Path to practicing Law

[helfdane]

Hello everyone,
I’m a 33-year-old resident of Texas, and I spent a decade in the military as an enlisted reservist and then as an active officer. I'm currently navigating the transition to the civilian workforce and have a vision to establish a boutique financial firm focused on high-net-worth tax planning and IRS representation.

I expect to be let go from my position as an IRS Revenue Agent tomorrow, which is prompting me to prepare for law school starting in August. I live in Dallas, TX, and I'm looking for local or online programs since I won’t be relocating.

Education Background:

• B.S. in Economics – 2.9 GPA, 2012
  
• M.B.A. in Finance/Accounting – 3.9 GPA, 2017
  
• Accreditations (in progress):
  • CFA – Passed Level 2, with one exam remaining. I have 1 year of work experience. I plan to focus on self-employment for gaining experience in financial advice alongside tax planning. I've passed the first two exams on my first attempt, and there’s no deadline for completion.
    
  • TX CPA – I still need to sit for exams and complete two additional accounting classes, but I have 10 out of 12 months of required experience. I aim to finish everything by August, but first, I need to finalize my law school application.
    

Primary Plan:

• Pursue a J.D. degree, take the TX Bar exam, and follow up with a Tax LLM.
  
• I took my first practice LSAT yesterday without any preparation and scored a 161 (77th percentile). I have 45 days to study and believe I can improve my score.
  

I’m considering two law schools within commuting distance for full-time study:

• SMU Law – Private institution; I need VA approval for V&RE. I have my MBA from there, making it my top choice.
  
• TX A&M Law – Public institution with free tuition for Texas residents; admission may be more challenging without my alumni status.
  

Alternatives:

• Complete the first year of a J.D. program (possibly online) and then transfer to SMU or A&M for the J.D. degree.
  
• Obtain an international law degree, then transfer to SMU or A&M for an LLM and take the bar exam.
  

I discovered this forum while researching and have found many knowledgeable individuals here. It’s convenient for me to invest another four years in education, which should enhance my future earning potential. While I could practice tax preparation or law with just a CPA, obtaining a law degree offers significant benefits, including attorney-client confidentiality and enhanced credibility.

As an IRS agent, I audit individuals and collaborate with taxpayer attorneys and CPAs. I'm confident in representing taxpayers before the IRS, but I recognize the importance of foundational legal knowledge, particularly as taxpayers can appeal IRS decisions to U.S. Tax Court, where a CPA can represent them in legal proceedings.

If anyone has insights on international programs that would be a good fit for me, I would greatly appreciate your input. I believe I have a solid foundation as a candidate, and I’m eager to explore well-established international tax programs that I could pursue online before transferring to A&M for an LLM.
Thank you for your assistance!

[Jonathan Whatley]

You might also want to post on the unofficial sister board degreeinfo.com. There are a few experts in law who spend more time there, including a retired judge with a non-tax background who became interested in tax and did Enrolled Agent and LLM Tax.

Good luck in this transition!

[helfdane]

You might also want to post on the unofficial sister board degreeinfo.com. There are a few experts in law who spend more time there, including a retired judge with a non-tax background who became interested in tax and did Enrolled Agent and LLM Tax.

Good luck in this transition!

Thank you for the reference! I haven't been able to get my e-mail authenticated to cross-post but I did find a forum post answered my question https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?thr...ine.62774/

The bottom line was that if you want to practice law in the U.S., get a J.D. with the biggest downside being the cost. If I wanted to establish international tax shelters, it might make sense to get a degree in the country I would practice in... Now I gotta go look up Luxembourg, Dubai, Netherlands, Bahamas... I've got some new stuff to research.

If I stay US then I can pick an online program or an in-person program and its a fairly short list of national ABA distance learned J.D. degrees. I will focus on putting together the best application I can and then apply to anywhere I want to go and take it from there. 

Thanks for the help