“If you want to be in demand in the 21st century economy, then you must possess marketable skills. My experience in the joint J.D./LL.M. program in Employee Benefits allowed me to gain the skills employers want,” said Brian Benko, who will receive a J.D. and an LL.M. degree in Employee Benefits from The John Marshall Law School.

Benko, an award-winning student who interned in summer 2008 with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, has a job waiting for him as an associate with McDermott Will & Emery in Washington, D.C. “My goal is to become an expert in my field,” he said.

John Marshall is the only law school in the United States with a degree program in Employee Benefits.

“The faculty and staff at the Center for Tax Law and Employee Benefits are at the top of their field. I was fortunate to have Professor Kathryn Kennedy, director of the Center, and Barry Kozak, a John Marshall alumnus and associate director of the Employee Benefits program, as mentors throughout my time at John Marshall,” he added.

“From day one, they immediately took a sincere interest in my academic goals and my professional development. As the old adage goes: In order to be the best, you must work with the best. Luckily, I had a chance to learn from two of them.”

During his time at John Marshall, Benko has excelled in the joint J.D./LL.M. program in Employee Benefits. He was selected as the 2008 William F. Sweetnam, Jr. Scholar. The $5,000 scholarship helped pay his travel and living expenses while he worked at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Tax Policy. Benko said his work at the Treasury Department “was a memorable experience. I contributed to policy decisions and drafting related to legislation and regulations that affected millions of employees throughout the country.”

Benko has also gained recognition for his writing ability. He received two awards for his paper on the tax rules applicable to executive deferred compensation plans. His paper won the $5,000 grand prize in John Marshall’s 2008 Paul Faherty Tax Law Writing Competition. The American College of Employee Benefits Counsel named Benko the winner of the 2008 Sidney M. Perlstadt Memorial Award, which had a $1,500 prize.

“Building expertise in an area of law requires much more than reading a book. I am actively involved in writing, speaking and networking activities. The Center for Tax Law and Employee Benefits gave me the opportunity to get involved in all three.”