Pictured (l-r): Professor Kevin Tu, director, Business Law Program; Professor Will Moon; Tobin Visiting Scholar Veronica Root Martinez (Duke Law); Dean Renée Laurent
The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law was all business March 2-6, when the Business Law Program offered its signature week of enriching activities and opportunities known as Business Law Week.
The festivities kicked off with an awards luncheon inducting the newest members of the Business Law Track and celebrating current students’ academic achievements, selection to competitive teams, and leadership within Business Law student organizations.
Tuesday evening was dedicated to the Journal of Business & Technology Law annual symposium. This year focused on “Justice in the Age of AI.” The conference featured two panels: one on the use of AI in legal and business practices and another exploring broader societal consequences of AI.
Panelists were leading regional and national scholars and practitioners. Notably, the high-profile former Maryland Carey Law Professor Frank Pasquale, now on the faculty at Cornell Law School, returned to present on "Inherently Deceptive AI,” which focused on the use of chatbot therapists, AI 'friends,' and AI newscasters.
Other panelists discussed topics such as the AI literacy gap in legal education, professional identity as a tool for AI risk and regulation in law practice, market concerns around AI training data, and the impact of AI on democratic institutions.
Now in its second year, the Donald B. Tobin Visiting Scholar in Business Ethics Lecture was the mid-week highlight. The talk was presented by Professor Veronica Root Martinez, a nationally recognized scholar in corporate compliance, corporate governance, and business ethics from Duke University School of Law. Challenging the dominant enforcement-driven model of corporate compliance, Martinez introduced a “purpose-driven compliance” framework that centers a firm’s mission, inherent risks, and ethical aspirations. The talk explored how reorienting compliance around organizational purpose—rather than government enforcement priorities alone—can better prevent misconduct and foster stronger ethical cultures.
Earlier in the day, Martinez visited Professor Will Moon’s Corporate Governance Seminar to talk with students about her work on “The Miscalculation of Corporate DEI Risk.”
Reginald Denny ’27 especially appreciated the chance to engage with Martinez at the lecture and in class.
"During Business Law Week, Professor Veronica Root Martinez provided valuable insight into purpose-driven compliance, which provided a new avenue to apply my professional experience to my legal education," said Denny. “Professor Martinez went above and beyond her Business Law Week lecture by discussing her forthcoming piece on corporate DEI in Professor Moon's class."
The Donald B. Tobin Visiting Scholar in Business Ethics program was established by former Maryland Carey Law Board of Visitors chair and longtime supporter of the Business Law Program Christine Edwards ’83, along with other alumni and friends. The endowment was created to honor Professor Donald Tobin, who completed his tenure as dean of Maryland Carey Law in 2022 and currently teaches in the Business Law Program.
Following her visit, Martinez posted about her impressions of Maryland Carey Law on LinkedIn.
“I was impressed with Maryland’s Business Law Program,” she wrote. “The students I met are doing it all — interning (or having recently interned) at the Delaware Court of Chancery, working on the business law journal, competing in business law moot court, and fully engaging in the intellectual life of the school. Spending time with students like these is a powerful reminder that the future of corporate law and governance is in very good hands...”
Business Law Week wrapped up on Thursday evening with a networking event hosted and sponsored by the law firm of Saul Ewing LLP in Baltimore, along with the Business Law Society, Intellectual Property Student Association, and the Entertainment, Sports, and Art Law student group. The event featured a chance for students interested in business to connect with leaders from the region's legal and business communities, including attorneys and representatives from institutions that define Maryland's professional landscape, such as Under Armour and the Baltimore Ravens.
“2026 Business Law Week was a great success,” said Heather Terech, managing director of Maryland Carey Law’s Business Law and Intellectual Property academic programs. “Students engaged in a variety of activities focused on learning, connection, and the many paths within business law.”