Students from the UM School of Law’s Tax Clinic are available to help local residents complete their income tax forms twice weekly at the Oxford-Lafayette Public Library. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Communications
OXFORD, Miss. – Students enrolled in the tax practicum at the University of Mississippi School of Law are getting real-world experience by assisting Oxford residents with their taxes this season.
Fourteen students in the law school’s Tax Clinic manage and staff an IRS-funded Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program twice a week at the Oxford-Lafayette Public Library. Each student is IRS-certified, and Donna Davis, associate professor of law, oversees the clinic.
Sessions run 3:30-6:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday, except March 14 and 16, which fall during spring break.
“Personally, my favorite part of the clinic is how Professor Davis encourages the project to be student-led,” said John George Archer, a site coordinator and third-year law student. “It is very much a team effort each clinic day to complete tax returns and resolve the gamut of issues that we can encounter any given day. It’s pretty fast-paced and engaging.
“At the end of the day, it feels good to help people understand their taxes and maximize any refunds they may have.”
The clinic is geared to assist low-income clients. Participants need to bring a photo ID, Social Security card and any tax documents they have. The students take it from there.
“I really appreciate how the clinic has given us the opportunity to interact with the taxpayers who rely on us to do our jobs well,” said Peter Liddell, a site coordinator and third-year student. “The nature of our work requires us to handle sensitive information and ask personal questions.
“It has been an excellent opportunity to learn how to engage people in a professional manner, which will be an invaluable skill for our careers as attorneys.”
The clinic continues through April 6. The students also plan to conduct a special Friday clinic March 31 at the law school.