Christina Doherty (Scharar) is a tax consultant in the Tax Controversy Services department at Deloitte. Her firm assists and advises taxpayers undergoing federal tax controversy matters, including Internal Revenue Service examinations. In addition, she assists clients with a number of general IRS practice and procedure issues, interest analysis, penalty abatements, and collection issues.

“Working in the Tax Controversies department at a large accounting firm gives me exposure to a variety of different tax issues, topics, and industries,” Christina said. “I get to assist individuals, pass-through entities, and corporations in a broad spectrum of industries with their tax controversy issues. I love the variety and the challenge of regularly encountering new issues.”

Christina said her experience working in the Alvin L. Storrs Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic at MSU Law was invaluable to her current position because it provided an opportunity for her to assist low-income taxpayers under the supervision of two professors. “The Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic provided an amazing foundation for the work I do today at Deloitte on a larger scale,” she said. “Learning to juggle a number of clients while providing them all with valuable services was an important skill. At Deloitte, I've put the client and project management skills I learned at the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic into practice.”

In addition to the utility of clinics, Christina said another strength of the Law College is the school’s ability to provide the feel of a small, private university and the resources of a large, public university. “The Law College has small class sizes, access to professors, and opportunities to play a meaningful role in student organizations, like the Michigan State Law Review and the Business Law Society,” she said. “Meanwhile, MSU provides the experiences only available at a large university, such as attending MSU football games and other sporting events, the school's national name recognition, and a beautiful, expansive campus to explore. The Law College provides a perfect small community within the larger network of the university.”

Her best advice to prospective students is to pick a school that provides the whole package. “Law school is an incredible journey. As much as you read about it or prepare for it, you will never really understand it until you experience it,” she said. That being said, I couldn't have picked a better school at which to go through that experience. I value the friendships I made, the adventures I had getting to know the area and the Midwest, and the life lessons I learned from my classmates as much as the legal knowledge and technical skills I gained. Pick a school that will make your three years in law school a great experience.”