Outstanding Texas Tax Lawyer
The Texas Tax Section Congratulates the 2026 Outstanding Texas Tax Lawyer Audrey M. Morris
The Texas Tax Section has selected Audrey Morris, Deputy Chief Counsel in the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, as the Outstanding Texas Tax Lawyer for 2026.
Audrey started her career with the IRS as a revenue agent (while attending law school at night) and worked her way up through the ranks of the Internal Revenue Service and the Office of
Chief Counsel to become the Deputy Chief Counsel (Operations), the highest-ranking non-political executive in the Office of Chief Counsel. She manages and oversees the planning and coordination of all litigation activities and programs for Counsel and directs the delivery of all administrative and management support services for the Office of Chief Counsel nationwide.
During her time at Chief Counsel, Ms. Morris has served admirably in numerous roles, as an executive in Finance & Management and in the Small Business/Self-Employed Division, as a manager of field attorneys and other managers, and as a top-notch front-line trial attorney. Her management portfolio also includes supervision of Human Resources, Recruitment, Retention, and
Training and Development, as well as Counsel's Scholars Program.
While she was an executive in the Small Business/Self-Employed Division, her office was responsible for some of the largest dollar and most sophisticated tax cases in the country. Prior to her time as a manager and executive, Ms. Morris tried dozens of cases (and supervised countless more) in the Tax Court, both individually and as the lead or member of trial teams, handling significant matters including the offshore credit card project, civil fraud, abusive schemes, First Amendment issues, foreign income and evidence, innocent spouse, and estate tax.
Additionally, she established the SAUSA (Special Assistant United States Attorney) program for summons enforcement and became the first summons SAUSA, eventually trying more than 50 summons enforcement cases in the United States District Court.
She is especially proud of her pivotal role in essential training across Chief Counsel. She spearheaded revamping the Basic Trial Advocacy and Advanced Trial Advocacy courses at the organizational level. As the “Dean of Training,” she also coordinated the use of Chief Counsel attorneys to teach about one hundred IRS exam and collection courses, some lasting several weeks.
For about a decade, Ms. Morris has organized annual presentations on careers in tax law at each of the ten law schools in Texas on behalf of the Texas Tax Section, reaching hundreds of law students each year. She has been on the planning committee for the State Bar’s Tax Course for many years, serving as the course director several times. She has spoken at countless continuing education presentations throughout Texas since her earliest days as an attorney and is asked back every time. She still takes time to present at events on behalf of the Texas Tax Section, even after her recent move to Washington.
Throughout her career, Ms. Morris’s integrity has always been extremely beneficial to the IRS, taxpayers, and the tax system as a whole. This has never been more important than now, as the IRS, the Office of Chief Counsel, and our tax system face unprecedented challenges. Ms. Morris has unwaveringly done the right thing in cases assigned to her and has directed the attorneys in the organization to do the same.
Among her many honors, she is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel. She has received the IRS Office of Fraud Enforcement Merit Award, the Treasury Leadership Legacy Award, the SB/SE Innovator of the Year, the SB/SE Manager of the Year, the Chief Counsel Instructor of the Year, and was the first recipient of the SB/SE Attorney of the Year.
Ask those who have supervised her, those who have worked for her, and those who have litigated against her and you will hear the same message. She was a stabilizing force as the IRS and Counsel endured a year of unprecedented change in leadership, and responded to challenges with candor and accountability. She champions transparency within Counsel when they deal with the Court, the public, opposing counsel, and their organizational client. Ms. Morris expanded leadership pipelines, fostered technical excellence, and personally trained hundreds of students in her classes. She has always been an ethical leader that exhibits objective, non-partisan legal judgment in high-visibility matters, and has been an advocate of protecting taxpayers’ rights.
Audrey Morris is an extraordinary attorney who has richly contributed to the tax field, the Tax Section, and the Internal Revenue Service. She is most deserving of the title of Outstanding Texas Tax Lawyer!
Past Outstanding Texas Tax Lawyer Honorees
We are pleased to recognize and provide
more information about our previous honorees:
2025 Tom Rhodes
2024 Abbey Garber
2023 Hon. Elizabeth Copeland
2022 William P. Bowers
2021 Mary McNulty
2020 David G. Glickman
2019 William H. Caudill and William P. Streng
2018 Cynthia Morgan Ohlenforst
2017 William D. ("Bill") Elliott
2016 Louise Hytken
2015 Sander Shapiro
2014 Hon. Juan F. Vasquez
2013 Ira B. Shepard (deceased)
2012 Emily Parker
2011 Stanley M. Johanson
2010 Charles O. Galvin (deceased)
2009 Stanley L. Blend
2008 Steve Salch (deceased)
2007 Buford P. Berry (deceased)
2007 Ron Kalteyer (deceased)
2006 Charles Hall
2003 Vester T. Hughes, Jr. (deceased)