| Message | WASHINGTON, April 21,2009 — The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Department of the Treasury, has awarded the University of San Diego School of Law Tax Clinic a grant of $81,643 for the 2009 calendar year. The tax clinic program at USD School of Law was one of the initial LITC (Low Income Taxpayer Clinics) in the country to receive the very first award in 1999. Since that time, the IRS has awarded more than $800,000 to the USD tax clinic.
LITCs are organizations that represent low income taxpayers in federal tax controversies with the IRS for free or for a nominal charge, provide tax education and outreach for taxpayers who speak English as a second language, or both.
Through the LITC program, the IRS awards matching grants of up to $100,000 a year to qualifying organizations. For the 2009 grant cycle — January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2009 — the IRS awarded grants to 162 organizations. LITCs, their employees and volunteers are independent of the federal government.
Questions about the LITC Program can be addressed to the LITC Program Office at (202) 622-4711 (not a toll-free call) or by e-mail at LITCProgramOffice@irs.gov. IRS Publication 4134, Low Income Taxpayer Clinic List, provides information on the LITCs in each geographic area and the languages each clinic serves in addition to English. It is available on the official IRS Web site, irs.gov, and at local IRS offices.
About the USD School of Law Tax Clinic
Each semester, upper-division law students vie for the six slots in the school's popular tax clinic. Under the direction of Richard Carpenter, adjunct professor and supervising attorney, students learn the law and represent clients in disputes with the IRS. Since 1999, the clinic has helped hundreds of individuals with IRS issues. Workshops where tax clinic students provide ESL (English as a Second Language) taxpayers with information on their rights and responsibilities are held throughout the year. (Editor's note: the USD Tax Clinic does not prepare taxes and does not represent clients with state tax issues.)
About the University of San Diego School of Law
The University of San Diego School of Law is a center of academic excellence focused on preparing its students for legal practice in the new century. One of the most selective law schools in the country, the School of Law's nationally recognized faculty create a demanding, yet welcoming environment that emphasizes individualized education. USD law school graduates consistently score higher than the state average on the California Bar Exam and go on to practice law throughout the country and abroad, forming an influential network of alumni. The USD School of Law is one of only 81 law schools in the country to have a chapter of the Order of the Coif, the most distinguished rank of American law schools. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, nonprofit, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949. Visit the Web site at www.law.sandiego.edu for more information. |
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