Faculty/Staff Directory

First Name
Lara

Last Name
Kessler

Email
[email protected]

Picture

Title
Associate Dean

Office
SCB 3004

Phone
(616) 331-7260

Department
Seidman Dean's Office

Expertise
• Business Law • Individual Taxation

Biography
Lara received a B.A. in French from Northern Arizona University, a M.S.A. from Grand Valley State University, and a J.D. from Vanderbilt School of Law. She is a licensed attorney and a C.P.A. in the State of Tennessee. She currently teaches individual income tax at the undergraduate level and business law at the graduate level. She was a Captain in the United States Air Force and served four years as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate and also worked as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, Western District of Texas. Lara joined the faculty at Grand Valley State University in 2007.

Education
M.S.A., Grand Valley State University (2007). J.D., Vanderbilt University School of Law (1995). B.A., French, Northern Arizona University (1992).

Teaching Areas
Financial Accounting Tax Business Law Corporate Governance

Publications
Brignall, J., Kessler, L. (2024). Bad Debt or Bad Luck: The Facts and Circumstances Analysis of Business vs Non-Business Bad Debts”. Atlantic Law Journal, The, 27, 80-120. https://www.atlanticlawjournal.org/volume-27.html Kessler, L., Gondhalekar, V., Hoffmann, J. (2023). Right to Work Laws: A Brief Review. Journal of Law, Business & Ethics, 29(Winter 2023), 1-22. Danko, D. J., Kessler, L. (2021). Ethics of Shifting Taxable Income: Substance vs. Form. IMA Educational Case Journal, 14(3), 6. Kessler, L., VandenBerg, N. (2021). Cryptocurrency and the IRS: A Case Applying Property Tax Rules. Southern Law Journal, 30(Fall 2021), 204-235. Yuhas, M., Radom, C., Kessler, L. (2020). Corporate Buy-Sell Agreements- Taking Stock of the Issues: Income and estate tax, attribution, life insurance, C and S corporations. Estate Planning, 47(4), 23-41. Kessler, L., Goldberg, S. R. (2020). To Bribe or Not to Bribe: An Ethics Case on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Journal of Law, Business & Ethics, 26, 105-119. Kessler, L., Goldberg, S. R. (2019). Workplace Diversity: Benefits, Challenges, and Strategies. CPA Journal Kessler, L., Danko, D. (2019). On-Site Health Care Clinics: Management’s decisions and Their Impact on Company Profitability. Cost Management. Kessler, L., Goldberg, S. R., Bettinghaus, B. (2019). A Reporting Dilemma: Hiring Freeze Headcount. IMA Educational Case Journal, 12(2).

Service
Graduate Accounting Committee, Chair, 2020-Present Graduate Council Executive Committee, Vice Chair, 2024-Present Faculty Senate President, 2018-2021 Financial Executives International, Treasurer, 2020-2023 Invited Manuscript Reviewer, Journal of Business Law & Ethics Pedagogy, appointed. (August 2019 - Present). Invited Manuscript Reviewer, Journal of Legal Studies Education, appointed, International. (August 9, 2010 - Present).

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