advocate—he wrote: “[No] journal has been established as the central form for the discussion and development of the ethical and professional dilemmas confronting the lawyers of America … . The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics hopes to be that forum.” We work hard to honor the vision of higher ethical conduct and community service that Father Drinan fostered during his years at the law center. We retain his conviction that lawyers work in service of justice, and justice works in service of society.

Historically, we’ve been unable to offer membership to students who rank GJLE lower than third during the Write On competition. Our selection criteria are intended to attract individuals who have strong academic and writing abilities, and who are motivated to contribute to the journal’s continuing success. As such, we request you provide a resume and optional personal statement.

We very much want to know why you are interested in the GJLE. Thus, personal statements should address either any relevant past experience with Ethics and community service or why you are interested in learning about the field now. Past experience is certainly not a requirement. Statements should be one page, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font.

If you have any questions about GJLE, please feel free to contact me at ji68@law.georgetown.edu. Good luck with exams, and I hope you will join us!

Sincerely,

Jake Itzkowitz

Editor in Chief, Volume XXVII

The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics

Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy

Dear Journal Candidate,

The Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy is the nation’s premier law journal on poverty issues. As part of its mission to bring an end to poverty in the United States and around the world, the Journal publishes articles by distinguished law professors, scholars and practitioners in poverty-related fields, as well as student research. The Journal’s comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and comparative analysis of poverty issues and law represents a groundbreaking approach to scholarly publication.

In light of the current economic climate, the Journal’s mission is becoming increasingly important as our society must work collectively to address widening disparities in wealth and class. We believe it is important to pursue distinctive and influential scholarship that revisits once-latent debates about the impact of the legal system on people living in poverty, as well as fresh, new approaches to understanding and reforming the laws and policies that relate to poverty.

Furthermore, while the Journal is committed to soliciting and publishing scholarship that livens the debate on poverty, our obligations do not end with the completion of our editorial responsibilities. The Journal is also actively involved in meaningful community outreach. Consistent with that mission, the Journal works with legal and social service organizations to provide assistance to those in need through community service projects.

Our staff includes members pursuing positions in a variety of legal fields, including the government, non-profits, and law firms. Despite our differing backgrounds, we are all bound together by our shared commitment to fighting poverty. The Journal seeks to support the academic and professional growth of our members, both through our mentoring program, which connects new members to experienced staff, and through our writing program, which guides all members through the process of writing a student note on a scholarly topic related to poverty.

I hope you will consider joining the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy next year. Our selection process emphasizes the Write On competition score and grades, as well as your resume and personal statement. The personal statement should not exceed one page double-spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman font and 1” margins. Substantively, your statement should briefly address your interest and/or experience in poverty law and policy. Good luck during the Write On competition, and please do not hesitate to contact me with questions!

 Sincerely,

Ayana Detweiler

Editor-in-Chief, Volume 21

amd276@law.georgetown.edu 

Georgetown Journal of Law and Poverty Policy

Dear Journal Candidate,

The Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy is the nation’s premier law journal on poverty issues. As part of its mission to bring an end to poverty in the United States and around the world, the Journal publishes articles by distinguished law professors, scholars and practitioners in poverty-related fields, as well as student research. The Journal’s comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and comparative analysis of poverty issues and law represents a groundbreaking approach to scholarly publication.

In light of the current economic climate, the Journal’s mission is becoming increasingly important as our society must work collectively to address widening disparities in wealth and class. We believe it is important to pursue distinctive and influential scholarship that revisits once-latent debates about the impact of the legal system on people living in poverty, as well as fresh, new approaches to understanding and reforming the laws and policies that relate to poverty.

Furthermore, while the Journal is committed to soliciting and publishing scholarship that livens the debate on poverty, our obligations do not end with the completion of our editorial responsibilities. The Journal is also actively involved in meaningful community outreach. Consistent with that mission, the Journal works with legal and social service organizations to provide assistance to those in need through community service projects.

Our staff includes members pursuing positions in a variety of legal fields, including the government, non-profits, and law firms. Despite our differing backgrounds, we are all bound together by our shared commitment to fighting poverty. The Journal seeks to support the academic and professional growth of our members, both through our mentoring program, which connects new members to experienced staff, and through our writing program, which guides all members through the process of writing a student note on a scholarly topic related to poverty.

I hope you will consider joining the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy next year. Our selection process emphasizes the Write On competition score and grades, as well as your resume and personal statement. The personal statement should not exceed one page double-spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman font and 1” margins. Substantively, your statement should briefly address your interest and/or experience in poverty law and policy. Good luck during the Write On competition, and please do not hesitate to contact me with questions!

 Sincerely,

Ayana Detweiler

Editor-in-Chief, Volume 21

amd276@law.georgetown.edu