Advice needed - investment banker with LLB + Top 3 Tax LLM (?) = Tax Associate recruitment (UK/NY) Forum

[purpleapple]

Hi everyone, i’d appreciate any advice on my situation.

I graduated with an LLB from a respected UK university (UCL/Durham/LSE) with strong grades. After graduating, I chose to go into investment banking and have now been working at my current boutique for nearly two years.

I’ve been accepted into the part-time, remote Tax LLM programs at NYU and Georgetown. My goal is to pivot into law, specifically tax, which I found particularly interesting during my LLB (tax-focused modules) and have built on through my job, of which I've gotten considerable exposure to the legal side via various deal processes.

I’m able to continue working while studying (I have the capacity), which naturally makes the part-time LLM route appealing. I have not yet taken the NY Bar, but I am currently 2 months into a 10-month part-time Barbri prep course and plan to sit for it.

Geographically, I’m open to working in NY, the UK, or other relevant jurisdictions (ie. HK/UAE etc). I have TN visa eligibility for the US, although I understand this is limited to full-time legal employment (not summer associate), and I have full work authorization in the UK.

My main question is around feasibility of breaking into a tax associate role given this background.

I am not particularly keen on pursuing the traditional UK route of the SQE followed by a two-year training contract, largely due to the significant compensation drop relative to my current trajectory. Instead, my ideal path would be to complete one of the aforementioned top Tax LLMs over 2–3 years while continuing to work, pass the NY Bar, and then recruit directly into a tax associate role at a Biglaw firm.

I’m naturally unsure how realistic this path is. Any colour on the following:

-Is it feasible to transition directly into a tax associate role in the US or UK (or elsewhere) with a top Tax LLM + NY Bar, but without having to do a) a traditional training contract or b) a US JD?

-How do firms view candidates with an IB background transitioning into tax law in this way?

-Is there meaningful demand for this profile? Or am I an idiot for thinking I could be an attractive profile to a Biglaw office, specifically for tax?

Thanks.

[CanadianWolf]

I cannot answer your questions, but I can suggest that you enroll in NYU's Tax LLM program as it is considered to be the best tax law program in the USA.

If you do well in NYU's Tax LLM program and pass the New York state bar exam, then you may have a decent chance of securing employment as a tax attorney in the USA. The difficulty will be your lack of tax law experience in some capacity. Do you have an accounting degree ?

Broadly speaking, US law firms with an office in London, England mostly hire for Capital Markets attorneys.

Is there any aspect of your current profession as an investment banker that would be relevant to the practice of a tax attorney ?

Stretching out the part-time remote tax LLM program to more than 2 years may be unattractive to future employers as you are not currently dealing with tax matters on a daily basis as would a Big 4 accountant working part-time for a tax LLM degree.

What do you think makes you an attractive candidate for a position as a tax attorney ?