Northern Illinois University Law Students Place Second in the Nation in American Bar Association Tax Challenge

February 22, 2006

DeKalb, Ill. - Northern Illinois University College of Law students Mary Riley and Cathryn Streeter placed second in the nation at the 2005 Law Student Tax Challenge. Sponsored by the Young Lawyers Forum of the American Bar Association's Section of Taxation, the final round of competition was held earlier this month during the Section's Midyear Meeting in San Diego. Coached by NIU Law Professor Dan Schneider, the third-year law students researched a real-life tax-planning problem and submitted their analysis and solution for judging. After being selected as semi-finalists from a pool of 38 entries, Riley, of Ottawa, and Streeter, of DeKalb, traveled to San Diego to present both oral and written arguments in front of a panel of distinguished tax lawyers, which included the chief counsel of the Internal Revenue Service.

Professor Schneider was impressed by the students' initiative and dedication to produce an award-winning entry. "Mary and Cathryn's placement in this competition validates the quality of NIU Law students, who can compete successfully on a national level," Professor Schneider remarked. "I am pleased that they took the initiative to compete and it paid off."

In addition to this being the first competition for Riley and Streeter, this also was the first time NIU Law students have participated in the Law Student Tax Challenge.

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The only public law school in the greater Chicago area, NIU Law has previously been ranked first in the nation for government placement, according to U.S. News and World Report. Nearly one-third of its graduates choose a career in public interest, including more than 50 alumni in the judiciary -- a remarkable accomplishment for a law school with less than 3,000 graduates. In honor of its commitment to public service, NIU Law received the 2001 Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service Award.

 
 
 
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