University of Houston Law Center student Daizia McGhee
July 27, 2018 — Daizia McGhee, a third-year law student at the University of Houston, recently completed a summer internship with the U.S. Tax Court, but it will not be the end of her time in Washington D.C.
The U.S. Tax Court is a national forum that resolves disputes between taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service. The Department of Justice Tax Division handles civil and criminal cases. McGhee researched cases and helped the chamber with caseloads.
"I was able to meet a lot of really influential people," McGhee said. "Everyone has a different story, whether it's a politician or a judge on the tax court. Just meeting so many different people who have worked hard to get where they are is really inspiring as I'm looking for different opportunities myself."
In August, McGhee will begin her internship with the Department of Justice's Tax Division where she will work closely with attorneys, write memoranda and research legal issues for pending cases.
"I hope to learn more about the government side of tax law because that's where I want to go into," McGhee said. "I'm working on the court side now so I'm hoping to gain more insight and exposure to that as well as learn from other tax law attorneys who have spent years developing their practice."
With an undergraduate degree in accounting, McGhee became interested in tax law because she believed it was the perfect way to mix law and accounting. Professor Bret Wells, the George Butler Research Professor of Law and an expert in tax law, has mentored McGhee and helped her discover various internship opportunities.
"Professor Wells pointed me in the right direction and told me about where I should consider applying," McGhee said. "I emailed one of the personnel employees at the Department of Justice who told me how to apply. I applied and just got really lucky."
After graduation in May 2019, McGhee hopes to get an LL.M. in tax and will also apply to the honors program at the Department of Justice.
"I just want to get my groundwork set for tax law and just go from there to see what new and exciting opportunities open up," she said.
