University of Baltimore – Portal to a career in US law

The School of Law at the University of Baltimore (UB) is the first step on your journey to fulfilling your dream of a career in law in the United States.

Perhaps you’ve always yearned to practice law, and maybe after countless episodes of Law & Order you’ve set your heart on America as the place to practice. With two paths into US law for international students, the University of Baltimore School of Law will speed you on your way by immersing you in the US legal system and culture.

Located just an hour by rail from Washington, D.C., less than two hours from Philadelphia and three hours from New York City, Baltimore is perfectly positioned at the heart of the East Coast. (The train station is a stone’s throw from UB’s new, award-winning law center.) Meanwhile, Baltimore is a fascinating – and affordable — city with a tightknit legal community that welcomes and mentors UB law students.

At the University of Baltimore School of Law, students are exposed to diverse legal opportunities, as well as to government and nonprofit organizations that open up a world of potential professional experience.

Baltimore, recently dubbed the “coolest city on the East Coast” by Travel + Leisure magazine, has experienced a renaissance in recent years, with young people setting up shop and renovating neighborhoods. The waterfront area bustles with activity and new apartment buildings, restaurants and shops, while elsewhere the city’s classic architecture has been carefully preserved to carry it into the 21^st century.

The University of Baltimore campus plays a part in the city’s rejuvenation. Of particular note is the John and Frances Angelos Law Center – home to the UB School of Law – which has been recognized as one of Maryland’s must-see structures. Designed by the renowned architectural firms Behnisch Architekten and Ayers Saint Gross, the gleaming, 12-story tower was the first law school building in the United States to receive a LEED Platinum sustainability rating.

Meanwhile, all over town artisanal enterprises such as distilleries, breweries, farm-to-table restaurants, galleries and theatres are helping to transform Baltimore into an eclectic cultural hub, leaving UB students spoilt for choice when it comes to dining and entertainment.

You too could be among the doers and dreamers sparking the Baltimore renaissance, thanks to UB’s pathways to a US law degree for international students.

To pursue the traditional route, you can apply directly to the Juris Doctorate (JD) program. Or, if you already possess a degree in law, you can apply to the LLM in the Law of the United States program, which gives non-native lawyers a first-rate education in the law of the US while providing valuable insights into the American legal profession. After completion of the LLM, students have the option to transfer to the JD program.

The school stands with you every step of the way, as recent law graduate Ilona Shparaga can testify.

“As an immigrant from Ukraine, I could have been confused by the demands of law school. But at UB, all my questions were answered,” she says. “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 career-shaping process.”

To give you a solid grasp of not just the theory of law but the all-important practice of law, courses at UB include plenty of opportunities to obtain hands-on experience with a wealth of experiential learning options.

First, the law school requires all students to complete at least six experiential learning credits, though many students do more.

The law school’s highly ranked clinical program is a sure-fire way to get the full attorney experience by representing clients under the supervision of the school’s world-class faculty. Through the clinical program, you’ll learn to be a lawyer in a way you couldn’t through classroom work alone as you meet with clients, research cases and plan how to best meet your clients’ legal needs.

Externships are also an essential component of a UB education, strengthening students’ legal skills and helping them build professional connections in the legal community while they gain hands-on experience in the field.

“Making the choice to go to the University of Baltimore School of Law was the best decision I have ever made,” says JD graduate Rachel Melchor, who worked at the US Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons while in law school. “You gain truly practical experience and have an unbeatable support system within the school. At UB, they make sure you are exposed to the outside legal world and are prepared when you go to start your career.”

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