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Janet R. Spragens Federal Tax Clinic

In the Janet R. Spragens Federal Tax Clinic, student attorneys represent low income individuals who are being audited by the Internal Revenue Service.  Students are often surprised to learn that low income individuals have tax problems, or that their tax returns are audited to any significant extent. In reality, thousands of low income returns are audited each year.  Our clients, who frequently face barriers such as lack of language proficiency, accounting skills, education, cultural familiarity, and sophistication, often come to us terrified about what they may be about to face.

Tax Clinic Applicant Overview

Our Areas of Focus

The Janet R. Spragens Federal Tax Clinic is a litigation clinic. The clinic does not fill out current tax returns for taxpayers, do bookkeeping, or provide accounting services; rather, it offers legal representation for clients before the IRS in appeals conferences and, if the cases do not settle, in U.S. Tax Court. Among U.S. law schools, our tax clinic is relatively unique, and it gives our students a special opportunity to gain skills while filling a legal services need that few others are meeting.

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