Thomas Vanik and Ankur Thakkar, students at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, placed 3rd in the American Bar Association (ABA) Law Student Tax Challenge.

The team of third-year J.D. students, competing in the largest and most prestigious tax competition in the United States, was also recognized for “Best Written Submission” in the January 29-31 competition in Houston.

“Time after time, our tax students have demonstrated that they are among the best in the nation,” said team advisor and Cleveland-Marshall Professor John T. Plecnik. “Tax law is an extraordinary field of study, and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law is an extraordinary place to study tax law. To say that I am proud of Thomas and Ankur is an understatement. They prepared tirelessly, took criticism positively and grew tremendously.”

The annual competition, as described on the ABA website, offers a “great way for law students to showcase their knowledge in a real-world setting and gain valuable exposure to the tax law community.” Two-person teams of students are asked to solve a complex business problem that might arise in everyday tax practice. Teams are initially evaluated on two criteria: a memorandum to a senior partner and a letter to a client explaining the result. Based on the written work, 10 teams are selected to present at the ABA Section of Taxation Midyear Meeting.

Cleveland-Marshall College of Law teams have placed in the semifinals three times in the past five years. For additional information about the college, please visit online or call 216-687-4692.