Western New England University School of Law is proud to celebrate the outstanding achievement of third-year students Rachel Lang and Kelsey Oleksak, who secured first place in the J.D. division of the prestigious 2024-2025 Law Student Tax Challenge. Hosted by the American Bar Association (ABA) for Law Students, this national competition featured 67 teams, making their victory a remarkable accomplishment.
Under the guidance of Professor Fred Royal, Lang and Oleksak demonstrated exceptional skill in both their written work and oral advocacy, earning top honors in this highly competitive event. Professor Royal has a distinguished history of success at the Tax Challenge, having now coached three teams to first-place finishes and two teams to second-place honors. His students have also won Best Written Memorandum three times, further highlighting the excellence of Western New England University’s tax law program.
The Law Student Tax Challenge (LSTC) is a unique alternative to traditional moot court competitions. Organized by the ABA Section’s Young Lawyers Forum, the LSTC challenges two-person teams to solve a complex business problem simulating real-world tax practice. Teams are initially evaluated based on a memorandum to a senior partner and a client letter explaining their conclusions. From these submissions, six J.D. division teams and four LL.M. division teams are selected to attend the Tax Section’s Midyear Meeting, where they present their findings before a distinguished panel of judges, including top tax practitioners, government officials, and tax court judges.
This competition provides law students with a valuable opportunity to showcase their expertise, engage with leading professionals in the field, and gain real-world experience in tax law. Congratulations to Rachel Lang, Kelsey Oleksak, and Professor Royal on this well-earned recognition.
