University of Baltimore School of Law 2017 Admissions Viewbook

Page 1

2017 ADMISSIONS VIEWBOOK

SCHOOL OF LAW UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE


University of Baltimore School of Law / 3


Educating tomorrow’s lawyers. Greetings from the University of Baltimore School of Law! We’re proud to introduce you to our school, to the rigorous, fast-paced legal education we provide and to our state-ofthe-art law center in which that education takes place. Our extraordinary, light-filled building makes a physical statement about this law school’s vision for the future: We aim to prepare students for the 21stcentury legal marketplace, and we continue to innovate to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving profession. For more than 90 years, the University of Baltimore School of Law has been graduating excellent, practice-ready lawyers. That excellence is recognized nationwide: In the last three years, we jumped 23 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of the nation’s 200-plus law schools. This year, our clinical program was ranked No. 12 in the country, while our part-time program came in at No. 29. In addition, nearly 25 percent of Class of 2016 graduates landed state judicial clerkships, a rate that far exceeds the national figure of 10 percent. Our world-class faculty guides students through the study of legal doctrine and contemporary legal theory. Meanwhile, from an early stage of their careers here, UB law students confront the real-world challenges of legal practice by participating in our clinics and externships across the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., region. The UB School of Law will train you to write, reason and advocate as an attorney. A UB legal education will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to attain your professional goals and to help expand access to justice in our community and around the world. Thank you for your interest in the University of Baltimore School of Law. Please visit us and ask questions to find out if UB is the right law school for you.

Ronald Weich Dean

University of Baltimore School of Law / 5


“ As an immigrant from Ukraine, I

could have been confused by the demands of law school. But at UB, all my questions were answered. Faculty and staff are willing to meet with any student to clarify issues—academic or otherwise—and the law school leads you step by step through the careershaping process. Each class, each event and each internship taught me something new, which will make me a better attorney. UB has given me so much more than I ever expected.” Ilona Shparaga, J.D. ’17 Law clerk for Judge Sherrie R. Bailey, Circuit Court for Baltimore County While at UB: law clerk, Silverman|Thompson|Slutkin|White; intern with Judge Sherrie R. Bailey, Circuit Court for Baltimore County; intern, legal department of the Johns Hopkins Health System and Johns Hopkins Medicine; intern, Medifast; staff associate, University of Baltimore Law Review; treasurer, International Law Society; member, Royal Graham Shannonhouse III Honor Society, Phi Delta Phi and the Women’s Bar Association B.A., UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE

University of Baltimore School of Law / 7


Set your foundation. University of Baltimore School of Law faculty will teach, mentor, inspire and guide you. With distinguished credentials and wide-ranging experience, they are scholars, judges and practitioners dedicated to you and to your legal education. That education will take place in the John and Frances Angelos Law Center, a LEED Platinum-certified model of innovative architecture. You will learn the law in energizing classrooms full of natural light and cutting-edge technology. These dynamic spaces enhance engagement and collaboration among students, faculty and staff, producing leaders in the legal community. YEAR ONE AT UB Your first-year curriculum includes the following courses: • Civil Procedure I • Constitutional Law I • Contracts I and II • Criminal Law • Introduction to Advocacy • Introduction to Lawyering Skills • Law in Context (choice of courses) • Property • Torts. Learn about your first year at law.ubalt.edu/firstyear.

Ground your legal education in year one, then pursue a customized course of study to meet your career goals. In your first year at the UB School of Law, you will build a strong foundation in legal doctrine and theory. In subsequent years, you can focus your studies through one of nine concentrations or six dual-degree programs. Each concentration requires you to participate in at least one related experiential course or activity, through which you’ll apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to a real-world setting. Dual-degree programs enable you to take an interdisciplinary approach to the law while working toward an additional graduate degree. Need more options? Combine courses to build your own individualized curriculum. CONCENTRATIONS Business Law The business law concentration allows you to enroll in courses ranging from taxation and banking to international trade and finance. You’ll apply your classroom learning to one of several experiential courses, such as the Community Development Clinic or the Attorney Externship Program. Criminal Practice A concentration in criminal practice expands upon what you learn in the required survey class in criminal law, allowing you to explore

8 / law.ubalt.edu

constitutional, evidentiary and procedural issues. You have multiple options to gain experience in the practice of criminal law, including the Criminal Practice and Innocence Project clinics and a range of externships. You can also take a seminar—a limited-enrollment course with a maximum of 20 students per section—that allows you to focus on current issues related to criminal law. Estate Planning A concentration in estate planning focuses on methods to dispose of estates by will, life insurance and inter vivos arrangements, taking into account any resulting tax and administrative problems. In this concentration, you will learn estate law and gather and analyze facts to plan and draft wills, trusts and related documents. You can gain practical experience in courses such as the Planning for Families and Seniors Workshop. Family Law The family law concentration focuses on marriage, divorce and custody. You will learn about support obligations in the family, intrafamily litigation, separation agreements, premarital controversies, the legal position of married women, intrafamily tort liability, child custody, adoption, alimony, property disposition and jurisdiction. Apply the concepts you’ve learned in class to your work in the Bronfein Family Law Clinic or in the Mediation Clinic for Families.

Intellectual Property The intellectual property concentration includes courses that focus on trade secrets, patents, copyrights and trademarks. Coursework also addresses the policies underlying the protection of intellectual property and compares the different ways intellectual property can be used to shelter commercial interests in technology and the arts. You can fulfill the experiential requirement with an externship or by participating in a moot court team related to the field. International Law The international law concentration focuses on the nature and sources of international law; procedures for handling disputes; sanctions; the roles of individual, state, regional and world organizations; the law of the sea and space; and an analysis of current challenges. You can choose from a range of experiential options in this concentration, which can involve completing an externship, becoming a student fellow in the Center for International and Comparative Law or participating in the Immigrant Rights Clinic. Litigation and Advocacy The litigation and advocacy concentration focuses on the tools needed for a successful career in the courtroom. In required courses, you will learn about federal and state rules of evidence, the process of litigation, and how to counsel clients and craft written and oral advocacy. Elective courses allow you to examine more in-depth issues, and a range of clinical offerings encourages you to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom. Public Service A concentration in public service allows you to select one of two subspecialties: public interest and individual rights or government service and regulatory institutions. Each subspecialty includes an externship or a clinical requirement, such as the Innocence Project Clinic or the Saul Ewing Civil Advocacy Clinic.

Real Estate Practice The real estate practice concentration offers extensive study of various issues in real estate law. Core courses cover land use and real estate finance. From there, you can choose from such electives as construction law, environmental law and local economic development. Participating in the Community Development Clinic allows you to practice the skills you learn in the classroom and to gain experience in real estate law. Learn more about concentrations at law.ubalt.edu/concentrations. DUAL-DEGREE PROGRAMS J.D./LL.M. in Taxation If you have an interest in taxation, you can pursue both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Laws in Taxation at the UB School of Law. The LL.M. degree can be earned by taking as few as 15 additional credits in the graduate tax program. J.D./MBA Through this joint program, you can earn a Juris Doctor and a Master of Business Administration degree in an integrated sequence of courses over three to four years. The MBA program, offered by UB’s Merrick School of Business, is accredited by AACSB International. Online MBA courses provide flexibility and convenience.

J.D./M.S. in Criminal Justice UB’s Juris Doctor/M.S. in Criminal Justice program combines the J.D. with the study of the criminal justice system. Since criminal justice students come from many backgrounds—including law enforcement, field administration, planning, research and casework—you will gain insight from your classmates as well as from faculty. J.D./M.S. in Negotiations and Conflict Management The Juris Doctor/M.S. in Negotiations and Conflict Management program provides you with a thorough understanding of what conflict is, why it happens and how to manage it. The M.S. program in UB’s College of Public Affairs will teach you how to facilitate understanding, mitigate destructive aspects of conflict, and mediate and implement structured resolutions. J.D./M.P.P. or Ph.D. in Public Policy This dual degree is ideal if you are interested in using your law degree to influence public policy. The graduate program is offered at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration. Learn more about dual-degree programs at law.ubalt.edu/dualdegree.

J.D./M.P.A. The Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration program is ideal if you want to work in federal, state or local government agencies as well as in nonprofit or quasi-governmental organizations. The M.P.A. program in UB’s College of Public Affairs is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration. Online M.P.A. courses provide flexibility and convenience in this dual-degree program.

University of Baltimore School of Law / 9


Examples of field placements at which UB law students have gained real-world experience: • Acton Mobile (in-house corporate counsel) • Alexander & Cleaver • Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office • ConnectYourCare • Conti Fenn & Lawrence • Disability Rights Maryland (formerly the Maryland Disability Law Center) • Elville and Associates • Fedder and Garten • Frost & Associates • Funk & Bolton • Heartly House • Hermina Law Group • House of Ruth Maryland • John H. Denick & Associates • Maryland Office of the Attorney General • Maryland Office of Personnel Services and Benefits, Employee and Labor Relations Division • Maryland Office of the Public Defender • Maryland State Ethics Commission • Maryland state trial and appellate courts • Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service • Medifast (in-house corporate counsel) • Miller & Zois • Motorola Solutions (in-house corporate counsel) • Project HEAL • Rodriguez-Nanney • Scarlett, Croll & Myers • Senior Legal Services • Silverman|Thompson|Slutkin|White • Tahirih Justice Center • U.S. Department of Justice • U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland • U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission • U.S. Social Security Administration • Videology (in-house corporate counsel) • Wase, Wase & Grace • Whiteford, Taylor & Preston • Women’s Law Center of Maryland

10 / law.ubalt.edu

Apply your legal education in the real world. FIRST SUMMER, FIRST HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

GAIN ADDITIONAL LEGAL EXPERIENCE

At UB, opportunities for practical experience are woven throughout your education, beginning with your first summer. UB’s Experience in Legal Organizations (EXPLOR) program places you in a legal setting during the summer after your first year of law school. For more than 20 years, EXPLOR students have worked in government agencies, judges’ chambers, law firms and public interest and nonprofit organizations, where they gain valuable legal experience. Flexible hours allow you to work and attend summer classes if you wish.

UB School of Law students are ambitious. Often, they seek practical experiences beyond forcredit options such as externships or clinics. Some of our day students work part time while carrying a full course load; class schedules allow you to work up to two full days per week. We want you to gain as much legal experience as possible while you’re in law school and to work with organizations that are meaningful to you. In fact, as your legal education progresses, you can combine day and evening classes to create a customized law school experience that matches your specific goals and ambitions.

WORK WITH ACTUAL CLIENTS We’re serious about preparing practice-ready attorneys. During your legal education at UB, you are required to complete 6 experiential learning credits, which allow you to gain experience while earning your law degree. You must earn 3 of those credits from work in a clinic or an externship, helping real clients with real legal issues. More information about UB’s clinical law program is available on pages 18-19. The other 3 credits may also come from work in a clinic or from certain externships, workshops or simulation courses. Externships are supervised by a licensed attorney or judge in the workplace and are combined with a classroom component. The class allows you to discuss your experiences and observations with your classmates. UB offers attorney, judicial and corporate-counsel externship programs. Hands-on learning is central to the UB School of Law’s curriculum. We seek to ensure that each graduate is ready to make the transition from law student to law practitioner.

University of Baltimore School of Law / 11


“ The friendships that I’ve made

121 students participated in the UB School of Law’s EXPLOR program in summer 2017.

have been crucial to my law school experience. My friends and I study, brainstorm about career plans and laugh together. The University of Baltimore School of Law is not a cutthroat environment; students want to succeed, but they want their classmates to succeed, too. My law school friendships have taught me that in addition to working hard, attorneys need to nurture their relationships with each other.”

Eboni Mosley current law student While at UB: intern, University of Maryland, Baltimore–Office of Clinical Trials and Corporate Contracts; intern, Ballard Spahr; teaching assistant, Introduction to Lawyering Skills/Civil Procedure; teaching assistant, Introduction to Advocacy; staff editor, University of Baltimore Law Review; writing fellow, Legal Writing Center; scholar, 1L Leadership Council on Legal Diversity B.A., BOSTON COLLEGE, NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS

University of Baltimore School of Law / 13


“ The University of Baltimore

School of Law balances academic rigor with an emphasis on practical experience, which makes me confident that I will be ready for the workplace. Learning how to think and write as a lawyer has been the most meaningful aspect of law school so far. I have learned to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, an ability that will make me a better attorney, leader and public servant.� Herman Brown current law student While at UB: summer associate, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston; scholar, Fannie Angelos Program for Academic Excellence; member, National Black Law Students Association B.A., MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

14 / law.ubalt.edu


“ The UB law experience is

challenging but incredibly rewarding. During the spring 2017 semester, I had the privilege of working for the chief judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, Mary Ellen Barbera. Each month I wrote a bench memorandum on a case before the court. These assignments gave me the opportunity to apply the skills I learned in my first-year legal writing and advocacy courses. It was exciting to write for the chief judge and to propose outcomes based on research and reasoning to cases pending in our state.”

113 students participated in the UB School of Law’s externship program during the 2016-17 academic year.

Megan Micco current law student While at UB: judicial intern with District Judge Ellen L. Hollander, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland; judicial intern with Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera, Court of Appeals of Maryland; summer associate, Eccleston & Wolf; staff editor and managing editor, University of Baltimore Law Review; writing fellow, Legal Writing Center; vice president, Environmental Law Society; member, Women’s Bar Association B.A., UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

University of Baltimore School of Law / 17


Clinical education: studentattorneys representing clients. Under Maryland Rule 19-217, University of Baltimore School of Law clinic students represent clients with the supervision of our world-class clinical faculty. When you enroll in the clinical program, you’ll learn to be a lawyer in a way you couldn’t through classroom work alone. You will meet with clients, research their cases and plan how best to meet their legal needs.

CLINICS AT THE UB SCHOOL OF LAW As a student in The Bob Parsons Veterans Advocacy Clinic, you will help veterans obtain benefits and assist them with other service-related legal needs. In 2016-17: Student-attorneys represented disabled veterans, filing claims and appeals with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and with the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Student-attorneys also represented veterans before the military service departments in discharge-upgrade cases, conducted intake interviews at the Baltimore City Veterans Treatment Court and advocated on behalf of veterans seeking better access to care and resources. Bronfein Family Law Clinic students learn multidimensional lawyering through litigation, legislative advocacy and community-based projects. You will represent clients seeking civilprotection orders in cases of domestic violence and will be involved in family matters, including divorce, child custody, child adoption, child support and name changes. In 2016-17: Clinic student-attorneys represented lowincome clients in civil domestic violence cases and in complex divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, name change and gender identitydeclaration matters. Student-attorneys also testified before the Maryland General Assembly in support of a juvenile justice bill and worked on issues of reproductive justice for female prisoners. The Community Development Clinic provides a wide variety of transactional legal services to and advocacy for historically underserved communities in Baltimore. You will provide legal representation about matters including business formation, operations and financing, land use and real estate acquisition to community associations, nonprofit organizations and small-business owners. In 2016-2017: Student-attorneys fought to block government-initiated foreclosures by preparing testimony for public hearings before city and state legislators. Student-attorneys also taught a corporate law class for members of churches that are developing affordable housing and creating community gardens.

18 / law.ubalt.edu

The Criminal Practice Clinic places you in a state’s attorney’s or public defender’s office. Under the supervision of an assistant state’s attorney or an assistant public defender, you will prosecute or defend people charged with crimes. In 2016-17: Student-attorneys interviewed witnesses, investigated charges, negotiated pleas and argued motions in court for cases that involved drug possession, drunken driving, domestic violence and disorderly conduct, among other crimes. In the Human Trafficking Prevention Project, you will work to reduce the collateral consequences of criminal justice involvement for survivors of human trafficking and those vulnerable to exploitation. Students also advocate for legislative reform at the state and federal levels to support systemic criminal justice reform. In 2016-17: Clinic student-attorneys helped represent human-trafficking survivors in vacating prostitution convictions using Maryland’s 2011 “vacatur” law as well as in expungement and shielding cases. Students also testified before the Maryland General Assembly in support of a bill that would expand post-conviction relief for human-trafficking survivors. Others drafted a petition for a presidential pardon for a client with federal convictions. Immigrant Rights Clinic students represent low-income immigrants in Immigration Court, in Maryland District Court and before the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services. During your clinical experience, you will experience diverse caseloads in many areas of immigration practice, including asylum law, family reunification, detention, naturalization and more while representing clients from all over the world. In 2016-17: Clinic student-attorneys represented more than 30 people fleeing gang and domestic violence in Central America and won asylum for many of them. Students also helped other clients by obtaining immigration relief that included asylum, employment authorization and lawful permanent residence.

As a student in the Innocence Project Clinic, you will investigate the claims of convicted defendants who contend they were convicted of a crime they did not commit. You will assist in representing people whose claims of factual innocence are determined to have merit. Under the supervision of the clinic director and other faculty, you will review court records, investigative files and crime lab reports; conduct legal research and interview clients and witnesses; draft pleadings and devise investigative and litigation strategies; and argue motions. You will develop an understanding of the post-conviction process, eyewitness identification, forensic evidence and police interrogation methods. You will also learn about the basic principles of advocacy that apply in all litigation contexts. In 2016-17: The clinic’s student-attorneys worked on several cases involving challenges to forensic evidence that was used to secure a conviction but was subsequently shown to be unreliable. Students also worked on legislative initiatives in the Maryland General Assembly that sought to improve the exonoree compensation process and to change certain post-conviction statutes.

projects designed to improve the practice of family mediation. Student mediators and attorneys often appear in cases before the Family Division of the Baltimore City Circuit Court but they also may be involved in mediation in other contexts, such as cases in the Maryland Court of Special Appeals and in international abduction mediations under the Hague Convention. In addition, students may represent clients in collaborative divorces. In 2016-17: Student-attorneys represented clients and served as mediators in a range of court-referred child custody disputes. Students also represented clients using the collaborative practice model, in which parties and attorneys work with financial and child development experts to seek to resolve a case without using litigation to determine issues of property distribution, child access and child support. In the Mental Health Law Clinic, you will represent patients facing involuntary civil commitment within the Sheppard Pratt Health System. You will engage in client interviews and counseling, medical record review, investigation and case preparation. Representation culminates with a hearing before an administrative law judge.

In the Juvenile Justice Project, you will represent clients convicted of criminal offenses before the age of 18 and sentenced to life or to life without parole. Many of these clients have already served decades of their sentences, having grown up behind bars. Representation by the clinic’s studentattorneys may be the first meaningful opportunity these individuals have to present a complete picture of who they are to a court or to an agency capable of permitting their return to society.

In 2016-17: Clinic student-attorneys worked with clients ranging from children diagnosed with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder to adults diagnosed with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder or neurocognitive disorders. Studentattorneys also advocated for patients’ release on the basis that the hospital had not proven the criteria for involuntary hospitalization.

In 2016-17: Student-attorneys represented clients before the Maryland Parole Commission, presenting factual and legal justifications for their clients’ release. Students advocated before the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, arguing that a client’s life sentence was illegal under recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions involving juvenile defendants; they also filed a petition for clemency to the governor. In addition, student-attorneys presented testimony before the Maryland General Assembly in support of a bill that would have removed the governor from the parole process.

In the Pretrial Justice Clinic, you will help challenge one of the major sources of mass incarceration in Maryland: the unjust pretrial detention of lowincome individuals who have been accused of crimes in Baltimore. Students represent indigent criminal defendants to challenge unfair and improper bail determinations. Working with the Office of the Public Defender and under faculty supervision, you will screen cases for intake, represent clients in bail-review hearings, file habeas corpus petitions and undertake appellate litigation. You will also collect and analyze data to inform the development of litigation and legislative strategies that support systemic law reform efforts to reduce incarceration rates.

As a student in the Mediation Clinic for Families, you will represent clients in the mediation process, co-mediate family law disputes and engage in

In 2016-17: The clinic presented its first conference, “Money Bail and Its Role in Mass Incarceration,” in November 2016. The clinic’s student-attorneys and co-directors petitioned state legislators to enact bail reform, while students represented several clients in court and secured their pretrial release. In the Saul Ewing Civil Advocacy Clinic, you will represent low-income clients in civil litigation. Caseloads are diverse and cover many areas of civil practice, including housing, employment, consumer rights, education and public benefits. Under faculty supervision, you will engage in the full range of activities involved in representing clients in litigation. The clinic also takes part in law reform projects to enhance civil legal policy and practice affecting low-income families and children. In 2016-17: Clinic student-attorneys advocated for tenants living in substandard conditions. Additional clients included workers seeking unemployment insurance benefits, low-income tenants pursuing wrongly withheld security deposits, families seeking protection from discrimination in access to housing, impoverished individuals defending against lawsuits for unmanageable medical bills and individuals in need of name and gender-identity changes. Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic student-attorneys represent low-income taxpayers in federal tax disputes. Cases involve administrative controversies before the IRS and litigation in federal courts. You will be responsible for all aspects of representing clients, including interviewing and counseling clients, developing case strategy, engaging in fact investigation and discovery, drafting documents, negotiating with adversaries, and conducting hearings and trials. You may also appear at the U.S. Tax Court in Baltimore to assist unrepresented taxpayers. In 2016-17: Student-attorneys obtained relief from IRS collection for numerous taxpayers. Studentattorneys secured full or partial concessions from the IRS in multiple U.S. Tax Court cases that raised issues ranging from “innocent spouse” relief to the Earned Income Tax Credit to smallbusiness deductions. Learn more about UB’s clinical law program at law.ubalt.edu/clinics.

University of Baltimore School of Law / 19


Build skills doing what you love. The UB School of Law’s centers are designed to help you customize your legal education and allow you to pursue work you’re passionate about while enriching your knowledge of the law. Our centers foster academic leadership, community engagement and advocacy for innovative legal policy. By participating in a center’s work, you will help effect change in the legal system. You’ll also have the opportunity to enhance your oral advocacy and writing skills by competing for a spot on one of the law school’s advocacy teams or by joining a student-run journal. CENTERS The Center on Applied Feminism works to apply the insights of feminist theory to create social change and to reform law. In addition to holding conferences and regular colloquia on emerging legal areas that intersect with feminism, the center sponsors the Special Topics in Applied Feminism course and helps students plan for careers in feminist advocacy. In 2016-17: The 10th Annual Feminist Legal Theory Conference, “Applied Feminism and Intersectionality: Examining the Law Through Multiple Identities,” featured a keynote speech by Jocelyn Frye, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former deputy assistant to President Barack Obama and director of policy and special projects for First Lady Michelle Obama, who discussed the importance of intersectionality theory in examining African-American work-life issues. The Center for International and Comparative Law offers fellowships to those students most active in the international law concentration. Fellows participate in projects involving human rights, national security and international trade. The center is involved in several international initiatives, including partnerships in Brazil, China, South Korea, Greece, Finland, France and the United Kingdom, among other nations. Fellows may also participate in activities of the American Society of International Law and the American Society of Comparative Law.

In 2016-17: Seven fellows traveled to Greece during spring break to work with Advocates Abroad, a nonprofit that provides free legal advice to refugees and asylum-seekers. The fellows worked in Athens and on the Greek islands of Lesvos and Chios, conducting field research on the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers to adequate legal aid and medical care. The Center for the Law of Intellectual Property and Technology promotes research, education and legal practice in three interrelated areas of law. One aspect of the center’s focus is intellectual property law, including copyright law, patent law, trade secret law and trademark law. The center also examines and publicizes legal issues stemming from the use of cutting-edge technologies. Finally, it supports the use of technology to understand the law. The Center for Medicine and the Law—an educational collaboration between the University of Baltimore School of Law and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine—features lectures at both universities and a simulation course in which law students build oral and written advocacy skills in the context of a medical malpractice trial. The center serves as a resource for health-related professionals, policymakers, the media, the public and other academic institutions by sponsoring conferences, research scholarship and educational programs focused on the intersection of medicine and the law.

In 2016-17: The center hosted guest speakers who addressed legislation to permit physician-assisted suicide, the specific issues faced by the disability community in securing safe and affordable housing, and the legal issues that arise from advances in artificial insemination technology. The Center for Sport and the Law sponsors academic symposia, generates scholarship and engages in community partnerships. It provides students with enhanced understanding of the legal structures and institutions that shape various athletic contexts and offers opportunities for real-world application of their knowledge in the increasingly complex sports industry. In 2016-17: The 10th Annual UB Sports Law Symposium, “What Lawyers in Sports Really Do (and How I Got My Sports Job),” featured talks by prominent football agents Tom Condon, J.D. ’81, and Tony Agnone, J.D. ’78, as well as numerous university athletic and NCAA compliance directors. The Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts is a national leader in promoting family law and family court reform that incorporates therapeutic jurisprudence and the ecology of human development. The center is committed to ensuring that the family justice system in Maryland, the nation and the world improves the lives and health of children, families and communities. In 2016-17: The center’s Truancy Court Program operated in four Baltimore public schools, and the

20 / law.ubalt.edu

center also spearheaded the creation of the nation’s first Post-J.D. Certificate in Family Law program. The Ninth Annual Urban Child Symposium, “Addiction and the Urban Child,” attracted national scholars and featured an address by Bridget Brennan, special narcotics prosecutor for New York City. Learn more about the UB School of Law’s centers at law.ubalt.edu/centers. ADVOCACY TEAMS AND COMPETITIONS Advocacy teams and competitions accustom you to the etiquette and environment of a courtroom while sharpening the skills you need to build a persuasive argument. The UB School of Law offers two types of advocacy activities: Moot Court Teams UB sponsors several moot court teams. Students who participate in these teams build their written and oral advocacy skills by composing briefs and making appellate oral arguments in regional and national competitions. The Byron L. Warnken Moot Court Competition is held each year to select students for UB’s moot court teams. Trial Teams Trial teams conduct full trials in a competitive atmosphere. Students who participate in these teams learn how to present a case to a jury using persuasive trial tactics. UB sponsors teams in four trial competitions:

• American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Student Trial Advocacy Competition • National Black Law Students Association Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition • National Trial Competition. JOURNALS As a member of a student-run law journal, you will gain experience in research and writing and work closely with your peers to produce a scholarly publication. Journal members solicit articles from law faculty across the country and also write comments on topics of their own choosing. Each journal sets academic requirements for membership and selects members through a writing competition. You can earn as many as 8 academic credits by participating in one of four journals: • University of Baltimore Law Review • University of Baltimore Law Forum • University of Baltimore Journal of Land and Development • University of Baltimore Journal of International Law. Learn more about specific journals at law.ubalt.edu/academics/publications.

• American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition

University of Baltimore School of Law / 21


“ The University of Baltimore

School of Law provides students with plenty of opportunities to gain incredible legal experience, including a wide variety of cocurricular activities and job placements. In my opinion, the more you immerse yourself in the UB law community and all that the school has to offer, the more rewarding your experience will be. The law school and its alumni are a tight-knit group of people who I imagine will be my friends and colleagues for life.”

Anthony Cognetti, J.D. ’17 Law clerk for Judge Christopher L. Panos, Baltimore City Circuit Court While at UB: law clerk, Greenberg Law Offices; law clerk, The Law Offices of Steven H. Heisler; law clerk, Maryland Attorney General’s Office; summer intern and law clerk, Miller & Zois; intern with Associate Judge Marcus Z. Shar, Baltimore City Circuit Court; teaching assistant, Introduction to Advocacy; research assistant for Professor Dionne Koller; editor in chief, University of Baltimore Journal of Land and Development; member, National Telecommunications Moot Court Team B.S., SAINT JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

University of Baltimore School of Law / 23


albany: 330 miles boston

hartford: 306 miles

providence

200 M I L E S

At the crossroads of a vibrant legal community. Living and studying in Baltimore will expose you to diverse legal opportunities, including an extensive range of government and nonprofit organizations in Maryland and nearby Washington, D.C. No matter what type of law you want to practice, you’ll find your best legal education right here.

15 0 M I L E S

100 M I L E S

new york city: 195 miles harrisburg 50 M I L E S

philadelphia: 106 miles

Your UB School of Law education will teach you to appreciate all angles and perspectives on issues and to collaborate with others to achieve the best results. You can gain experience by working with legal organizations, doing pro bono work, joining student groups and organizations or participating in programming sponsored by the law school. The UB School of Law brings members of the legal community to campus for panel discussions, symposia and mentoring while also placing students with practitioners in the field to ensure a dynamic, interactive and well-rounded legal education.

university of baltimore

washington, d.c.: 40 miles alexandria: 46 miles

richmond The main entrance to UB’s John and Frances Angelos Law Center is just one block south of Baltimore’s Penn Station, which is served by Amtrak and Maryland’s MARC train system. The Light Rail’s University of Baltimore-Mount Royal stop is two blocks from the Angelos Law Center, and the State Center Metro stop is four blocks from campus. The Jones Falls Expressway (I-83), which runs through the heart of Baltimore, has two exits at the University.

24 / law.ubalt.edu

norfolk

Nearly 25 percent of the UB School of Law’s Class of 2016 secured a judicial clerkship in a federal court or in a state trial or appellate court. The national average for such placements is 10 percent, as reported by the National Association for Law Placement in 2015.

University of Baltimore School of Law / 25


“ Being a member of the University of Baltimore Law Review not only challenged me to improve my writing, it also exponentially expanded my professional network. Serving as a law scholar for Contracts allowed me to capitalize on my ability to understand and explain complex legal concepts. At the University of Baltimore School of Law, there is no shortage of opportunities to obtain the practical legal experience that employers value.” Kelly Goebel current law student While at UB: editor in chief, University of Baltimore Law Review; summer intern with Judge Alexander Wright Jr., Maryland Court of Special Appeals; legal intern, Spencer & Stahl; mediator, Consumer Protection Division, Office of the Maryland Attorney General; summer associate, Kramon & Graham; distinguished scholar, Royal Graham Shannonhouse III Honor Society; member, Phi Alpha Delta and Women’s Bar Association; team captain, UB BarBowl B.A., UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

26 / law.ubalt.edu


10-MONTH SURVEY OF 2016 GRADUATES

More than 1/3 of judges currently

serving the state of Maryland are UB School of Law alumni.

Employment

Practice Setting

97.5 percent of Class of 2016 graduates reported on their employment status.*

More than 90 percent of Class of 2016 UB School of Law graduates found jobs within 10 months of graduation. The organizations at which they work include: • Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office • Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office • CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services • DLA Piper • Delaware Department of Justice • Duane Morris • Eccleston and Wolf • Federal Bureau of Investigation • Federal Energy Regulatory Commission • Franklin & Prokopik • Funk & Bolton • Gorman & Williams • House of Ruth Maryland • Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos • Maryland Legal Aid • Maryland Office of the Public Defender • Maryland state trial and appellate courts • Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service • Medifast • Miles & Stockbridge • NFL Players Association • Northrup Grumman • Pessin Katz Law • Prometric • St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center • Saul Ewing • Silverman|Thompson|Slutkin|White • Sughrue Mion • The Conservation Fund • U.S. Bankruptcy Court • U.S. Department of Defense • U.S. Department of Justice • U.S. Department of Labor • U.S. Food and Drug Administration • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office • U.S. Social Security Administration • Venable • Whiteford, Taylor & Preston.

28 / law.ubalt.edu

Put your law degree to work. Become part of the network. The Maryland and Washington, D.C., area is home to nearly 10,000 UB School of Law alumni, many of whom enthusiastically mentor UB law students and enjoy cultivating success in new generations of UB-trained lawyers. In Baltimore alone, the legal community boasts nearly 3,000 UB alumni who are ready to support you as you embark on a legal career. Students pursue a legal education often with the intention of practicing law—advocating for clients in court, helping individuals complete an estate plan or providing legal advice in business transactions. Others may not intend to practice law but know a law degree will help them achieve their career goals. A UB School of Law education will prepare you for whatever career path you choose. Of the Class of 2016 graduates, 53.7 percent found employment in positions for which bar admission was required. An additional 29.6 percent of the Class of 2016 found employment

in positions for which a J.D. was required or preferred by the employer. The national average for graduates landing J.D. Advantage† positions is 14.8 percent. Alumni from the UB School of Law are employed in business and industry, in legislative and other government positions, and in regulatory and policy analysis roles. Employment data are collected annually by the UB Law Career Development Office. Additional employment data can be found at law.ubalt.edu/career.

percentage of reported graduates employed: 92.6%

public interest: 4.0% academic: 0.8% business or industry: 16.4% judicial clerkships: 27.6% private practice: 32% government: 19.2%

number of graduates: 277 number of graduates reported: 270

Type of Position (employment status known)

bar passage required: 53.7% j.d. advantage†: 29.6% other professional: 7.0% nonprofessional: 2.2% pursuing an additional full-time degree: 1.9% unemployed—seeking employment: 4.4% unemployed—start date deferred: 1.1%

*The employment information presented is self-reported by UB School of Law graduates. We regularly collect employment information from our most recent graduating class, following guidelines established by the National Association for Law Placement and the American Bar Association. †The National Association for Law Placement (www.nalp.org) defines the J.D. Advantage category as the following: Jobs in this category are those for which the employer sought an individual with a J.D., and perhaps even required a J.D., or for which the J.D. provided a demonstrable advantage in obtaining or performing the job, but are jobs that do not require bar passage, an active law license or involve practicing law. Examples of positions for which a J.D. is an advantage include a job as a corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI agent and accountant.

University of Baltimore School of Law / 29


“ I always tell prospective students that

I chose the University of Baltimore School of Law over a top 20 law school and would do it again. I fell in love with UB. Mock trial was particularly important for me; I learned how to prepare a case, develop a trial strategy and try a case in front of judges. Learning how to master the moving parts of a case and to think on my feet was a real rush, and the experience has proven invaluable to my practice.” Jermaine Haughton, J.D. ’15 Associate, Miles & Stockbridge, Products Liability and Mass Torts Practice Group While at UB: summer associate, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston; summer associate, Miles & Stockbridge; student-attorney, Saul Ewing Civil Advocacy Clinic; staff editor and associate editor, University of Baltimore Law Forum; member, Bar Association of Baltimore City, Phi Delta Phi and Thurgood Marshall mock trial team; treasurer and president, Black Law Students Association; chair, Scholarship Committee, Edwin Allen Society of Academic Excellence; executive board member, Baltimore Council of Minority Professional and Graduate Students B.A. UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND

University of Baltimore School of Law / 31


You’re ready for UB. What’s next? Just a few steps stand between you and the beginning of your law career. GETTING STARTED • Visit the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) online at www.lsac.org. There, you’ll find our application, information about the LSAT and a guide to the law school application process. Fall 2017 entering class*:

• First-year and transfer applicants are required to register for the Credential Evaluation Service.

Day Program

• Applicants for all programs are encouraged to apply through LSAC. If you need to use a paper application, you may download the 2017 application at law.ubalt.edu/applynow.

Median GPA: 3.22 Median LSAT score: 152 Gender: 53% male | 47% female Median age: 23 Median GPA: 3.06 Median LSAT score: 151 Gender: 46% male | 54% female Median age: 26

Ethnicity Asian: 8.42% American Indian/Alaskan Native: 0.50% Black: 13.37% Caucasian (non-Hispanic): 62.87% Hispanic: 7.92% Identify with two or more ethnicities: 1.98% Not specified: 4.95% Students come from 91 undergraduate institutions and from 25 states.

*data as of Aug. 18, 2017

SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS

ANNUAL TUITION AND FEES (2017-18) In-state rate (full time): $31,084

Scholarships for Maryland Residents

In-state rate (part time, 9 credits per semester): $23,204

You are automatically considered for Maryland Higher Education Commission scholarships if you complete the FAFSA by May 1, are a Maryland resident and meet need-based requirements.

Out-of-state rate (full time): $45,326 Out-of-state rate (part time, 9 credits per semester): $32,024

Scholarships for Academic Excellence

Learn more about tuition and fees at ubalt.edu/admission/tuition-and-fees.

Upper-level students who excel academically in law school are eligible for scholarships through the Royal Graham Shannonhouse III Honor Society.

New Regional Rate

Learn more about scholarships at law.ubalt.edu/scholarships.

Some students who are not Maryland residents may still be eligible for in-state tuition rates. You may qualify for Maryland in-state tuition if you live in: • Washington, D.C. • Northern Virginia: Arlington, Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William counties and Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park • Pennsylvania: Adams, York and Lancaster counties • Delaware: all counties. Please complete the regional rate section of the application to apply for the regional rate.

32 / law.ubalt.edu

Some students who do not qualify for in-state tuition may receive a special out-of-state grant of up to $10,000 for their first year. Grants are based on your LSAT score and undergraduate GPA. Contact the Office of Law Admissions for details.

At the UB School of Law, we offer scholarships and grants to as many of our most qualified applicants as possible. The School of Law offered scholarships or grants to 69.8 percent of fall 2017 admitted applicants. The average offer to admitted applicants was $12,420 for Maryland applicants and $20,600 for out-of-state applicants. For the fall 2017 entering class, 62 percent of enrolled students received scholarships or grants.

• The UB School of Law admits students on a rolling basis. First-year applications are accepted for the fall semester only..

Evening Program

Out-of-State Grants

VISIT US

The Office of Law Admissions can help you explore the opportunities offered by the UB School of Law. Schedules for classroom visits and counseling appointments can be found at law.ubalt.edu/admissions. University of Baltimore School of Law Office of Law Admissions 1420 N. Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21201 lawadmissions@ubalt.edu 410.837.4459


University of Baltimore School of Law Office of Law Admissions 1420 N. Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21201 lawadmissions@ubalt.edu 410.837.4459 law.ubalt.edu/admissions


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.