California Lawyers Association, Taxation

CLA’s 2025 Estate and Gift Tax Conference March 6-9: Because Putting Your Money Under Your Mattress Is a Bad Idea

February 2025

San Francisco

Maybe you reach in your jacket pocket and find a ten dollar bill. Or, you’ve witnessed your grandmother pulling a wad of cash from her cookie jar. Or, you just watched that movie where the main character stuffed large stacks of hundreds into trash bags, then buried it all in the backyard.

These scenarios may be amusing, and who doesn’t want to find a few extra bucks, they didn’t know they had? However, when it comes to estate and gift tax, the laws change frequently, impact millions of people, and can sometimes be difficult to navigate.

California Lawyers Association’s (CLA) Tax Section will host its annual 2025 Estate and Gift Tax Conference from March 6-9, 2025. Held at UC Law San Francisco, some 150 lawyers are expected to participate. The two day event features 19 panel discussions, a networking dinner, and a unique opportunity to gain specific knowledge ranging from modern portfolio construction to planning for high net-worth clients to achieving maximum tax advantages.

The conference has evolved over many years to focus on issues in the estate and gift tax arena. “It has become a very popular conference,” says Robin Klomparens, Event Chair. “Instead of a thousand people, you participate with a much smaller group but hear from the same speakers you would hear from at a national conference.”

Several speakers head their departments for the Internal Revenue Service, including the directors for both the policy section and audit division. Additionally, a federal tax court judge will speak.

“I think what’s really great about this conference is that our speakers get into the specifics,” explains Amy Spivey, CLA’s Taxation Section Chair. “Sometimes a conference can be too general, providing information you may already know. This event offers an important balance that you can’t find anywhere else.”

In addition to IRS updates, the meeting agenda offers news about international tax. The two-day conference attracts not only Tax attorneys, but lawyers specializing in Trust and Estate, Business, Family Law, Solo and Small firms, and new attorneys. Attendees can earn up to 19 hours of MCLE and enjoy the opportunity to network with colleagues.

“I didn’t know any other tax attorneys until I joined CLA in 2019,” recalls Spivey. “CLA helped my career.” In addition to working as an attorney, Spivey is an Associate Clinical Professor at UC Law San Francisco who mentors young lawyers. “CLA’s Tax Section is one of the few Sections which has its own standing committee for young lawyers, the Young Tax Lawyers Committee. It’s a great way to help new tax lawyers grow their professional development.”

Klomparens points out that many of the speakers are the people who decide cases, review procedural filings, and give their prospectives when it comes to what they are looking for from attorneys and their clients.

“Our speakers are incredibly positive resources,” explains Klomparens. “They have helped CLA members make changes, fix glitches, and frankly, they tell us what they think. This is an important opportunity to network with the decision makers, and ultimately, there is a lot of thoughtful discussion at this event.”

For more information and to attend the Estate and Gift Tax conference, click here.


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