For the first time since the Tax Section of the State Bar of Texas began awarding annual scholarships to law students, new alumni of South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL Houston) have earned two of the four coveted prizes for 2018.
Adam Bateman ’18, former editor-in-chief of the South Texas Law Review, and Lindsay Thomason ’18 will receive recognition for their accomplishments at the upcoming State Bar Annual Meeting on June 21-22 in Houston.
Both recent graduates will begin Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs in taxation in the fall, Bateman at NYU Law and Thomason at Georgetown Law.
“Adam and Lindsay are the first South Texas College of Law Houston students to receive scholarships from the Tax Section of the State Bar of Texas and I am extremely proud of their hard work and deserved recognition,” said Bruce McGovern, professor of law and director of the tax clinic at STCL Houston. “Both are outstanding students who embody the academic excellence, character, and passion for tax law that this scholarship was created to reward.”
The Tax Section of the State Bar of Texas established this scholarship to assist students with their financial needs, and facilitate and encourage students to become active members in the State Bar Tax Section. Selection criteria for the award include merit, scholastic performance, financial need, and demonstrated experience and interest in the field of tax law. Any student enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school who intends to practice law in Texas is eligible to apply for the scholarship.
According to McGovern, Bateman and Thomason clearly reflect the strength of STCL Houston’s Tax Law program – a specific “Pathway to Practice” at the law school that students can elect to follow to hone their legal expertise in the field. In addition to the required Federal Income Tax course, students at STCL Houston can enroll in more than eight upper-level tax courses.
Bateman and Thomason are two of six recent STCL Houston graduates enrolled in LL.M. programs in tax law this fall. Other alumni seeking this specialization include:
- Sam Hargrove ‘18, Georgetown Law;
- Kourtney Johnson ‘18, admitted to Northwestern Law and Georgetown Law;
- Justin Rayome ‘18, Georgetown Law; and
- Jacqueline Thomason, ’18, Georgetown Law.
STCL Houston bolstered its already robust Tax Law program in fall 2016 with the addition of its Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) – the 18th specialized clinic of the school’s Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics. Law students, working under the supervision of STCL Houston faculty members and staff attorneys, educate Houstonians on tax issues and represent clients in controversies with the IRS. Students enrolled in the LITC have completed a course in federal income taxation and participate in a weekly classroom component in which they become familiar with tax procedure and the possible paths that a tax controversy might take. They also develop skills that allow them to serve Houstonians with annual incomes at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Students at STCL Houston also obtain practical experience in tax through the school’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clinic, in which students prepare and e-file tax returns for low and moderate-income Houstonians.