By: Amy Barefoot Graedon
UNC School of Law is experiencing a renaissance in its tax law offerings, launching an ambitious series of programs and initiatives this spring that signal renewed commitment to tax education and community engagement. The revitalization of Carolina Law’s tax program has grown out of momentum over the past several years, from adding new tax faculty and achieving a No. 18 national tax ranking, to strong enthusiasm from students and alumni.
Building on the tax program’s long-standing tradition of training future tax lawyers and producing impactful scholarship, this year the tax program has expanded to focus on tax literacy in the community, which aligns with Carolina Law’s mission as a public law school. “This tax literacy work, along with our other programs and events, is designed to engage a broad range of students — including those who may not plan to practice tax law — by making tax accessible, relevant, and engaging for everyone,” said Kathleen Thomas, Aubrey L. Brooks Distinguished Professor of Law.
The revitalization kicked off on Jan. 28 with a screening of the documentary “Death & Taxes,” followed by a Q&A session with director Justin Schein. The momentum continued Feb. 4 when the newly formed Tax Law Association, a student organization, hosted its inaugural Careers in Tax panel at lunchtime. The panel brought together three Carolina Law professors and two tax practitioners to discuss professional opportunities in the field. Panelists included Thomas, Leigh Osofsky, and Noah Marks, all professors at Carolina Law, along with Cecilia Barreca ’24 and Charles Mercer.
A centerpiece of the spring programming was the Feb. 18 visit of two distinguished Carolina Law alumni now serving as U.S. Tax Court judges. Judge Emin Toro ’00 and Judge Cathy Fung ’03 spent a full day at Carolina Law meeting with students and faculty. The judges’ visit included a panel discussion about the Tax Court and a Q&A session moderated by Thomas and Joni Walser ’86, an adjunct tax professor. While the event took place during an Income Tax class, it was open to all students and faculty. The day also featured a lunchtime discussion in the boardroom, a visit to a Tax Policy seminar, and an evening reception at the Carolina Inn.
On Feb.19, the International Taxation class welcomed guest speaker David Rosenbloom. He is a renowned international tax expert and former director of the International Tax program at NYU School of Law. He is also a member of Caplin & Drysdale. He formerly served on the U.S. Treasury’s International Tax Counsel and specializes in tax treaties, transfer pricing, and cross-border controversies, with extensive experience advising governments and international organizations.
In addition to bringing in esteemed guest speakers, Carolina Law is breaking new ground in student-led initiatives. On Feb. 26, the newly formed Tax Literacy Pro Bono Board hosted “Taxes 101: Your Parents Don’t Need to Do Your Taxes Anymore.” This pro bono tax literacy event, organized by law students, aimed to teach basic tax literacy skills and share resources for students and community members to prepare their own tax returns.
The spring calendar culminated on April 15 with the return of Tax Day, a celebration featuring trivia, a costume contest, trophies, and lunch in the Rotunda. Any student who had taken a tax class during the 2025-26 academic year (about 100 students) was invited to participate. Tax Law alumni were invited to join in the festivities and judge the costume contest.
Carolina Law also plans to expand its pro bono tax literacy offerings to reach the broader community through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance centers, community centers, and libraries. The initiatives reflect a commitment to making tax education accessible beyond the Carolina Law campus.
Perhaps most significantly, Carolina Law has approved a new Tax Literacy course that will train law students to teach tax literacy in local high schools. The program is expected to launch in the 2026-27 academic year.
Carolina Law will highlight these initiatives and recent faculty publications in a spring newsletter to be distributed in April.
For more information, visit UNC School of Law’s Tax Law program.
