V. Judson Klein Award

• Publication year: 2019
• Author: By Betty Williams

V. Judson Klein Award

By Betty Williams

Receiving the V. Judson Klein award for 2018 was a true honor within a profession that has already given me so much, including valuable relationships and life experiences.

I didn't always want to be a tax attorney, or an attorney in any area of practice. I wasn't raised around lawyers, nor was I pressured by my parents to have career aspirations from an early age. After high school, I obtained my bachelor's degree in Business Administration, but I did not attend law school for several years. After staying home with my children for 3-1/2 years, time I thoroughly cherished, I was ready for a more intellectual challenge. I considered court reporting, but when I called the local school, the line was busy. I next dialed a law school, and fortunately for me, someone at the law school answered!

I began working part-time in the Estate Planning Department at a law firm in Sacramento during my first year of law school and stayed with that firm after I passed the bar. It was then that I first experienced State Bar Taxation Section events and got involved with the standing committees.

My boss at the time, Robin Klomparens, "recommended" that I participate in the Young Tax Lawyers committee, followed by the Estate and Gift Tax committee. She also "encouraged" me to begin speaking at events, first with her, and later with other colleagues. Initially I was not particularly thrilled by the recommendations and encouragement, but Robin is persuasive. She may have thrown me in the deep end on speaking engagements, but she was next to me with a life line if I needed it. It wasn't long before I really appreciated Robin's insistence. I began getting to know other tax attorneys better and developed friendships with colleagues that I still value and maintain today.

Early in my legal career, I met Carley Roberts when we served together on the Sacramento County Bar Taxation Committee. It didn't take long before we learned we had much more in common than tax, including an affinity for black jack and making our own home improvements. We have had more than a few lunches over cards, discussing the nuances of multi-state tax law, followed by an update on the latest project with a tile saw or air nailer!

I even met my husband at a tax event—talk about a great benefit! Actually, we met on E-Harmony when Mike was living in South Dakota, but our first in-person meeting was at a dinner in Virginia at the end of the Tax Court Judicial Conference. I had plans...