In her final column as Chair of the ABA Tax Section, Kostelanetz partner Megan L. Brackney reflects on the accomplishments and challenges of her term. She also welcomes incoming Tax Section Chair, Lisa Zarlenga, who will take over as Chair in August 2026.
Megan addresses one of the Tax Section's foremost challenges head-on: the federal government's cancellation of over $60 million in grants to the ABA, which directly affects all sections of the ABA. As Megan explains, the Tax Section was close to a balanced budget after setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the ABA’s loss of federal grants places more pressure on Tax Section members to cover operating costs.
Megan urges attorneys and firms to encourage more members to join the Section, participate in meetings and projects, and to sponsor Tax Section programs so that the next generation of tax attorneys will continue to have the support, professional development, and opportunities that only the Tax Section can offer.
Despite the challenges the Tax Section faces, Megan highlights exciting new developments, including launching a new affinity group, Attorneys of Color in Tax, and a new task force focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on tax matters and the legal profession.
Megan praises Tax Section members for raising $75,000 on ABA Giving Day, with a matching donation from the American College of Tax Counsel, which will support the Loretta Collins Argrett Fellowship. This fellowship “seeks to infuse historically underrepresented individuals into the Section and to create a more accessible and equitable pipeline into the Section and the tax bar.”
The Tax Section also celebrated public service and pro bono work at the May Meeting, with the Alaska Business Development Center (ABDC) receiving the Janet Spragens Pro Bono Award for tax services provided to residents of rural Alaska. Kostelanetz partner Melissa Wiley participated in the rural Alaska tax clinic with other Tax Section members, which you can read about here.
At the conclusion of her final message as Chair, Megan emphasizes the importance of the Tax Section's pro bono programs and why they are equally beneficial to both tax attorneys and pro bono clients.
ABA members can read the entire column here.
About Megan
Megan is a tax controversy attorney with a distinguished track record of delivering exceptional results for clients facing complicated and difficult tax issues. Megan is the current Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation. She is also a frequent speaker and contributor to local and national conferences on taxation, ethics in tax practice, IRS penalties, and civil tax controversy.