What's it like to be a tax attorney?

Question

I'm thinking of going to law school. My undergrad is in accounting and I really enjoy accounting and taxation. I'm working at a larger law firm now, but am unsure of the enviroment due to all the egos. Also, everyone keeps advising against law school. I do not come from a professional family and would be doing this without many personal connections. HELP

Answer 1

I'd probably advise the accountant/CPA route instead. Law is a terrible business, heavily regulated, and snobby. Study after study shows attorneys to be more stressed, unhappy, and dependent on drugs/alcohol than other professions.

PS - One L was written by a neurotic. Law school isn't that hard.

Answer 2

Here's a few tips for you.

One, get Scott Turow's book "One L". He wrote it during his own first year of Law school, and it's a pretty good picture of what the first year is like.

Two, there are many different areas one can practice. Tax is only one of them. You don't even have to decide this before you pass the Bar exam.

Three, life is very different in big law firms from small ones, and both are different from being solo. Most people do not have the personality for more than one of the three types. Most solos don't think much of the big firm type of person, and vice-versa. It's just a whole different personality, even if it is the same basic job.

Four, you don't need connections to go to Law school. You just need to want to be a Lawyer badly enough to put up with it.

Five, if you want to know what it's like to be a tax attorney, go buy one lunch. Most people love to talk about themselves, it will be easier than you think. Just call them, and you can get this done through their secretary if need be, and just tell them the truth. You are considering law school because you're interested in being a tax attorney, and want to know what it is like. Anyone that says "no" isn't enough of a people-person to teach you anything anyway, so just call the next one and move on. That's what I did, and found out I didn't really want to be a tax attorney, but that I wanted to be a real estate attorney. I also got a job clerking for them all through Law School.

Six, who cares what anyone else thinks you should or shouldn't do with your life? I'd bet there isn't a successful person on the planet that wasn't told to give up their silly dreams and stick to their dead-end jobs. At the end of the day, it's better to try to do something and fail than to try to do nothing and succeed.

Answer 3

I'm not a tax attorney, so I can't directly help you, but I have a very good friend and business mentor who is. I'm sorry but I don't feel comfortable giving you contact info through this media, however if youwant to send me an e-mail, we can discuss, and see if we can get you connected. Good Luck.