Meet Tara Smith: New Entrepreneurship Clinic Director
Baylor Law’s Entrepreneurship Clinic has a new director: Tara Smith, JD ’21. Tara spent three years in the tax group of an AmLaw 200 firm in Dallas before starting her own firm, where she provides tax and corporate counsel, with a particular focus on tax controversy and dispute resolution. Recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for her work in Tax Law, Tara is widely respected for her strategic approach to helping businesses and individuals navigate tax challenges.
A proud Baylor Lawyer, Tara graduated cum laude with a Special Distinction in Business Planning and is an adjunct professor for the Business Law Boot Camp. Now, as Clinic Director, she mentors students as they take on transactional legal work for clients in the Greater Waco community, equipping the next generation of Baylor-trained lawyers with the tools to thrive.
What excites you most about leading the Entrepreneurship Clinic?
The clinic is an incredible resource for our Waco community and a great way to shine a light on Baylor’s transactional law program. I’m excited for the opportunity to bring more visibility to Baylor Law as a go-to school for budding business lawyers.
What drew you to tax and business law in the first place?
I spent over a decade in tech sales before I went to law school; I think I’ve just channeled my socially-competent-nerd energy into a different application. I enjoy getting deep in the weeds of these complex legal areas and providing a digestible translation for my clients, such that they really understand what’s going on and what they need to do.
What do you think students can gain from working in the clinic?
I want the Entrepreneurship Clinic to actively embody Baylor’s goal of creating practice-ready lawyers. Students will come out prepared to complete a variety of the assignments they can expect as a junior corporate lawyer. In parallel, we’ll help students develop soft skills and learn the ancillary tasks necessary for being a successful law firm associate.
