JD and LLM Checklist

If you are trying to decide where to live, consider talking with one of the admissions ambassadors — they’ve been through this, and they will have good advice for you.

There are housing options that are located very close to school, and others that aren’t, but that are accessible to reliable public transportation. Below are some links to help you learn about the different on-campus and off-campus housing options:

• Check out housing options near campus here.
• UMB Housing information can be found here.
• View our VeryApt Housing Guide here.
• Learn more about different Baltimore neighborhoods here.
• View a recording of our Housing Webinar here 

If you are looking for an alternative to the apartment buildings downtown or to find a roommate, we encourage our incoming 1L students to join the Maryland Carey Law Class of 2027/2028 Facebook Group. Additionally, several incoming students created groups on other social media outlets to find law school roommates. You can also visit the UMB Housing Classifieds Facebook page and UMB Housing Classifieds website. 

UMB Housing Scholarships as of 5.23.2024

Housing scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year are now available to provide financial support for UMB students who live on campus at Fayette Square Apartments. All students who sign a license to live in Fayette Square for the first time may be eligible to receive a $2500 scholarship for a 10-month license or a $3600 scholarship for a 12-month license. Students not eligible for a Housing Scholarship (current residents or those who signed a license at Fayette Square) can earn a $1,000 referral award for any other UMB student they get to sign a new license. More information on Fayette Square Apartments is found at www.umaryland.edu/housing.  

Applying for the Housing Scholarships is a straightforward process. Every student signing a new license is automatically eligible to be selected for an award. For any questions and to get started, simply contact UMB Housing at umbhousing@umaryland.edu or 410-706-5523 to inquire about the next steps.

Scholarship awards will be credited directly to your University account, with half of the annual award credited at the beginning of each semester.

• Step 1: Register for your free account on AskEDNA, the Education Network at AccessLex, to enter MAX by AccessLex®
  Step 2:  Complete the MAX 1L Financial Foundations course. Not only will this provide a strong foundation for managing your finances while in law school, but each activity grants you an entry to the annual MAX scholarship drawings totaling nearly $400,000!
  Step 3: Review and sign up for live events of interest and one-on-one financing coaching with Accredited Financial Counselors® to get your money questions answered.
  Step 4: Check out the Student Success Modules for insights on law school study strategies, glossaries, and mini-outlines!

Additional Financial Aid Resources

• Tuition and Fees
• Scholarships and Aid
• UMB Student Financial Assistance
• In-State Residency Policy
• Application for In-State Residency
• Financial Planning and Financial Aid Calculators

If you have questions about this, please contact Maryland Carey Law’s financial aid planning manager, Marilyn Jones, at mmjones@law.umaryland.edu or (410) 706-0873 or the University Financial Aid Counselor, Laura Evans at jd@umaryland.edu. You can also reach out to the University’s Office of Student Financial Assistance & Education at (410) 706-7347 or aidtalk@umaryland.edu.

As a reminder, ALL incoming students are deemed as OUT-OF-STATE Residents for tuition purposes. Those seeking to obtain in-state classification for tuition purposes MUST complete an Application for In-State Classification and receive approval in adherence with the deadlines set forth by the Office of the Registrar. (Contact residency@umaryland.edu or 410-706-7480 with questions).

Veterans and Military Service Members Submit your G.I. Bill Yellow Ribbon Application

If eligible, be sure to complete this application for the Yellow Ribbon program. You should coordinate with the Office of Student Services at militaryandveterans@law.umaryland.edu or (410) 706-2045. Don’t forget to check out our Military Law and Veterans Society as well.  

You can learn more about the University Immunization requirements here.

Read this even if you already have health insurance. All students are required to have and will be billed for health insurance. You can find information about student health insurance here.

This July you will receive health insurance information from the University and from Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk concerning enrollment in our insurance plan and the procedure for waiving that coverage. If you do not successfully waive coverage by September 13, 2024, you will automatically be enrolled in and billed for our insurance plan. Newly admitted students will need their UMB e-mail established before they are able to access Gallagher’s website.

All official final certified transcripts must be sent to LSAC by October 1, 2024. Please do not send them directly to our Registrar's Office.

By October 1st of each student’s first year of enrollment at Maryland Carey Law, the Office of Registration & Enrollment (ORE) must have official transcripts verifying all academic credits undertaken and degree(s) conferred. If you enrolled in courses or received a degree after you submitted your application for admission, arrange for final, certified transcripts (showing degrees, where appropriate) from every college or university you have attended to be sent to LSAC in an updated Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report that will be sent to Maryland Carey Law and that will be provided to the ORE.

The copies attached to your (CAS) Report will not suffice if they are not final and must show an undergraduate degree was conferred. It is not sufficient to submit final, certified transcripts that were initially sent to you. 

Students whose transcripts have not been received by October 1st of the first year of enrollment will not be permitted to continue enrollment. 

It would be difficult to overemphasize the importance of candor in law school and thereafter as a lawyer. Your obligation to be candid begins with your law school application.

When you applied for admission, you answered several character and fitness questions. In addition, our application instructions explained that applicants “have a continuing duty throughout the application, admission, and enrollment process to inform the Office of Admissions of any changes in the information provided….” Please take the time now to review the disclosures you made on your application to ensure that those disclosures are accurate and up to date. Failure to be honest and candid in the application process can have serious consequences, including the possibility of withdrawal of admission. If you have any questions about this, contact the Associate Dean for Student Services, Erica Smith at e.smith@law.umaryland.edu as soon as possible.

Also, please be aware that you have a continuing obligation to report in writing any citations, charges, summonses, or arrests that occur not only after you submitted your application but also throughout your time in law school. Failure to make these disclosures could delay or preclude your admission to practice law. Again, if you have any questions, please ask Dean Smith. It is always best to err on the side of over-disclosure.

Between now and orientation, any additional disclosures should be forwarded to the Office of Admissions at admissions@law.umaryland.edu. Beginning with orientation, any additional disclosures should be forwarded to Dean Smith. Please feel free to come in to talk with Dean Smith if you have any questions or concerns.

You may find when you apply to take a bar exam, that the bar application requires disclosure of specific types of misconduct not requested on your law school application.  For that reason, once you are enrolled here, we will ask you to disclose even minor traffic violations, which you were not obligated to disclose on your law school application.  You may wish to begin gathering that information now, as we will ask both for violations that took place prior to your enrollment and any that take place going forward.

Admission to the Bar Resources

• National Conference of Bar Examiners: Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements
• National Conference of Bar Examiners:  Character and Fitness Requirements
• ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar:  Bar Admissions Information

Professors may post course syllabi and reading assignments for the first class session on Blackboard, the online course management system. You are encouraged to check Blackboard after August 1. 

JD Students (Incoming 1Ls only)

Incoming 1L JD students are automically registered for courses by early August. Our Office of Registration and Enrollment will send you your fall class schedule. You will also receive a list of books assigned by each instructor and instructions regarding how to log in to Blackboard where most assignments will be posted.

Course Registration

Incoming first year students for the Full-time Day Program will be assigned to class sections and registered for classes automatically. This section assignment determines the student’s academic schedule for both the fall and spring semesters of the first year. Section assignments are typically announced by August 1.

Incoming first year students for the Part-time Evening Program will also be registered for classes automatically. 

First-Year Sections

First-year law students are assigned to sections, primarily for the purposes of community building, but they also serve as a helpful organizing tool. Day students will take some courses with only their section, but other courses include more than one section.  The Evening Division is its own JD section and students in this section share the same class schedule during their first year. 

Each section of first-year law students, day and evening, will be assigned Peer Advisors.  Peer Advisors are upper-level students who serve as mentors to first-year law students and other new students throughout the academic year.  Our hope is that students will find a supportive community as you connect with your section-mates, Peer Advisors, and other students at the law school. Peer Advisors will meet with students during orientation.

Books

The list of required and recommended textbooks for each class is incorporated into the Course Catalog. Until you receive your section assignment you will not be able to determine your course schedule or required books. Once you have received your section assignment in late summer, you can create your booklist.

Once your section assignment and class schedule is confirmed, you can purchase your books at the University Bookstore or any other source you choose. Some professors make some or all of the reading materials available in course packs, distributed at the law school, or online in Blackboard, the online course management system.

SURFS and Blackboard

Go to any page of the law school website, click on “Log In” in the upper right corner, and you will be brought to a list of sites (including Blackboard and SURFS).

To view the information on SURFS, click on SURFS, then “Login to SURFS,” then type in your UMID and password.  You can also go directly to www.umaryland.edu/surfs.  To view the information on Blackboard, click on Blackboard, then “Login with your UMID,” and then type in your UMID and password.  You should then see the classes for which you are registered and any postings, including assignments, from your professors.

LLM Students

Each LLM student develops an individual course of study. To ensure that your courses will satisfy the LLM degree requirements, please contact Associate Dean for Legal Studies, Crystal Edwards at  cedwards@law.umaryland.edu or (410) 706-2091 to schedule a time to discuss your course preferences and finalize your schedule. We will register you for your fall semester classes during the summer. The list of required and recommended textbooks for each class is incorporated into the Course Catalog. You can purchase your books at the University Bookstore or any other source you choose.

Transfer Students

Our Associate Dean for Legal Studies, Crystal Edwards, will contact you as soon as you have made your commitment to arrange a time to speak with you to plan your schedule. Dean Edwards will also go over other topics to help make your transition as smooth as possible. 

Once you are registered for classes in late July/early August, you can start the process of obtaining a One Card/Campus ID.  The One Card is required to access all University facilities, including the law school building. Find instructions here.  Briefly, you will submit a photo of yourself electronically, and the One Card office will create your ID card and will notify you when it is available for pick up.  

If you have been notified that your ID is available and you want to pick it up, contact the One Card Office at umb-one@umaryland.edu or call 410-706-6943 to schedule an appointment to pick up your ID. The One Card Office is located at the SMC Campus Center at 621 W. Lombard St., Room 004, Lower Level, Baltimore, MD 21201. (This building is across from the University of Maryland Medical Center's Emergency Room entrance on Lombard Street near the corner of Lombard and Greene).
 
The Office of Student Affairs will be picking up all remaining available new student IDs from the One Card office just before Orientation to distribute them. These IDs will be available for pick up in the Office of Student Affairs, Suite 280.  However, any student wishing to pick up their own ID ahead of Orientation must make an appointment at the One Card Office to pick it up.

Public Transportation

Students have many options to commute to our campus. The UMB Shuttle has three routesthroughout campus and to nearby neighborhoods: 702 Mount Vernon, 703 Federal Hill, and 704 Canton/Fells Point. There is also a bike parking facility and other transportation alternatives.

Additionally, Baltimore has reliable public transportation, including to the airport via light rail. The Charm City Circulator, which runs through many areas of the city, is free. Students may also qualify for discounted mass transit fare.

Parking

Student parking will be available for incoming students and more information about different parking options can be found on the UMB Parking and Transportation Services page. 

If you plan to seek educational accommodations under the ADA, read the instructions on the UMB Educational Support and Disability Services page. 

Requests for accommodations are evaluated by the University’s Office of Educational Support and Disability Services (ESDS). Maryland Carey Law implements the accommodations determined by the OESDS to be appropriate. Note: You must reapply for accommodations each semester that you will need them. Questions about applying for or receiving accommodations should be directed to Heather Moore, Associate Director of Educational Support and Disability Services, at disabilityservices@umaryland.edu or (410) 706-5889.

You can also contact the ESDS liaison at the School of Law, Gregory Brightbill, at gbrightbill@law.umaryland.edu or (410) 706-2064.

Campus Center and Athletic Facility

The law school shares a campus with the University of Maryland Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work, and Graduate School. Students from all over the world come here to study, which makes for a wonderfully diverse and energetic student body. The SMC Campus Center has excellent athletic facilities, including a fitness center, indoor pool, basketball courts, racquetball courts, fitness classes, and more. The Campus Center also has a wellness hub and relaxation rooms, and is the source of many gatherings, lectures, and films.  

Counseling Services 

The Counseling Center is an important resource, too. If you are a student who will need medication management while in law school, you should contact the counseling center well before you arrive on campus to schedule your first appointment with the counseling center staff. But more generally, it’s just good to know that the Counseling Center and the Wellness Hub exist.

Safety on Campus

The UMB Police Department is dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment for the University community to the best of our ability. Learn more about safety services on the UMB Police Department website.

Alumni Mentor Program

To help you navigate your first year, the Career Development Office (CDO) will invite you to participate in its Alumni Mentor Program for First-Year Law Students. Participating students will be matched with an alumnus who will serve as a mentor during the 2024-2025 academic year. Your mentor will be someone you can turn to for general guidance about succeeding in law school and entering the legal profession. In matching you with a mentor, the CDO will consider your preferences for geographic location, legal areas and industries of interest, and particular attributes that are important to you. While your mentor is not intended to become a potential employer, they should be viewed as a member of your new network of legal professional contacts. You will receive more information about the Alumni Mentoring Program as well as the registration survey after Orientation.

Peer Advisors

Peer advisors are upper level law students who serve as mentors primarily to first-year sections but they also help other new students to get acclimated to the law school. Peer advisors are available to answer questions and offer advice about the first-year experience and about law school generally. They can be very helpful to you as you navigate everything from finding housing to figuring out what to do if you’ve lost your ID card to deciding what study methods might be most effective for you. You will begin hearing from them via the Facebook page for the Class of 2027/2028 after you receive your class schedules in late July/early August . If you do not use Facebook, contact us at osa@law.umaryland.edu, and we will put you in touch with a peer advisor.

Mailboxes for students are located on the 1st floor of the law school in the student lounge, between the Atrium and the Comcast Dining area. At the beginning of each school year, each student is assigned a mailbox for school mail, event flyers, and intra-campus mail. Your mailbox number will change each year. To find your mailbox number, check the “Mailbox Guide” (an alphabetical list of students, with mailbox numbers, located on a bulletin board in the lounge area). The Mailbox Guide should be posted by the end of the first week of classes.

Update your emergency contact information AND your own contact information on SURFS by logging in with your UMID and password. You can also get to SURFS by clicking “Log In” at the top of any page of our website; you will see a list of sites to which you may log in; choose SURFS. 

Review the policies in the Policy Directory to ensure you are adhering to the rules set for for employment and other relevant topics.

Prepare for Orientation

Orientation plans for incoming JD, transfer, and LLM students are currently being finalized. Orientation programming will include in-person law school classes and presentations to introduce you to the law school and campus services.

JD Students

Orientation is mandatory for JD students.  Orientation for JD day and evening students will take place on Thursday, August 15^th from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm and Friday, August 16^th from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm. First year classes will begin on Monday, August 19^th at 10:00 am (Day students) and 6:30 pm (Evening students).

If your schedule permits, we hope that you can attend the Welcome to Maryland Carey Law Reception on Wednesday, August 14^th from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. This gathering is an opportunity for you to meet some of your classmates before the official Orientation program begins.

Detailed Orientation Schedules for Day and Evening students will be available in early August on the Orientation Website. 

Looking for ways to get in the law school mindset before classes begin? Check out our list of suggested summer activities. 

Transfer Students

LLM Students

We're thrilled to announce an innovative new partnership between Maryland Carey Law and BARBRI, a national leader in bar preparation. Starting this Fall, every enrolled Maryland Carey Law student is guaranteed an extensive suite of study resources curated especially for your success from the classroom to your entry into the legal profession.  Through this collaboration, our students will enjoy a multitude of benefits, including:

• Access to a pre-1L online course designed to prepare incoming students for the rigors of law school, providing valuable insights and strategies (see additional information below)
• Access to BARBRI's 1-3L Mastery of Law Series, which covers a wide range of law school topics and fosters a deeper understanding of key concepts.
• Comprehensive preparation for the MPRE exam through an MPRE review course, an essential step towards licensure, ensuring students are well-equipped for success.
• A 3L bar prep course plus performance assessment opportunities throughout your matriculation
• After graduation, you will automatically receive BARBRI’s comprehensive bar review course for your jurisdiction of choice whether it be UBE, non-UBE or NEXTGEN.

Please review the FAQs below and see the attached documents for more information.

What is the pre-1L course?

• We want to highlight the pre-1L course, since that is most relevant to you right now. Lawyering Fundamentals is an early start all online course, offered through our educational partner Barbri, designed to jump start your law school experience.  The course is curated to demystify some of the time-honored traditions of law school to help you fast track your classroom success. Over the span of three weeks from July 22 - August 16, you will gain insight into case briefing, outlining, essay writing and testing in law school – all without the pressure of grading. Students who submit the final exam will receive individual performance reviews and feedback. Registration information will be provided.

What do you have to do to enjoy the benefits? 

• The short answer is very little.  Enrollment is simple, easy, and automatic.  A $345 student fee will be billed to you each semester to cover the entire cost of the resources and post-graduation bar review course.  No more worrying about how to pay for supplemental classroom study materials (subject matter outlines, lectures, and practice questions) and no scrambling to cover the cost of an expensive summer/winter bar review course after graduation.  We have taken care of it all for you.  

Why did the law school form this partnership with BARBRI?

• Knowing that graduates need to pass a bar exam to practice law, our goal is student success. And some graduating students have told us they wished they thought about the bar earlier in their law school journey. The law school is committed to providing you with the tools you need during law school and after to support your bar passage.  This new partnership does both by allowing you to review and assess your knowledge of core subjects throughout your time in law school and then sets you up with a bar review course at a steeply discounted rate.

How do I access the BARBRI materials?

• A Blackboard course (“MD Carey Law-BARBRI Bar Prep Partnership”) dedicated exclusively to all things Partnership related has been created to serve as a central repository for documents and other important resources. Incoming 1L students will be enrolled as soon as you get an official Law School email address. Please let me know immediately if you cannot view the course.

Where do I find more information?

• Attached as Word documents at the links below are four important documents I encourage you to read thoroughly. These resources are also available on Blackboard.

1. Partnership Student Resource Menu
2. Student Fee Payment Schedule 2024/25
3. Opt-Out Waiver Form – Filing Instructions 2024/25
4. Opt-Out Waiver Form 2024/25

What if I want to use a different bar review company after graduation?

• If you wish to prepare for the bar exam post-graduation using another provider, you can. To avoid automatic enrollment, all 1L and 1E students must declare their desire to opt-out at 1L orientation. Students cannot opt-out outside of this window. In addition, students who opt-out cannot change their minds and opt back in to the discounted bar prep course later. Instead, they will need to research and secure a bar prep course on their own. Students who opt-out will, however, still have access to bar assessment and study materials throughout law school.

Complete the MAX 1L “Financial Foundations” Course and Access Free, Nonprofit Resources for Student Success, Financial Capability, and Bar Success.

Step 1: Register for your free account on AskEDNA, the Education Network at AccessLex, to enter MAX by AccessLex®
Step 2:  Complete the MAX 1L Financial Foundations course. Not only will this provide a strong foundation for managing your finances while in law school, but each activity grants you an entry to the annual MAX scholarship drawings totaling nearly $400,000!
Step 3: Review and sign up for live events of interest and one-on-one financing coaching with Accredited Financial Counselors® to get your money questions answered.
Step 4: Check out the Student Success Modules for insights on law school study strategies, glossaries, and mini-outlines!

The Office of the Registrar for the University of Maryland, Baltimore makes residency determinations.
Applicants claiming Maryland residency must complete the Application for InState Classification online at https://www.umaryland.edu/application/. All applicants are considered non-residents for tuition purposes until the Application for In-State Classification has been submitted and approved. For more information about the in-state classification process and criteria, please visit https://www.umaryland.edu/registrar/residency/.

IMPORTANT: ALL incoming students are deemed as OUT-OF-STATE Residents for tuition purposes. Those seeking to obtain in-state classification for tuition purposes MUST complete an Application for In-State Classification and receive approval in adherence with the deadlines set forth by the Office of the Registrar. (Contact residency@umaryland.edu or 410-706-7480 with questions).