Visiting Director of Tax Clinic, Professor of Practice (2022)
Company:
Washington and Lee University
Job Location:
Lexington, Virginia
Category:
Law and Legal Studies
Washington and Lee University School of Law seeks to hire a Visiting Director of the Tax Clinic, commencing January 1, 2023. The individual will also hold the title of Professor of Practice.
Clinic Description
The Tax Clinic at Washington & Lee University (W&L) School of Law brings important services to the Shenandoah Valley region. The W&L Tax Clinic has the dual goal of helping student attorneys develop the skills, values, and knowledge necessary to succeed in the practice of law, and providing free legal representation to low-income taxpayers who have post-filing controversies with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Such controversies might include audit representation, appeals, collection issues, innocent spouse relief, and representation before the U.S. Tax Court. The Tax Clinic does not handle transactional tax matters or routine tax return preparation. In addition to this legal representation, the students also engage in educational outreach to taxpayers about their rights and responsibilities as U.S. taxpayers.
The Clinic serves individuals throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia whose income does not exceed 250% of the annual Federal Poverty Guidelines. The clinic is partially funded through a matching grant provided by the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) program, which is administered by the Internal Revenue Service's Taxpayer Advocate Service. However, the Clinic is completely independent of, and not associated with, the IRS or the federal government. The partial funding does not imply that the Tax Clinic has a preferential relationship with the IRS.
Description of the Position
The Visiting Director will work in collaboration with the Director of the W&L Tax Clinic, as the current Director steps into the role of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at W&L Law. The Visiting Director will be hired at the Professor of Practice level for a two-year term, renewable for an additional two years.
The Visiting Director will lead efforts to develop the clinic docket in consultation with the Director, be the clinical supervisor of up to eight law students, and teach a weekly, two-hour clinic seminar. Specifically, the Visiting Director will:
A central aspect of the Law School's mission is to promote a diverse, equitable, and collaborative intellectual community. Our mission statement is at https://law.wlu.edu/about-wandl-law. We continually strive to foster an inclusive campus community that recognizes the value of all persons regardless of identity. To further our mission, we are committed to enhancing the diversity of our faculty and student body. In that regard, we especially welcome candidates from members of communities that are traditionally under-represented in the legal profession and academia.
Salary Range
The expected salary range for this position is $70,000-$90,000, depending on experience, and the salary will be accompanied by the range of employee benefits provided by the University.
Qualifications
The Visiting Director should have:
Application Instructions
Please submit a letter of interest, resume/CV, and a list of three contact references to http://apply.interfolio.com/115188 and apply by Friday, October 28, 2022 to ensure consideration. References will be contacted for the finalist candidate. Applicants will be interviewed on a rolling basis, and may be called for a preliminary virtual interview, possibly followed by an on-campus, call back interview. The position will be open until filled.
If you have any questions please contact Michelle Drumbl, Director of the W&L Tax Clinic, at mdrumbl@wlu.edu or (540) 458-8545.
Clinic Description
The Tax Clinic at Washington & Lee University (W&L) School of Law brings important services to the Shenandoah Valley region. The W&L Tax Clinic has the dual goal of helping student attorneys develop the skills, values, and knowledge necessary to succeed in the practice of law, and providing free legal representation to low-income taxpayers who have post-filing controversies with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Such controversies might include audit representation, appeals, collection issues, innocent spouse relief, and representation before the U.S. Tax Court. The Tax Clinic does not handle transactional tax matters or routine tax return preparation. In addition to this legal representation, the students also engage in educational outreach to taxpayers about their rights and responsibilities as U.S. taxpayers.
The Clinic serves individuals throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia whose income does not exceed 250% of the annual Federal Poverty Guidelines. The clinic is partially funded through a matching grant provided by the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) program, which is administered by the Internal Revenue Service's Taxpayer Advocate Service. However, the Clinic is completely independent of, and not associated with, the IRS or the federal government. The partial funding does not imply that the Tax Clinic has a preferential relationship with the IRS.
Description of the Position
The Visiting Director will work in collaboration with the Director of the W&L Tax Clinic, as the current Director steps into the role of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at W&L Law. The Visiting Director will be hired at the Professor of Practice level for a two-year term, renewable for an additional two years.
The Visiting Director will lead efforts to develop the clinic docket in consultation with the Director, be the clinical supervisor of up to eight law students, and teach a weekly, two-hour clinic seminar. Specifically, the Visiting Director will:
- Directly represent low-income individuals in their controversies with the Internal Revenue Service;
- Teach, train, and supervise law student attorneys in casework and clinic projects serving this client population;
- Teach a weekly clinic seminar on tax procedure and policy concerning low-income taxpayers, lawyering skills, and the ethical rules specific to tax practice;
- Collaborate and partner with local organizations to engage the community and educate taxpayers as to their rights and responsibilities; and
- Assist with grant management and reporting requirements related to the clinic's LITC grant.
A central aspect of the Law School's mission is to promote a diverse, equitable, and collaborative intellectual community. Our mission statement is at https://law.wlu.edu/about-wandl-law. We continually strive to foster an inclusive campus community that recognizes the value of all persons regardless of identity. To further our mission, we are committed to enhancing the diversity of our faculty and student body. In that regard, we especially welcome candidates from members of communities that are traditionally under-represented in the legal profession and academia.
Salary Range
The expected salary range for this position is $70,000-$90,000, depending on experience, and the salary will be accompanied by the range of employee benefits provided by the University.
Qualifications
The Visiting Director should have:
- A J.D. from an ABA-accredited Law School, where the candidate excelled academically;
- Two or more years of experience as a practicing lawyer, preferably with experience in tax;
- Active Membership in a State/DC Bar -- Virginia bar membership preferred but not required.
Application Instructions
Please submit a letter of interest, resume/CV, and a list of three contact references to http://apply.interfolio.com/115188 and apply by Friday, October 28, 2022 to ensure consideration. References will be contacted for the finalist candidate. Applicants will be interviewed on a rolling basis, and may be called for a preliminary virtual interview, possibly followed by an on-campus, call back interview. The position will be open until filled.
If you have any questions please contact Michelle Drumbl, Director of the W&L Tax Clinic, at mdrumbl@wlu.edu or (540) 458-8545.
