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News Release

Last modified: Monday, April 20, 2009

Critical Tax Conference unites tax scholars for productive two-day event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2009

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- More than 25 tax scholars from law schools around the world convened earlier this month at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law for the 2009 Critical Tax Conference.

Joshua Odintz, tax counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, delivered the conference's keynote address. His speech, "Infinite Jest: Tax Stimulus Bills," drew a large audience of faculty and students.

The conference, which took place April 3-4, brought together some of the top tax law experts to discuss issues and trends in the field. It was partially sponsored by a gift from Tax Analysts, a nonprofit publisher.

"This annual event is a gathering of tax law scholars who are interested in exploring tax issues from perspectives that go beyond conventional public economics analysis," said Leandra Lederman, the William W. Oliver Professor of Tax Law at the IU Maurer School of Law. Previous conferences have been held at such schools as Florida State University and UCLA.

"In accordance with conference tradition, each professor either presented a work in progress or an early-stage 'incubator' idea that would benefit from other participants' suggestions," she said. "This year's papers covered a wide range of tax law topics, including issues relating to taxation of the family, international taxation, and federal income tax policy." The paper sessions were open to the law school community, while, in accordance with conference tradition, the discussions of early-stage research in the incubator sessions were conducted in closed sessions.

Representing the IU Maurer School of Law at the conference were: Lederman; Ajay Mehrotra, associate professor of law and adjunct associate professor of history; Bill Popkin, the Walter W. Foskett Professor Emeritus of Law; and Assistant Dean for Research and Special Projects Archana Sridhar.

For a full list of conference participants and the papers they presented, visit the Critical Tax Conference Web site.

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