Dear Write On Participant,

First and foremost I want to congratulate you on the completion of your first year of law school. I also want to commend you for the discipline and motivation that it takes to turn right around and participate in the Write On. I believe you will find your efforts rewarded with a valuable journal experience. I hope that you will consider becoming a member of The Tax Lawyer and I would like to provide a little information about what The Tax Lawyer has to offer you as a potential member. As you read, keep in mind that knowledge of tax is NOT a prerequisite for membership on the Journal.

The Tax Lawyer is the only business-centered law journal at Georgetown Law and the only student-edited law journal published jointly with the American Bar Association (ABA). Our publication is not only the nation’s premier tax journal but also one of the most respected law journals in the country. Each issue reaches over 20,000 readers—the largest circulation of any student-edited law journal—and our subscribers actually read our material.

We believe The Tax Lawyer offers Georgetown Law students several unique opportunities.

Prestige . Membership on The Tax Lawyer is impressive to potential employers, who recognize the significance of our exclusive affiliation with the ABA and the quality of our publication. The Tax Lawyer is popular among not only tax lawyers, but also corporate transactional lawyers, labor lawyers, judges, and many others. Indeed, interviewers often have first-hand experience with our journal, and many are longtime subscribers.

Student Publication . The Tax Lawyer prides itself on a strong commitment to publication of student work. Publication space allows for up to half of the student notes submitted each year to be published. We have consistently published four issues each year since our first student editorial board took office over thirty years ago. We have recently published student notes on tax aspects of the commerce clause of the Constitution, litigation costs, employee benefit plans, the intellectual property law aspects of tax law, and giveaways at sporting events. Students can request to be paired with a tax practitioner as a mentor during the note writing process.

Social Opportunities and Networking . While most of our present members chose to join The Tax Lawyer because of its national reputation and business focus, these advantages constitute only a part of The Tax Lawyer experience. The journal is also a resource for social interaction and career advice. Fully-funded social events occur throughout the school year—including an annual Tax Prom—and we pride ourselves on having a friendly, open working environment. In addition, individual practitioners, law firms, and judges often send notices of employment to our office because of our strong reputation and closely-knit network of former members.

Leadership . The Tax Lawyer offers outstanding leadership opportunities. Our editors develop invaluable skills that serve them well after graduation, and we offer conscientious staff members excellent prospects for being selected as editors.

Neither knowledge of nor desire to practice tax law is a prerequisite for membership. In fact, many of our editorial board and staff members had no exposure to tax law prior to joining The Tax Lawyer, and most do not intend to practice tax law upon graduation. Tax law, however, touches on every area of the law, allowing an extensive range of scholarship under its broad heading. Exposure to tax issues is both interesting and educational, and the writing and editorial skills our members acquire are portable to all legal specialties.

Our membership selection process is very competitive and weighs grades and write-on scores in equal proportion. If you are considering The Tax Lawyer, please rank our journal as one of your top two choices. We have historically offered membership to very few students with lower rankings.

If you have ANY questions feel free to contact me at taxlawyer@law.georgetown.edu. In the meantime, I hope that you are able to set aside some time this summer for a well-deserved break. Good luck on the Write On and I look forward to meeting you in the fall.

Regards,

Elizabeth Rose

Editor-In-Chief