LLM in tax @USD

[prudentperson]

I am considering attending USD's LLM tax program. But I have a few questions.
How is the program at USD? (I know its not up there with NYU, GT or FLA)
Is the degree only useful on the west coast? (I would like to practice on the east coast)

Any other information would be useful. Thanks

[StevePirates]

My Fed Income Tax professor has spoken highly of the USD program.  He's a visiting professor from Michigan, so I would imagine that if someone from Michigan thinks USD is pretty good, then its reputation is worthwhile.

That being said, USD's law school as a whole has lost ground recently.

[phisher]

USD has a lot of good going for it (despite the mysterious and unsupported comment above that it has lost ground recently...  )

If you want to practice out west, USD is one of the best programs (on par with Loyola in LA, and both are ahead of Denver). If you want to go elsewhere, the reputation does not carry as much weight. I don't mean to say it is worthless, it's just not as well-known in the east as it is in the west (much the same way that Miami and Boston carry more weight in the south and east, respectively).

As far as the program itself, it has a lot of resources available for students in the form of clinics, externships, and networking contacts. USD LLM grads wind up with tax court clerkships and biglaw position pretty frequently. In fact, many of the former tax court judges have strong ties to USD. If you are more into the accounting firm thing... USD gets more accounting firm interviews than any other west coast program... and those frequently wind up away from the west coast.

You're right that its not quite to the level of NYU/Gtown/Fla (or at least what Fla was a few years ago), but it's a good program and worth considering... though if you know you want to go east you should look east (BU, Miami, Nova, Nwestern)

[StevePirates]

USD has a lot of good going for it (despite the mysterious and unsupported comment above that it has lost ground recently...  )

Oh, USD's a good school, no doubt.  Just the rankings have slid, and the bar passage rate isn't best in the city.  They have great programs and are still the best at placing grads in larger firms in town.  I didn't mean anything ominous by the statement, just an observation.