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Paul L. Caron
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Pepperdine Caruso
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  • Kevin R Johnson

    AI Response: Law Schools With the Most Graduates at Big Law Firms

    I asked Microsoft Copilot to rank the law schools with the most graduates all time. Here is what it generated, which is kind of responsive:

    “Law Schools Ranked by Most Graduates All Time

    The most reliable public ranking for “most graduates all time” is U.S. News’ 2026 “Law Schools With the Most Graduates at Big Law Firms” list, which measures total alumni placed in full‑time, long‑term roles at firms with over 500 attorneys US NewsUS News.

    Top Schools by Total BigLaw Graduates (2026 U.S. News) US NewsUS News

    1. Cornell University – #1 in total graduates at big law firms
    2. Duke University – #2
    3. Columbia University – #3
    4. Northwestern University (Pritzker) – #4
    5. University of Pennsylvania (Carey) – #5
    6. University of Virginia – #6
    7. University of Southern California (Gould) – #7
    8. Georgetown University – #8
    9. New York University – #9

    These rankings are based on cumulative career outcomes data, not just recent placement rates. U.S. News calculates them from each school’s reported employment statistics, focusing on graduates who secured full‑time, long‑term positions at large firms (over 500 attorneys) US NewsUS News.

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  • Sloan Speck

    SSRN Review & Roundup: Endean Reviews Michaels’s The Bowsher Presidency

    This week, Jon Endean (Brooklyn) reviews a new work by Joel Michaels (Columbia), The Bowsher Presidency, 140 Harv. L. Rev. __ (forthcoming 2027).

    The second Trump administration has revealed an ability of the executive branch to simply ignore directives from Congress regarding spending and appropriations that it finds inconvenient. However, while the Trump administration may be more aggressive in subverting congressional directives, it is not the first administration to do that. Moreover, as Joel Michaels shows in his article, The Bowsher Presidency, the ability of the executive to get away with these actions can be partially attributed to the Supreme Court’s 1986 decision, Bowsher v. Synar.

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  • Jeremy Paul

    Grisham Strikes Again

    When a best-selling author (and this is literal, not hyperbole) titles a book, The Law Student, readers of TaxProf Blog can’t help but be curious. This is a mini-book, just 24 pages of prequel to Grisham’s new thriller, The French Illusion. I’m daring you not to get hooked.

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  • Jeremy Paul

    Tang Prize Goes to Bruce Ackerman

    The Tang Prize Foundation has awarded this year’s Rule of Law prize to Yale Law School’s Sterling Professor of Law Bruce Ackerman for his “intellectual leadership in developing new conceptions of constitution-making …to defend the rule of law amid the crises facing modern republics.”. You can review the many reasons why this award is so well-deserved here. The prize was awarded on Sept. 18, 2026 at the Taipei Peforming Arts Center. Of particular note is that the prize bestows $1.25 million upon the winner, and Professor Ackerman has chosen to devote this money to the non-profit organization CARE with explicit instructions “requiring … exclusive use [of the funds] for assistance to the millions of Palestinians whose lives have been shattered by the Israeli invasion of Gaza and the West Bank.”

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  • Jeremy Paul

    Urging Supreme Court Reform

    University of Professor Law Professor, Kate Shaw, who co-hosts the lively, trenchant podcast, Strict Scrutiny, this week penned an op-ed in the NYTimes offering a critique of the Supreme Court’s recent actions and providing mainstream ideas for Supreme Court reform. Proposals coming from such a thoughtful observer of the Court’s trajectory deserve careful consideration. Take a look.

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  • Deanna Newton

    2026 Sacramento Delegation: State and Local Tax Policy Discussion

    2026 Sacramento Delegation on October 16 @ 10:30 am – 3:30 pm:

    This presentation discusses California tax policy, and to the extent applicable, federal tax policy, including recent developments in tax law, how those relate to tax policy, general and well accepted principles of good tax policy, and how those policies relate to the effective design of effective tax systems, as well as opportunities for our tax policy to evolve and improve.

    Agenda:

    • 10:30 AM – 12 PM | State Tax Policy & Developments In Our Digital World (CLE)
    • 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Paper Presentation (In Person Only)
    • 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Happy Hour

    In-Person: Earn 1.5 Hours of MCLE. Includes 1.5 Hours Legal Specialization in Taxation Law. 

    Virtual: Earn 1.5 Hours of Self Study MCLE credit. Includes 1.5 Hours of Legal Specialization in Taxation Law.

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  • Deanna Newton

    Legal Scholarship Network Publishes New Issue of Tax Law & Policy eJournal

    Volume 26, Number 73 (October 2026) of the eJournal of Tax Law and Policy, published by The Social Science Research Network (SSRN), and edited by Paul L. Caron:

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  • Kevin R Johnson

    Department of Justice Threatens ABA With Antitrust Probe Over Adjunct Professors

    From Above the Law: “The Trump administration’s long war on the American Bar Association has opened a new front, and it’s… adjunct professors. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department has warned the ABA that it could face an antitrust investigation unless it loosens the accreditation rules limiting how much part-time faculty can teach law students.”

  • Deanna Newton

    Pittsburgh Tax Review: Call for Papers

    The Pittsburgh Tax Review is proud to announce a Call for Papers for our second issue in the 24th volume of the Journal. This issue will focus on state tax policy and economic inequality:

    In its second issue of its 24th volume, the Pittsburgh Tax Review will publish a series of contributions examining the recent state-level ballot initiatives, legislative developments, and judicial decisions concerning economic inequality and tax policy. As states pursue divergent approaches to wealth taxation, income taxation, property taxation, and public revenue, and the OECD announces their new Guidance on Reducing Poverty and Inequalities Through Development Co-operation, these developments raise important questions about the role of state tax systems in shaping economic opportunity and distributing the costs and benefits of government.

    Proposals for a contribution of between 3,000 and 5,000 words are welcome from all who practice, interact with, or teach tax or tax law. Potential contributions to this issue may take a variety of forms. We welcome contributions examining the design, implementation, and
    distributional effects of these measures, including their implications for taxpayers, businesses, state and local governments, and broader fiscal policy. For example, among other possibilities, topics may address state-level movements to tax high-income earners, billionaires, or accumulated wealth; the role of voter-driven initiatives in shaping tax policy; or proposals for state-level tax initiatives to address economic inequality.

    Interested individuals should send an abstract outlining the topic, substance, and estimated length (in word count) of their proposed contribution to the Pittsburgh Tax Review by email at taxrev@pitt.edu. Abstracts should be no longer than 250 words and should be submitted by November 13, 2026. Proposals will be reviewed, and invitations will be issued by November 23, 2026. Those invited to participate will be required to submit tentative drafts by January 15, 2027 (to be shared among all the contributors to the special issue), and final drafts ready for editing by the Pittsburgh Tax Review’s staff of student editors by January 29, 2027.

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  • Michael Hunter Schwartz

    Meyerson, Reimagining Legal Education: The Transformative Power of Small-Group Instruction

    Michael I. Meyerson (University of Baltimore School of Law), Reimagining Legal Education: The Transformative Power of Small-Group Instruction, 49 SEATTLE U. L. REV. 869 (2026).

    Here is an excerpt from the Abstract of this terrific article:

    Legal education is failing its students. Those entering their first year of law school have greater anxiety and less developed reading and writing skills than ever before. The traditional large Socratic class, which was never the most effective teaching method, has become increasingly counterproductive.

    This Article contends that small-group instruction provides the opportunity for superior teaching, especially for first-year law students. Recent scholarship in active learning, educational psychology, and students’ mental health demonstrates the limitations of the traditional large Socratic class experience. Building on that theoretical foundation and informed by sustained classroom experience, this Article argues that small-group pedagogy more effectively fosters engagement, deepens doctrinal understanding, and develops professional competencies such as collaboration, communication, and the responsible use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

    The article does a wonderful job pulling together ideas from the active and experiential education literature and explaining how small group learning improves student motivation, inclusivity, and long-term skill acquisition. It also offers best practices for using small groups and addressing barriers to implementation of the idea.

TaxProf Blog delivers timely, insightful coverage of tax law and legal education to inform, connect, and inspire scholars, practitioners, and students.

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