Marc Levey

Marc Levey '72 serves as chair of Baker & McKenzie's Global Transfer Pricing Steering Committee and is an expert in the field of international taxation. "UC gave me a great legal education and a solid background for success."

Corporate/Tax Law

Many lawyers describe themselves as “business lawyers.” Indeed, according to one estimate, sixty percent of lawyers identify business law as a significant part of their practice, and the range of their experiences is varied. College of Law graduates serve as chief legal officers, department heads and senior attorneys at major corporations around the country.  They represent multi-national corporations in sophisticated financings, and advise family-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. Whether graduates serve as outside counsel to clients or join a business as in-house counsel, they use the knowledge gained and skills honed here to provide high-quality legal representation.

Curriculum Overview

Business Law

The business law curriculum offers students a solid foundation in the issues confronting business lawyers.  Students interested in business law should plan carefully to take full advantage of the offerings in this area and are encouraged to meet with Professor Barbara Black, Director of the Corporate Law Center, in their first year. Core business law courses help students build a foundation for advanced-level courses and prepare them for summer employment.  We also recommend that students choose, depending upon their particular interests, from a variety of other elective courses.

Course Sampling

Core Courses
Other Elective Courses

These course offerings may vary over time.

Tax Law

The major tax course is Federal Income Tax. The other two major areas of tax are Gift and Estate Tax (Estate Planning) and Business Tax. Periodically a class is taught in Tax Policy.

Some students choose to take more than one additional business tax course. Such students typically see themselves either as tax specialists or as business lawyers with a solid tax background. For these students, we recommend the following sequence of tax courses: Federal Income Tax, Business Tax and another advanced tax course.

Other students choose to take more than one additional individual tax course. Such students typically see themselves either as tax specialists or as general practitioners who provide a variety of legal services to individuals (wills, trusts, estate planning, etc.). For these students, we recommend the following sequence of tax courses: Wills, Trusts and Future Interests; Federal Income Tax; Estate and Gift Tax; and Estate Planning.

Course Sampling

These course offerings may vary over time.

Practical Experiences

Corporate Law Center

Established in the 1980s, the Corporate Law Center encourages the development of law students’ and the legal and business communities’ understanding of the issues involving corporate law. The Center addresses issues of central concern to corporate attorneys, such as the fiduciary duties of managers, the relationship between managers and shareholders, and the relationship of the corporation to society.

Central to its activities is the annual Corporate Law Symposium, which provides an opportunity for scholars, practitioners and law students from across the country to exchange ideas, debate issues, and discuss ongoing research and scholarship on current topics in the field.  This symposium, jointly sponsored with the University of Cincinnati Law Review, has a national reputation for assembling leading scholars to present their research on legal issues of practical and academic interest. 

The Corporate Law Center also co-sponsors an annual ethics conference with the Association of Corporate Counsels, Southwest Ohio Chapter.

Corporate Law Fellows

The Corporate Law Center selects three to five students annually as Corporate Law Fellows. Their activities include research on current corporate law topics and participation in activities to enhance their understanding of corporate law practice. Each fellow receives tuition assistance in exchange for their work with the Center and is required to undertake a special partially-prescribed curriculum heavily weighted in corporate law. Fellows are among the most attractive students in our placement pool for firms, businesses, and government agencies looking for attorneys with this specialized background.

Small Business Clinic
Plans are underway for a new small business clinic, whose opening is anticipated for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Externships
The College of Law has partnered with many companies to provide educational opportunities for students.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) is a program conducted by University of Cincinnati law students who volunteer their time to assist low- and middle-income and elderly persons in the preparation of their tax returns. The program is recognized by, and works closely with, the Internal Revenue Service and the University of Cincinnati International Student Center. Established at the University of Cincinnati in 1978, VITA provides practical experience in the preparation of tax returns.

Alumni/Careers

Our graduates interested in corporate and tax law have found employment with organizations such as:

Faculty

Lin Bai
Assistant Professor of Law

Barbara Black
Director, Corporate Law Center and Charles Hartsock Professor of Law
Blog

Paul L. Caron
Associate Dean of Faculty and Charles Hartsock Professor of Law
Blog

Stephanie McMahon
Assistant Professor of Law