The Center for Tax Law & Employee Benefits
Externships & Practicums
Degree candidates interested in applying for an externship or practicum must be in good academic standing and should submit the following items to Amy Berkowitz for approval and submission:
- Letter addressed to Professor Kennedy detailing interest in the externship/practicum experience
- Current resume
- Informal Transcript
- Writing Sample
- Signed Student Agreement
- Letter of Recommendation (optional)
Degree candidates must complete 150 work hours for 3 credit hours or 200 work hours of work for 4 credit hours (generally a minimum of 10 hours per week). A minimum of 150 work hours is required, even if the program is being taken for less than 3 credit hours.
Degree candidates will be expected to keep a log of hours worked and assignments/projects during the course of the externship or practicum program. This log must be sent via email every 4 weeks to Amy Berkowitz. The externship or practicum coordinator will sign off on the log and will complete a formal evaluation at the end of the program.
Employee Benefits Externships and Practicums (EB 390)
Prerequisite: Fundamentals I of Retirement Plans (EB 361); Fundamentals II of Retirement Plans (EB 362); and Tax/Employee Benefits Research (TX 333). Candidates must complete 10 credit hours in the LLM program to be eligible; candidates can take up to six credits in any externship or practicum. Center director approval is required.
- ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law
- American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries
- IRS Office of Chief Counsel
- IRS TEGE Clinical Employee Benefits Training Program
- IRS TEGE Employee Plans, Office of Rulings and Agreement
- New England Pension Assistance Project
- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
- Pension Rights Center
- Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Tax Policy, Office of Benefits Tax Counsel
- U.S. Senate Finance Committee
- Employee Benefits Practicum
- Executive Compensation Practicum
Tax Law Externships and Practicums (TX 395)
Prerequisite: Tax/Employee Benefits Research (TX 333) and Advanced Federal Income Tax (TX 340). Candidates must complete 10 credit hours in the LLM program to be eligible; candidates can take up to six credits in any externship or practicum. Center director approval is required. Contact Amy Berkowitz about additional prerequisites specific to each externship.
- Illinois Department of Revenue
- IRS Office of Chief Counsel
- IRS Appeals Office
- U.S. Senate Finance Committee
- Tax Law Practicum
- Executive Compensation Practicum

