Young children may dream of becoming doctors, firefighters, teachers, or singers. But tax attorneys? That’s unexpected. For Jay Houren ’83, however, tax law was always the dream.
“Oh, I was a tax lawyer wannabe starting in grade school,” Houren said. “I was a bit unusual in that sense. Actually, I wanted to be an actuary at one point, but I decided that was a little too slow-paced. Most people don’t see tax law as exciting and fast-paced, but I saw opportunity.”
“South Texas gave me the opportunity to get a law degree and was a springboard to building relationships in Houston,” he said. “It opened the door to a career at a great law firm that gave me the knowledge and expertise that’s helped me for nearly 40 years.”
Holding firm to his childhood vision of a life in law and a love of numbers, Houren received his undergraduate degree in accounting from The University of Texas at Austin in 1981. All he needed next was opportunity.
Since joining Crady, Jewett & McCulley LLP in 1986 — which became Crady, Jewett, McCulley & Houren LLP in 2017 — clients have relied on Houren’s enthusiasm and expertise to help them reach their goals.
He sees himself as a professional who helps people, and he is particularly passionate about guiding multi-generational families through their next stages in life.
Houren believes all aspiring attorneys should study tax law “because there is no practice of law that tax does not impact.” He encourages law students to look beyond what he considers to be misconceptions about the practice.
“People think tax law is dry and difficult and boring, and that’s just totally incorrect,” he said. “There is nothing that doesn’t have a resolution. There are no problems, there are only opportunities to find positive outcomes. Being able to look at an issue and be thoughtful and imaginative and creative in your way to solve it is by far more important than anything else you’ll ever develop as a lawyer.”
Many of Houren’s beliefs about tax law are mirrored in his personal value system. “If you’re an intentional, thoughtful person with a little bit of creativity and imagination you can do great things in life,” he said.
And Houren has certainly done great things—his love of tax law always anchoring it all. “I don’t believe I’ve ever really worked,” Houren said. “I believe that I spend a lot of hours at the office…and some people view that as work. I view it as coming in every morning and pursuing my passion.”
So what does this tax attorney do for fun? Deadpan, in all sincerity: “I read tax articles.”
