On August 27, 2018, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Mr. Travis A. Greaves to serve as a judge on the United States Tax Court (Tax Court). This marks the fifth new person that President Trump has nominated to the Tax Court since becoming president, joining Elizabeth Copeland, Patrick Urda, Courtney Dunbar Jones and Emin Toro. President Trump also nominated for reappointment current Tax Court Judge Mark Holmes. To date, two of the five nominees—Ms. Copeland and Mr. Urda—have been approved by the Senate Finance Committee and confirmed by the Senate. No action, however, has been taken on the other nominees.
Mr. Greaves currently serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Appellate and Review in the US Department of Justice Tax Division where he oversees all civil tax appellate litigation, including appeals from the US Tax Court. He has held that role since May 2017. From January 2017 to May 2017, Mr. Greaves was a partner at Greaves & Wu, LLP, and from September 2013 to January 2017, he was a lawyer at Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered, where his practice focused on civil and criminal tax controversy matters. From May 2011 to January 2013, he was an associate at Reed Smith LLP. Additionally, from September 2009 to May 2011, Mr. Greaves was an attorney advisor at the US Tax Court for Judge Diane Kroupa. From September 2010 to January 2015, he served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Greaves received his BA from the University of Tennessee, his JD, cum laude, from South Texas College of Law, and an LLM in Taxation, with distinction, from Georgetown University Law Center.
