A Tax Education with Lasting Impact

In celebration of the Graduate Tax Program’s 75th anniversary, four notable alumni explain how an NYU Law tax LLM provided the cornerstone for careers in a range of fields.

Making change at the IRS: Commissioner Charles Rettig LLM ’82

“I am not a typical pick,” says Charles Rettig LLM ’82, the first Internal Revenue Service commissioner since the 1990s to come to the role from a tax law rather than a business management career. In his more than 36 years at Hochman, Salkin, Rettig, Toscher & Perez in Los Angeles, Rettig was a name partner and represented high-profile clients such as CVP Financial Corporation and the estate of Michael Jackson. Read more about Charles Rettig.

A foundation for an entrepreneurial career: Stephen Ross LLM ’66

Stephen Ross LLM ’66 credits an understanding of tax law, particularly his year in NYU Law’s LLM program, with laying the groundwork for his success as a real estate developer and entrepreneur. Read more about Stephen Ross.

The road to success and the meaning of giving back: Donald Sturm LLM ’60

Native New Yorker Donald Sturm LLM ’60, the son of a waiter who lost his management job during the Great Depression, earned an LLM from NYU Law’s Graduate Tax Program six decades ago and went on to build a highly successful career, residing mainly in Omaha and Denver, in the construction, energy, banking, and real estate sectors. Read more about Donald Sturm.

A real estate career shaped by tax expertise: Leonard Wilf LLM ’77

Leonard Wilf LLM ’77—now president of Garden Homes Development, co-owner and vice chairman of the Minnesota Vikings football team and co-owner of the Nashville SC soccer team—was waitlisted when he applied to NYU Law’s JD program. “I had only wanted to go to NYU Law, but I didn’t achieve my wish the first go-round,” Wilf says. “I did do it the second go-round.” Read more about Leonard Wilf.