Saturday, October 21

9:00AM – 10:30AM

Pro Bono

Chair: Brian P. Trauman, Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw LLP, New York, NY

9:00am             Representing Low-Income Taxpayers Before the Tax Court – Is It Really That Different?  Moderator:  Karen Hawkins, Taggart & Hawkins, Oakland, CA.  Panelists:  Lewis Carluzzo, Judge, US Tax Court, Washington, DC.

9:50am             Low Income Taxpayer Clinics and the Pro Bono Referral Panel.  This Task Force will discuss its efforts, and those of the Taxpayer Advocate Service, to (i) research what LITCs are doing in terms of setting up pro bono referral panels (ii) critically analyze the types of arrangements, (iii) assess the pros and cons of using such referral panels, and (iv) recommend some best practices. Ultimately, the Task Force will help create contacts in all state bar associations so that LITCs that desire referral panels will have a local starting point. Moderator:  Elizabeth Atkinson, Kaufman & Canoles, Norfolk, VA.  Panelist: Professor Diana Leyden, University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford, CT.

10:00am           Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Provision of Legal Services at VITA Sites.

Moderator:  Kevin Anderson, Deloitte Tax LLP, Washington, DC.

10:10am           Exempt Organizations.

10:20am           Roundtable Discussion of Involvement of Young Lawyers, Mentoring Opportunities, Continuing Legal Education of Pro Bono Work, Pro Bono Award, and Other Tax Section Involvement in the Pro Bono Legal Community.