Bar Number: 30701
Jennifer A. Gellner is the attorney/owner of Gellner Law handling estate planning, probates, trusts, and tax controversy. She was the director of the Federal Tax Clinic and faculty member at Gonzaga University School of Law for 10 years (2008–2018). She was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 2000 and has been an executive committee member of the WSBA Taxation Section for 25 years.
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What is the most interesting case you have handled in your career so far and why?
There have been several very interesting cases, but working with law students over four years and winning against the IRS in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals was extraordinary—and we were awarded and obtained attorney fees!
If you could change one thing about the legal system, what would you change?
The cost of law school.
How is being a lawyer different from the way you thought it would be?
I had no idea what to expect, but the most surprising thing to me is the broad range of people’s reactions when I say I am a lawyer.
How did you become interested in your practice area?
I did not know what practice area I was interested in and was using the process of elimination when tax law picked me. My friends and I wanted to take a class together in our second year and the only one we could all attend was a corporate and partnership tax course, which turned out to be much harder than we anticipated. Both my professor and I were surprised that I was the student who earned the A+ that semester.
How do you define success as a lawyer?
I feel successful with every “win” for my clients and when they are so appreciative of my help.
At the end of your career, how would you like to be remembered professionally?
As an ethical and caring lawyer who helped many clients attain their goals.
LIGHTNING ROUND
If you had to give a 10-minute presentation on one topic other than the law, what would it be and why? Jewelry—before going to law school, I became a registered jeweler with the American Gem Society and passed all diamond examinations with the Gemological Institute of America.
If you could go back in time, where/when would you go? Maybe 1950s America.
What did you eat for breakfast this morning? One of my pre-made veggie egg bites.
What’s your favorite breakfast cereal that you’re slightly embarrassed to buy? Chocolate Chex.
What is one thing your colleagues may not know about you? I play the cello.
What is your favorite smell? Lavender.
What is your favorite podcast? Brooke & Jeffrey, Second Date Update.
What book have you read more than once? The Outlander series.
What is the last thing you watched on television? Flip or Flop on HGTV. What is the best fictional representation (TV, movie, book) of a lawyer? I like watching Kathy Bates as Matlock.
What is your best random fact that you would share with others at a party? My biggest pet peeve is when people refer to their tax refund as their return—it’s astonishing how many people talk about their return and mean their refund.
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