Tax Law Concentration Requirements

The program requirements are:

Foundational Course (Required)

  • Federal Income Tax (4 credits)

Elective Courses (6 credits required)

  • Corporate Tax (3 credits)
  • Critical Tax Theory Seminar (2 credits)
  • Partnership Tax (3 credits)
  • Employee Benefits (3 credits)
  • Estate & Gift Tax (3 credits)
  • Estate Planning (2 credits)
  • Introduction to Accounting for Lawyers (1 credit)
  • International Tax (3 credits)
  • Federal Tax Practice & Procedure (2 credits)
  • Nonprofit Tax-Exempt Organizations (2 credits)
  • State & Local Tax (2 credits)
  • Tax Policy Seminar (3 credits)
  • Law Intersession: Tax Practice & Procedure (1 credit)
  • Pittsburgh Tax Review * (1 credit)

Skills Component (3 credits required)

  • Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (3 credits)
  • International Tax (3 credits)
  • Tax Law Moot Court Competition (1 credit)
  • Externship in the area of tax law (4 credits)
  • Semester in DC externship in the area of tax law (10 credits)
  • Tax Controversy Practice (3 credits)

* Only one credit maximum of work on the Pittsburgh Tax Review can count toward the concentration.

Current Course Offerings

Foundational Course (Required)

Required First-Year Courses

Federal Income Taxation
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Fall Term 2023-2024

Professor

4
Spring Term 2023-2024

Professor

4

Elective Courses (6 credits required)

Electives

Choose courses from this list of electives.

Corporate Taxation
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Spring Term 2023-2024

Professor

3
Estate and Gift Tax
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Fall Term 2023-2024

Professor

3
Estate Planning
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Spring Term 2023-2024

Professor

2
International Tax
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Spring Term 2023-2024

Professor

3
Introduction to Accounting for Lawyers
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Fall Term 2023-2024

Professor

1
Nonprofit Tax Exempt Organizations
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Spring Term 2023-2024

Professor

2
Partnership Tax
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Fall Term 2023-2024

Professor

3
Pittsburgh Tax Review
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Fall Term 2023-2024

Professor

1
Spring Term 2023-2024

Professor

1
State and Local Tax
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Spring Term 2023-2024 2
Law Intersession - Writing: Tax Practice & Procedure
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Spring Term 2023-2024

Professor

1

Skills Component (3 credits required)

Related Courses

Low-Income Tax Clinic
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Fall Term 2023-2024

Professor

Professor

3
Spring Term 2023-2024

Professor

3
International Tax
Term Professor(s) Course Credits
Spring Term 2023-2024

Professor

3

Graduate-Level Courses Outside the Law School

All Pitt Law students may take a maximum of six credits of graduate-level courses outside the School of Law for credit toward their JD degree.  Courses that are especially relevant are those offered by the Master of Science in Accounting program in the Katz Graduate School of Business, especially for those who might be interested in working as a tax lawyer at an accounting firm after graduation. See https://www.katz.business.pitt.edu/academics/master-science/ms-accounting for more information on this program and the courses offered as part of the program. For advice about taking courses outside the law school, you may wish to consult the Tax Law Concentration Program Director.