University of Baltimore School of Law

Introduction

The University of Baltimore School of Law, part of the University System of Maryland, prepares students for the 21st-century legal marketplace with a rigorous, fast-paced legal education. The School of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. UB’s law alumni, numbering over 13,000, provide a valuable professional network for students and graduates.

The School of Law’s world-class faculty grounds students in the study of legal doctrine and contemporary legal theory. Meanwhile, from an early stage of their careers at UB, students face the real-world challenges of legal practice by participating in the school’s nationally renowned law clinics and externships throughout the Baltimore-Washington, DC, area.

The UB School of Law also teaches professional skills and provides a host of practical experiences to help its graduates flourish in today’s changing marketplace.

In addition to its 13 clinics, the School of Law also has six academic centers that foster in-depth research in the following specializations:

• Applied feminism
• Family law
• International and comparative law
• Medicine and law
• Law of intellectual property and technology
• Sports law

Baltimore affords the advantages of an important legal center with many law firms, government offices, nongovernmental organizations, and federal and state courts. The School of Law is located in the city’s Mount Vernon Cultural District, a short distance from Baltimore’s bustling downtown and the scenic Inner Harbor. Situated in a public transportation hub, the School of Law is easy to access. In particular, the school’s location next to Baltimore’s Penn Station allows students to reach Capitol Hill in just an hour by rail.

The School of Law offers two LLM and two certificate programs. The Graduate Tax Program, begun in 1987, offers an LLM in Taxation and a Certificate in Estate Planning (along with an MS in Taxation for accountants). Since its inception, the Graduate Tax Program has graduated more than 500 LLM and MS students. The Master of Laws in the Law of the United States (LLM LOTUS) program, housed at the Center for International and Comparative Law since 2003, provides core courses on US law for attorneys who earned their first law degree outside of the United States. Starting in fall 2017, the UB School of Law also offers a Post-JD Certificate in Family Law.

Physical Facilities

The state-of-the-art John and Frances Angelos Law Center houses classrooms, moot court and mock trial rooms, offices for faculty and student organizations, meeting rooms, and a large law library. It also is home to UB’s law clinics and academic centers.

The Law Library

• Regular library hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am–11:00 pm; Friday, 8:00 am–8:00 pm; Saturday, 9:00 am–8:00 pm; Sunday, noon–11:00 pm
• 8.5 professional librarians, 4.25 support staff; reference service available 7 days a week
• A 235,000-volume print collection, emphasizing US primary and secondary legal materials
• A full range of electronic resources, including major legal databases Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law; specialty legal databases; and interdisciplinary resources
• Carrels and conference rooms available for individual and group study
• Computer labs and wireless network available to students, faculty, staff, and visitors
• Interlibrary loan services, including direct borrowing privileges at all University System of Maryland libraries
• Open-access institutional repository with all published faculty scholarship and student-edited journals

Housing

Most students live close to UB’s urban campus in private apartments. The university has made arrangements with several nearby housing complexes to provide students affordable, convenient living options. Rent in the Baltimore area is very reasonable for a US city of its size.

LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization

The University of Baltimore School of Law offers programs for an LLM in the Law of the United States, an LLM in Taxation, a Certificate in Estate Planning, and a Post-JD Certificate in Family Law. A first degree in law must be completed before entering any of these programs. For those without a first degree in law, the University of Baltimore offers the alternative of a Master’s degree in Legal and Ethical Studies.

Master of Laws in the Law of the United States (LLM LOTUS)

Lawyers who have earned their first degree in law outside the United States are eligible to study in the LLM LOTUS program. Students learn about the laws and legal system of the United States, gain insight into the American legal profession, and refine valuable skills in legal analysis, research, and writing. Our students include those on F-1 student visas, permanent residents, other immigrants, and naturalized US citizens. For students whose immigration status permits, part-time study is available. An intensive orientation program is held in August, with topical sessions—including résumé writing, exam preparation, and time management—held throughout the semester.

The LOTUS program requires completion of 32 credits of coursework and can be done in two semesters. Students elect one of two tracks of study:

• US Practice Track: Requires certain core doctrinal courses, which teach students the fundamentals of the American legal system. The US Practice Track allows graduates to sit for the bar examination in several jurisdictions, including Maryland, New York, and Washington, DC.
• Elective Concentrations Track: Allows study of specific areas of the law: business law, criminal practice, estate planning, family law, intellectual property, litigation and advocacy, public service, and real estate practice. Depending on the courses chosen, the Elective Concentrations Track may allow students to sit for the bar exam.

Both tracks include required courses: Introduction to the Law of the United States and Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing (LARW).

Those who finish the LLM program with a 3.0 GPA qualify to be automatically admitted into the JD program. Those who graduate with less than a 3.0 GPA are still eligible to apply to the JD program but are not automatically admitted. All credits earned with a C or better during the LLM LOTUS program transfer into the JD program. You can complete an LLM and a JD in 3 years!

LLM LOTUS Snapshot

• Online application available through your LSAC LLM account. (Complete applications are processed within three weeks of receipt.)
• Application fee: $65.
• Letters of recommendation: two recommended.
• Transcripts required for applicants with international law degree; use of LSAC’s LLM Credential Assembly Service (LLM CAS) is suggested.
• All postsecondary transcripts required for applicants with a US degree.
• Official score report from TOEFL or IELTS if English is not the applicant’s native language and if he or she is not a graduate of a US regionally accredited institution. TOEFL score may be sent to LSAC if the applicant is using the LLM CAS.
• Approximately 45 students participate in this program.
• Tuition
• Graduates are eligible to sit for several different bar exams, including Maryland, New York, California, Tennessee, and Washington, DC, among others.
• Our proximity to Washington, DC, is ideal—we are only a short and inexpensive ($8 one way) train ride away!

Contact Information

For additional information, please visit the LLM LOTUS website, or contact:

Odeana Neal
Director, LLM Program in the Law of the United States
1420 North Charles Street, AL 511
Baltimore, MD 21201
USA

Phone: 410.837.4644
Email: LLMAdmissions@ubalt.edu

Master of Laws in Taxation (LLM in Taxation)

The University of Baltimore School of Law and Merrick School of Business offer a unique graduate program leading to the LLM in Taxation for attorneys and an MS in Taxation for accountants. It is the only program of its kind in Maryland. Offering the program jointly through the law and business schools provides the broad training needed by today’s tax practitioners. It also permits lawyers and accountants to interact, providing an especially rich experience for both.

Thirty credits are required for the LLM in Taxation. Students can receive advanced credit toward the LLM degree—up to 15 credits of qualifying tax courses taken while enrolled in a JD program at an ABA-approved law school. The curriculum includes required courses on fundamental income taxation, partnership taxation, corporate taxation, tax policy, tax procedure, and tax research, along with several elective course offerings. To accommodate the busy schedules of working lawyers and accountants, UB offers classes on weekday evenings. Students can take classes online in real time, attend class in person, or access recordings of classes. Students generally take one or two classes per semester and can complete the degree part time in two to three academic years.

LLM in Taxation Snapshot

• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by the Graduate Tax Program Office. Typically, an admission decision is made within three weeks of the date the application is complete.
• The application deadlines are as follows: August 1 for fall semester, December 1 for spring semester, May 1 for summer session. Applications completed after these dates may be considered, but preference is given to those received by the deadline.
• Approximately 70 LLM and MS students are currently enrolled in the program.
• Tuition

Application Requirements

• Application for admission to the LLM in Taxation
• One copy of official transcripts from each law school attended, except the University of Baltimore
• For applicants who are not graduates of the University of Baltimore School of Law, one letter of recommendation evaluating the candidate’s potential for success in the program

Contact Information

For additional information, please visit the Graduate Tax Program website, or contact:

Fred Brown
Director, Graduate Tax Program
1420 North Charles Street, AL 1112
Baltimore, MD 21201
USA

Phone: 410.837.4470
Email: ubgradtax@ubalt.edu

Certificate in Estate Planning

The University of Baltimore School of Law offers a post-JD program that leads to a Certificate in Estate Planning. The program aims to satisfy the specialized and advanced educational needs of individuals who seek to practice in the area of estate planning. Students will complete 12 credits of coursework to receive a Certificate in Estate Planning. The curriculum includes required courses on estate and gift taxation, estate planning, and income taxation of estates and trusts. Students can take required classes and most electives online in real time, attend class in person, or access recordings of classes. Students may complete the Certificate in Estate Planning as a stand-alone program or in conjunction with the University of Baltimore LLM in Taxation program.

Certificate in Estate Planning Snapshot

• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by the Graduate Tax Program Office. Typically, an admission decision is made within three weeks of the time the application is complete.
• The application deadlines are as follows: August 1 for fall semester, December 1 for spring semester, May 1 for summer session. Applications completed after these dates may be considered, but preference is given to those received by the deadline.
• Tuition

Application Requirements

• Application for admission to the Certificate in Estate Planning program
• One copy of official transcripts from each law school attended, except the University of Baltimore
• For applicants who are not graduates of the University of Baltimore School of Law, one letter of recommendation evaluating the candidate’s potential for success in the program

Contact Information

For additional information, please visit the Certificate in Estate Planning website, or contact:

Fred Brown
Director, Graduate Tax Program
1420 North Charles Street, AL 1112
Baltimore, MD 21201
USA

Phone: 410.837.4470
Email: ubgradtax@ubalt.edu

Post-JD Certificate in Family Law

In fall 2017, the University of Baltimore School of Law launched the nation’s first Post-JD Certificate in Family Law. It is designed both for new attorneys beginning to practice family law and for experienced attorneys seeking to add family law expertise to their practice. The 16-credit certificate integrates theory and practice and offers knowledge and skills that lawyers can use in their practice now through a hands-on, real-world experiential curriculum. The Post-JD Certificate in Family Law addresses the need for an enhanced and in-depth interdisciplinary, practice-focused curriculum that prepares attorneys for the full range of issues they are likely to face in family law. The program offers required courses in psychology and child development, financial foundations for family lawyers, the craft of problem-solving and advocacy, and the business of practicing family law, and it culminates in a four-credit summer capstone in which students work through a family law case from start to finish.

Post-JD Certificate in Family Law Snapshot

• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by the program director. Typically, an admission decision is made within three weeks of the time the application is complete.
• Application deadlines are as follows: August 1 for fall, January 1 for spring, and May 1 for the summer session.
• Tuition

Application Requirements

• Application for Admission to the Post-JD Certificate in Family Law (PDF). Please note there is no application fee.
• Official transcript(s) from each law school you attended (except for the University of Baltimore School of Law).

Contact Information

For additional information, please visit the Post-JD Certificate in Family Law website, or contact:

Professor Barbara Babb
Director, Post-JD Certificate in Family Law
Director, Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts
1420 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
USA

Phone: 410.837.5661
Email: bbabb@ubalt.edu

Financial Aid

The School of Law welcomes applications from fellowship and scholarship recipients. The University of Baltimore provides loans through federal, state, and institutional sources to help eligible students meet educational expenses.

Student Services and Organizations

UB offers a broad array of academic support services to students:

• The Office of Student Services helps students with administrative and personal issues.
• The School of Law’s director of academic support holds skills-development sessions.
• The Office of Technology Services assists students with learning software and support technology and has some equipment available for loan.
• UB’s Achievement and Learning Center offers free writing consultations and conversation partners to students for whom English is a second language.

The University of Baltimore School of Law is home to more than 25 student organizations that reflect the array of personal and professional interests of law students. These groups organize a number of academic and social events throughout the academic year and are open to all students.

LLM LOTUS students are part of the law school community yet form a tight bond as a group. They meet informally with law school staff to share news and to ask questions. In addition, alumni and students interact and have a social networking group on LinkedIn.

Career Services

The Law Career Development Office (LCDO) helps law students articulate, develop, and attain their professional goals. It offers a range of traditional and innovative services and programs designed to facilitate the career-planning efforts of UB’s LLM students, and it aims to maximize their potential for employment. LLM LOTUS students face unique challenges in the United States in exploring career and experiential opportunities to complement their scholarly pursuits.

A further mandate of the office is to expand and maintain the law school’s nationwide employer network. The office maintains a law firm database and is actively involved in all aspects of job development. LCDO services are available to LLM students beginning in August.