University of Maryland School of Law

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

University of Maryland School of Law
Image:Umbseal.gif
Established: 1816
Type: Public
Dean: Karen H. Rothenberg
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Campus: Urban
Website: www.law.maryland.edu


The University of Maryland School of Law is the third-oldest law school in the United States, but its programs and community make it one of the most innovative and dynamic today. The school was established in 1816 and began regular instruction in 1823 as the Maryland Law Institute. Located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, Maryland Law is part of the Washington, D.C.–Baltimore legal and business communities, as well as the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

[1]In 2003, the law school moved into a new, state-of-the-art facility at 500 West Baltimore Street on the west side of downtown Baltimore near the Inner Harbor and Camden Yards. [2]

Under the leadership of Dean Karen H. Rothenberg, Maryland Law has been ranked in the top tier of American law schools by U.S. News & World Report, placing 36th in the 2008 edition. It ranks 15th in the nation among public law schools. [3] Its speciality programs in Clinical Law, Environmental Law, and Law and Health Care have garnered national recognition. With an acceptance rate of 15.5%, Maryland is one of the most selective law schools in the United States.

Maryland Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association, is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, and has a chapter of the Order of the Coif.


Contents

[edit] Students, Faculty, and Alumni

Some 800 students are enrolled at Maryland Law. They are diverse in age, gender, academic background, prior employment, and race, with more than 30% identifying themselves as persons of color. [4] There are more than 35 student organizations, [5] four specialized legal centers, [6] and four law journals. [7] Many resources are available to new students, including upper-class peer advisers, skill-enhancement sessions, a legal writing center, [8]and one-on-one academic counseling. [9]

Maryland Law faculty are national leaders in a wide range of subject areas, and they are available to support and advise students. [10] Smaller classes and a 12:1 student/faculty ratio enable close working relationships to develop in a professional and intellectually vibrant setting.

Students directly benefit from a broad network of Maryland Law alumni, who occupy positions of professional leadership throughout the state, region, and nation. Alumni act as mentors, volunteer judges, and adjunct faculty to help connect each student’s law school experience with the professional life of the surrounding legal community.

[edit] Academics

[edit] Curriculum

The rigorous core curriculum at Maryland Law includes Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Torts, Property, Contracts, and Criminal Law, as well as a two-semester course focusing on legal skills of analysis, research, writing, and oral argument. [11] These required courses form the basis for more specialized study through more than 150 elective courses, seminars, independent studies, simulations, clinics, and externships. Each student must also satisfy an advanced writing requirement by producing a substantial paper based on extensive research. Full-time day students generally complete the Juris Doctor curriculum in three years, and part-time evening students typically take four years.

[edit] Specialty Programs

Maryland Law is home to several nationally recognized specialty programs. [12] These programs enable students to explore areas of particular interest through experiential learning and a specialized curriculum. Through clinics and externships, student organizations, conferences and symposia, and an extensive alumni network, students can immerse themselves in a wealth of specialized offerings to prepare for the demands of a particular area of law.

Three specialty programs—in Law and Health Care, [13] Environmental Law, [14] and Clinical Law [15]—have established national reputations for excellence. Each of these programs draws on the academic resources of Maryland Law's sister professional schools to provide a rich and interdisciplinary learning experience. Students may earn a legal certificate through the Environmental Law Program or the Law and Health Care Program.

Other specialty areas are no less rigorous and include the following:

  • Advocacy
  • Business Law [16]
  • Intellectual Property Law [17]
  • International and Comparative Law [18]
  • Legislation and Public Policy [19]
  • Women, Leadership & Equality [20]

Students can focus their studies in other areas as well, including criminal law, dispute resolution, family law/child advocacy, general practice, jurisprudence/legal history, labor/employment/administrative law, property/real estate/decedent’s estates law, public interest law/community development, and tax law.

[edit] Dual-Degree Programs

The law school offers several dual-degree options:[21]

[edit] Business

[edit] Public Policy

  • J.D./Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs
  • J.D./Master of Public Management
  • J.D./Ph.D. in Public Policy
  • J.D./Master of Community Planning through the University of Maryland Urban Studies and Planning Program

[edit] Health

[edit] Law and Society

[edit] Clinical Law Program

Through the Cardin Requirement, named after Maryland Law alumnus U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin, [22] each full-time day student gains hands-on legal experience by representing actual clients who would otherwise lack access to justice. Most students fulfill the Cardin Requirement through the nationally recognized Clinical Law Program [23], which provides more than 110,000 hours of free legal services to Maryland’s poorest citizens each year.

The legal clinic is among the best and largest teaching law firms in the nation. Students work alongside senior faculty members on real-life cases, gaining a unique combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience to prepare them for the demands of a career in law. More than 25 clinics [24] focus on a broad range of practice areas, including civil and criminal litigation, advice and counseling, and transactional work. Civil practice areas include environmental law, health, housing and community development, juvenile law and children, AIDS, and immigration. Criminal student attorneys often represent defendants in misdemeanor cases in Maryland’s district courts, as well as work in the School of Law's community justice efforts. In addition to in-house clinical work, students may gain experience in public and private nonprofit externships in the Baltimore-Washington region.

[edit] Law School Complex and Library

The School of Law and the Thurgood Marshall Law Library occupy a state-of-the-art complex that supports the school’s programs integrating classroom and experiential learning. The facility opened in 2002 and contains three courtrooms, including the Ceremonial Moot Courtroom, where state and federal trial and appellate courts regularly sit in session to hear cases. Classrooms and courtrooms are equipped with the latest in educational technology, as well as wired and wireless Internet access for student use. In addition to their own notebook computers, students can use public computers located throughout the facility for writing and research. [25]

The Thurgood Marshall Law Library houses a collection of more than 495,000 volumes and equivalents accessible through the online catalog. [26] A staff of 23, including 11 librarians, provides customized reference and consulting services to faculty and students. In addition to LexisNexis and Westlaw, the library offers an extensive array of legal and non-legal Web-based electronic databases.

[edit] Notable Alumni

[edit] Governors

[edit] U.S. Senators

[edit] U.S. Congressmen

[edit] State Senators

[edit] State Delegates

[edit] Judges

[edit] Others

[edit] Publications

[edit] External links

v • d • e
University System of Maryland