American Bar Association Section of Taxation announces 2026 Class of Argrett Fellows

September 03, 2026

American Bar Association Section of Taxation announces 2026 Class of Argrett Fellows

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2026 - The American Bar Association Section of Taxation today announced the 2026-2029 Loretta Collins Argrett Fellows.

The Loretta Collins Argrett Fellowship, named in honor of the first African American staff member of the U.S. Congress' Joint Committee on Taxation, seeks to create a more accessible and equitable pipeline into the section and the tax bar. In 1993, Argrett became the first African American woman in Justice Department history to hold a position that required Senate confirmation and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the assistant attorney general of the U.S. Justice Department's Tax Division.

The goal of the fellowship is to identify, engage and infuse individuals into the section, create a more accessible pathway into section leadership and support the expansion and inclusiveness of the tax profession to create a space and sense of belonging for those looking to become involved with the section.

The fellowship recipients include:

• Ish Dalal, Sigma Tax
• Chavioleyette Fenelus, Redmon, Peyton & Braswell, LLP
• Lar'Ranz Guider, Foster Garvey
• Charity Karanja, Butler Snow LLP
• Alina Risser, Baker Tilly US, LLP

The fellowship is a three-year program, and applicants need not be members of the section or ABA to qualify. Fellows are paired with two section member mentors for the duration of their fellowship and will participate in monthly educational webinars.

"We are delighted to welcome our fifth class of Argrett Fellows to the Tax Section," said Section Chair Lisa Zarlenga of Steptoe, LLC. "The Tax Section has played an important role in my own career, providing a community where I have built friendships and professional relationships, learned from extraordinary tax lawyers through our CLE programs, developed connections with government attorneys and had opportunities to grow as a leader. I look forward to getting to know this impressive group of tax professionals and seeing them become an integral part of our community."

Melissa Wiley, of Kostelanetz and Membership, Diversity, & Inclusion vice chair, added, "We are thrilled to welcome our newest class of Argrett Fellows to the Tax Section. In the true spirit of Loretta Collins Argrett, who rose to the top of our field despite the many- challenges she faced in doing so, each of these new fellows has risen to their own challenges and charted their own path to become emerging leaders in tax."

The Loretta Collins Argrett Fellowships are funded through the Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Endowment fund (JDEI). For more information on the fund, including how to contribute and support the fellows, click here.

The ABA Section of Taxation is the largest professional association of tax lawyers, with approximately 11,000 members nationwide. Its goals include helping taxpayers better understand their rights and obligations under the tax laws and working to achieve a simplified tax system that is equitable and efficient.