BU Law’s Graduate Tax Program, established in 1959 as one of the first graduate tax programs in the nation, continues to be one of the best: BU Law currently ranks 9th in the nation in tax studies, according to U.S. News & World Report. For over 50 years, our commitment has been clear — to give students the nation’s most rigorous training in the complexities of tax law and equip them with the professional expertise and skills that advance their careers, whether in the private or public sector, in the U.S. or abroad. Our graduates — over 3,000 strong — consistently tell us that their BU LL.M. degree has been an essential ingredient to their professional success.

A Curriculum Renowned for its Breadth and DepthThe Graduate Tax Program (GTP) is celebrated for offering one of the most expansive curricula available at any law school in America. The program’s five required courses and more than 35 challenging electives ensure that students receive a solid foundation in essential tax subjects and also the opportunity to concentrate in such sub-specialties as Estate Planning, International Tax, General Business Taxation and Financial Services. Students who prefer not to specialize but who want a comprehensive “generalist” grounding in tax, also find the program ideally suited. Electives at other Boston University graduate or professional schools, such as the Graduate School of Management, are available as well. In designing the curriculum, we aim to strike the best balance between theory and practical application. This allows students to master the fundamental underpinnings of tax regimes and also develop a practical understanding how of tax issues are handled in real-world settings. To accommodate working lawyers, classes take place during the late afternoon and evening hours.

Our Commitment to Your Professional Development An advanced degree is a powerful credential in the specialized world of tax law – and the GTP LL.M. is universally recognized by employers as among the nation’s finest. Our graduates work in nearly every setting of the field: in large and small law firms in New England, across the nation and overseas; in tax consulting firms and accounting firms; and in federal and state governments.

During the program, students receive career and job search support from a full-time Assistant Director for Professional Development who works exclusively with LL.M. students. Students receive one-on-one counseling on job search strategies, interviewing skills, résumé and cover letter preparation and other aspects of professional outreach. They also receive bi-weekly e-mails with the latest tax-related job postings on BU Law’s exclusive internal job board. Our annual participation in the Tax Attorney Recruiting Event (TARE) held in Washington, D.C.— a job fair dedicated to recruiting for positions in law firms, government agencies, corporate legal departments, and the “Big 4” accounting firms – connects students to a broad range of employers.

Graduate Tax Program

The GTP’s Director, Professor Daniel

M. Berman, brings over 25 years

of experience to the classroom.

“Sharing my experience and

background and leading students

to become the next generation of

outstanding tax practitioners as the

GTP’s Director has been rewarding

beyond belief for me,” he says.

An international tax expert, Professor

Berman has worked in both the

legislative and executive branches

of the U.S. government, serving

as legislation counsel to the Joint

Committee on Taxation of the U.S.

Congress and as deputy international

tax counsel to the U.S. Department

of the Treasury. In private practice,

he was a partner with Sutherland

Asbill & Brennan LLP and Thelen

LLP, both in Washington, D.C. He

has taught at the International

Tax Academy of the International

Bureau of Fiscal Documentation

in Amsterdam; at Georgetown

University Law Center; and at

Harvard Law School’s International

Tax Program. He currently teaches

“Making Tax Law” in the GTP.

Dan Berman Director, Graduate Tax ProgramProfessor of the Practice of Tax LawA.B., magna cum laude, Harvard CollegeJ.D., cum laude, Harvard Law School

“The faculty is extremely accessible and they strive to help students in any way that they can.”Kristen SorberaLL.M. in Taxation, 2011J.D. Pace Law School, 2010After the GTP: Tax Consultant in the Business Tax Services Group, Deloitte Tax LLP in New York

GTP Faculty: Leading Professionals, Outstanding InstructorsThe program’s faculty primarily consists of approximately 35 leading tax professionals drawn from law firms, accounting firms and tax consulting firms throughout New England and federal and state government revenue departments. We select – and retain – instructors not only for their professional achievements, but also for their outstanding teaching abilities, accessibility and interest in student success, inside and outside the classroom. This is a defining element of the GTP’s culture.

Among the distinguished professionals our students learn from are: the head of the tax department in the Boston office of Greenberg Traurig LLP; the deputy commissioner, and senior policy counsel with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue; the senior vice president and estate planning strategist for Bank of New York Mellon’s Private Wealth Management; the director of Estate and Gift Planning at the Boston Foundation, one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations; and several current and former partners at major Boston law firms and leading accounting firms.

The Supportive and Dynamic World of BU LawAs soon as GTP students arrive on campus, they join multiple communities that make up BU Law. The GTP’s dedicated staff provides individual guidance and support on all matters large and small, and helps connect GTP students outside of class through a range of speaker events, social gatherings, dinners and other special events. GTP students network with lawyers from around the globe through multiple events that bring together all the school’s LL.M. students – nearly 200 from 35 countries. The law school’s full range of extra curricular programming, student organizations and community service initiatives are also open to GTP students, as are the countless events that occur daily throughout the university at large.

Degree RequirementsThe LL.M. in Taxation degree requires the successful completion of 12 courses (24 credits), including five required courses and seven electives, with a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. Full-time students must complete the degree requirements in two consecutive academic semesters; part-time students must complete the degree requirements in no more than eight consecutive semesters.

Candidate QualificationsThe GTP attracts recent graduates of law schools throughout the country and practitioners at many of the nation’s leading law and tax consulting firms. Candidates must hold a J.D. degree from an American Bar Association-accredited law school or an equivalent first degree in law from a comparably recognized law school or law faculty outside the U.S. Admission is competitive and largely depends on outstanding performance in previous law studies, particularly in the field of taxation. International applicants must be highly proficient in English, as demonstrated through TOEFL, IELTS or ILEC exam scores.

Scholarship SupportEach year BU Law’s LL.M. Scholars Program recognizes a small number of LL.M. applicants who have demonstrated outstanding academic and professional achievements. Acknowledgement includes a generous scholarship award and designation as an LL.M. Scholar. All applicants for admission are automatically considered for this merit scholarship; no separate application is required. In addition, domestic GTP applicants are eligible to apply for the Frederic G. Corneel Scholarship, which provides partial scholarship awards, based on merit and financial need.

For More InformationYou can learn more about the Graduate Tax Program, including the application process and tuition and financial information, at BU Law’s web site, www.bu.edu/law. Prospective students may also contact the Graduate Tax Program’s office at:

Boston University School of Law

Graduate Tax Program

765 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 1670

Boston, MA 02215

Telephone: 617.353.3105

Fax: 617.353.2368

E-mail: gradtax@bu.edu

Ameek Ashok Ponda is among the GTP’s acclaimed adjunct faculty. A partner and co-director of the tax department in Sullivan & Worcester LLP’s Boston office, Mr. Ponda has extensive experience in structuring corporate mergers and acquisitions; designing transactions in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), other specialized investment vehicles and financial instruments; and working on cross border financings and acquisitions -- experience he brings to the classroom in such courses as Taxation of Financial Products: Policy and Theory, RICs, REITs and REMICS. A 1992 graduate of Harvard Law School and 1996 graduate of the GTP, Mr. Ponda is a member of the Internal Revenue Service’s Advisory Council.

Ameek Ashok Ponda

Faculty Spotlight

May 2011