School of Law

University of Baltimore, School of Law History

University of Baltimore School of Law was established in 1925 and is a public institution. The campus is in an urban area in Baltimore. The primary mission of the law school is to draw together students and faculty from a variety of backgrounds in a common search for knowledge and understanding. Students have access to federal, state, county, city, and local agencies, courts, correctional facilities, law firms, and legal aid organizations in the Baltimore area. Area corporations and nonprofit organizations are also accessible. Facilities of special interest to law students consist of 2 small personal computer laboratories for student use and on-line databases and networks, and the entire campus is wireless. Housing for students is available off campus; there is a roommate referral service offered. Nearby, many apartments range from inexpensive studios to luxury apartment buildings. All law school facilities are accessible to the physically disabled.

University of Baltimore, School of Law Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 6 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/ Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.P.A. (Juris Doctor/ Master of Public Administration), J.D./M.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science in criminal justice and negotiations and conflict management), and J.D./Ph.D. (Juris Doctor/ Doctor of Philosophy in policy sciences).

Students must take 36 credits in their area of concentration. The School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, family law, intellectual property law, international law, litigation, tax law, civil rights, estate planning, public and government law, and real estate practice. In addition, clinics offer the opportunity to work under the direct supervision of attorneys. Upper-level students undertake the representation of real clients in actual cases and perform all tasks necessary for proper representation. Students earn 6 credits in the Criminal Practice Clinic, Family Law Clinic, Appellate Advocacy Clinic, Civil Advocacy Clinic, Tax Clinic, Community Development Clinic, Immigrant Rights Clinic, and Family Mediation Clinic. Seminars are 3-credit advanced discussion classes that require independent research, writing, and discussion leadership by students. The Internship Program allows upper-level students to learn about the lawyering and judicial process by working closely with supervising attorneys and judges. Internships worth 3 to 4 credits, include the Attorney Practice Internship and Judicial Internship and are open to any upper-level student in good standing. Special lecture series include the Liss Memorial Lectures, A.M. Law Series, Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics, and the Center for International and Comparative Law. Study abroad is open to any student after the first year of study. The school offers a program in international comparative law in conjunction with the University of Aberdeen, Scotland; Curacao (Winter Intersession); and summer abroad in Haifa, Israel. First-year students may receive tutorial assistance through the Law Achievement Workshop, which consists of weekly tutorial sessions for almost every first-year class. Other tutorial programs are handled on an individual basis. Programs for minority students include the Law Achievement Workshop, Attorney Mentors, Exam Writing Workshop, Afro-American Lectures in Law, and Black Law Student Orientation. The most widely taken electives are Business Organizations; Criminal Procedure I, and Family Law.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 90 total credits, of which 41 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure I and II, Constitutional Law, Contracts I and II, Criminal Law, Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing I and II, Property, and Torts or Introduction to Lawyering/Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of 2 upper-level research and writing projects, an advocacy requirement, Constitutional Law II, Evidence, Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing III (Moot Court), and Professional Responsibility. Clinical courses are offered as part of upper-level elective courses.The required orientation program for first-year students is 3 days; students meet with faculty and peer advisers, attend case analysis and other seminars, and attend an Information Fair on school services and student activities.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, and fulfill the upper-level advocacy requirement and perspective course requirement.

University of Baltimore, School of Law Unique Programs

Library

The law library contains 365,150 hard-copy volumes and 193,533 microform volume equivalents, and subscribes to 765 serial publications. Such on-line databases and networks as CALI, CIS Universe, Legal-Trac, LEXIS, LOIS, NEXIS, OCLC First Search, WESTLAW, and Wilsonline Indexes are available to law students for research. Special library collections include a U.S. government selective depository. Recently, the library added a 28-seat PC laboratory with offline LEXIS and WESTLAW printers. The ratio of library volumes to faculty is 7607 to 1 and to students is 337 to 1. The ratio of seats in the library to students is 1 to 3.

Special Consideration

The law school recruits minority and disadvantaged students by means of an on-campus minority law forum, recruiting at historically black colleges, recruiting minorities during visits to undergraduate institutions, and through the Baltimore Scholar Program. Requirements are not different for out-of-state students. Transfer students must have one year of credit, have attended an ABA-approved law school, and have files individually reviewed by committee, which does so subject to availability of space.

University of Baltimore, School of Law Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 2515 applied, 1102 were accepted, and 384 enrolled. Fifteen transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 61; the median GPA was 3.23 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 23; the highest was 93.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. The most important admission factors include work experience, GPA, and LSAT results. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are not interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is open. Applicants should submit an application form, a personal statement, a nonrefundable application fee of $40, 2 letters of recommendation, personal statement, and a resume. LSAT scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation must come through LSDAS. Notification of the admissions decision is on a rolling basis. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is February. The law school uses the LSDAS.

University of Baltimore, School of Law Financial Aid

About 65% of current law students receive some form of aid. The average annual amount of aid from all sources combined, including scholarships, loans, and work contracts, is $18,000; maximum, $30,000. Awards are based on need and merit, along with need only for federal programs; scholarships are based on need and/or merit. Required financial statement is the FAFSA. The aid application deadline for fall entry is March 1. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application in May.

University of Baltimore, School of Law Students

About 52% of the student body are women; 13%, minorities; 8%, African American; 5%, Asian American; 2%, Hispanic; and 1%, Native American. The majority of students come from Maryland (84%). The average age of entering students is 26; age range is 22 to 58. About 7% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 93% remain to receive a law degree.

Students edit The University of Baltimore Law Review, the University of Baltimore Law Forum, the University of Baltimore Journal of Environmental Law, the University of Baltimore Intellectual Property Journal, and the newspaper Official Reporter. Annually, teams compete at the American Trial Lawyers Association and Trial Advocacy and Client Counseling competitions, as well as the Client Negotiation Moot Court, Pace National Environmental Law Moot Court, Tax Moot Court, and Trial Advocacy competitions. Law student organizations include the Intellectual Property Legal Society, Christian Legal Society, and Criminal Law Association. There are local chapters of Phi Alpha Delta, Phi Delta Kappa, and Phi Delta Phi. Campus clubs and other organizations include BLSA, APALSA, and WBA.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 5 years. For part-time students, courses are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 6 years. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There is an 8-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.