Going to one of the top law schools in Maryland comes with lots of perks. You can go to Orioles games, relax on beautiful Chesapeake Bay beaches, and immerse yourself in the state’s colonial history. Plus, you’ll be close to the seat of national power in Washington, so if you’d like to enter public service at some point, there’s really no better place to be!
The good news for those thinking about going to law school in the state is it’s home to two top-ranked programs where you can learn the law and sharpen your lawyer skills. Let’s see what your LSAT score and GPA need to be to get into one of the top law schools in Maryland.
The Best Law Schools in Maryland
1. The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
U.S. News and World Report Law School Ranking: #62
Tuition: $40,009 (in-state); $58,023 (out-of-state)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.72
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 164
Acceptance Rate: 26.1%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 82.1%
The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law is located in downtown Baltimore. You’ll be just blocks from Baltimore’s famous Inner Harbor, the Maryland Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Aquarium. Edgar Allen Poe’s grave is located right next to the school, and you’ll be just a short walk from Camden Yards if you want to check out an Orioles game. If you need to head into DC for an externship or to do some sightseeing, that won’t be a problem. You can just hop on the MARC train and be there in about an hour.
According U.S. News and World Report, the Francis King Carey School of Law comes in at:
- #6 in Health Care Law
- #8 in Clinical Training, #8 in Dispute Resolution
- #13 in Part-Time Law
- #18 in Environmental Law
- #24 in Trial Advocacy
Curriculum
Required courses in the first year include:
Fall Semester
- Civil Procedure
- Contracts
- Torts
- Lawyering I
- Introduction to Legal Research
Spring Semester
- Constitutional Law I
- Property
- Criminal Law
- Lawyering II
- An Elective Course
The school has many different dual degree options, including:
- JD/Master of Arts in Criminal Justice
- JD/Master of Business Administration
- JD/Master of Bioethics
- JD/Master of Community Planning
- JD/Master of Public Health
- JD/Master of Social Work
- JD/Pharmacy
- JD/Master of Public Policy
- JD/Master of Science in Cybersecurity
If you’re not interested in earning a dual degree, the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law offers certificates in cybersecurity and crisis management, environmental law, and health law.
You can also specialize in certain areas of law by choosing to pursue degree tracks in business law, criminal law, dispute resolution, and intellectual property.
If you’re looking to gain some legal experience outside of the classroom, be sure to check out some of the legal clinics at Maryland Carey Law.
Clinics
Their clinics include (but aren’t limited to):
The Consumer Bankruptcy Clinic
In this clinic, students represent clients of limited means who need help filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy. They gain experience doing client interviews, learn how to counsel clients, gather information needed to file for bankruptcy, and provide representation at section 341 meetings with creditors. Students can also gain experience working on chapter 13 consumer cases.
The Decarceration Initiative Clinic
Students enrolled in this clinic gain litigation skills while providing legal services for incarcerated Marylanders that are eligible for sentence modification. Participating in this clinic helps students develop their interviewing, counseling, and fact-finding skills.
The Eviction Prevention Clinic
In this clinic, students gain experience working in Baltimore City eviction defense work and are able to represent clients in court. They work on failure to pay rent cases, breach of lease, and subsidy termination matters in Baltimore City courtrooms. Broader issues addressed in the clinic include human rights, access to justice, and housing policy.
The Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic
Students working in this clinic help low-income taxpayers that have a dispute with the IRS. They learn how to represent clients before the IRS examination and collection divisions, how to work with the IRS appeals office, and U.S. Tax Court procedures.
There are five legal journals at this school including the Maryland Law Review, the Journal of Business & Technology Law, the Journal of Health Care Law & Policy, the Maryland Journal of International Law, and the University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class.
Student Organizations
There are more than 40 student organizations to check out!
These include (the):
- Alternative Dispute Resolution Team
- American Constitution Society for Law and Policy
- Baltimore Outreach for Student Success
- Business Law Society
- Food Law Society
- Immigration Law and Policy Association
- Student Honor Board
- Trial Team
- Thurgood Marshall Trial Team
- Women’s Bar Association
Summary
Getting into the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law is by no means easy. The median undergrad GPA of program entrants is 3.72 and their median LSAT score is 164 (~80th percentile). The school’s relatively low acceptance rate of 26.1% means you’ll want to be an above average applicant to have a good shot at getting in.
This school may be a good choice if you’re interested in health care law, clinical training, dispute resolution, or environmental law. It’s also one to keep in mind if you’re planning on going to school part time.
2. The University of Baltimore School of Law
U.S. News and World Report Law School Ranking: #136
Tuition: $36,418 (in-state); $53,172 (out-of-state)
Median Undergrad GPA of Program Entrants: 3.45
Median LSAT Score of Program Entrants: 155
Acceptance Rate: 49.5%
First-Time Bar Passage Rate: 70.7%
Next on our list of the top law schools in Maryland is the University of Baltimore School of Law. This school was founded in 1925 and is one of the four colleges comprising the University of Baltimore. Located in the vibrant Mt. Vernon neighborhood, the school is within walking distance of the Inner Harbor, Johns Hopkins University, the Lyric Opera House, and various other attractions in the city. And if you want to head into DC for the day to do some sightseeing, the nation’s capital is just an hour away!
According U.S. News and World Report, the University of Baltimore School of Law comes in at:
- #4 in Clinical Training
- #16 in Legal Writing
- #38 Part-Time Law
- #59 in Criminal Law
- #71 in Dispute Resolution
Curriculum
The curriculum at the Baltimore School of Law is designed to ensure students exhibit a number of core legal competencies upon graduation. Students are trained to 1) understand the importance of legal professionalism and ethics, 2) have substantive knowledge of the law, 3) exhibit competence in core legal contexts (e.g., statutory law, common law, etc.), and 4) acquire fundamental lawyering skills like critical thinking, problem solving, and oral advocacy.
The school offers concentrations in eight areas of the law, including:
- Business Law
- Criminal Practice
- Family Law
- Intellectual Property
- International Law
- Litigation and Advocacy
- Public and Government Service
- Real Estate
Clinics
This school is ranked #4 by U.S. News and World Report in clinical training for a reason, as it has a number of excellent clinics students can participate in!
These include (but are not limited to):
The Bob Parsons Veteran’s Advocacy Clinic
Students in this clinic help veterans obtain benefits and other services that may require legal oversight. Participating in this clinic allows students to gain experience in community outreach, direct representation, and legislative advocacy.
The Bronfein Family Law Clinic
Here students represent clients in domestic violence, divorce, child custody, adoption, child support, and name change cases. Students enrolled in this clinic gain a lot of experience in litigation, legislative advocacy, and community-based projects.
The Criminal Defense and Advocacy Clinic
In this clinic students represent criminal defendants in Baltimore City Court. Students handle every aspect of a client’s case, including interviews, oral argument, cross-examination, and plea negotiations. This allows students to gain excellent experience in criminal law and trial advocacy while getting a broader understanding of how the criminal justice system works and what some of its systemic issues are.
The Mental Health Law Clinic
Students in this clinic represent child and adult clients facing involuntary psychiatric civil commitment. Students engage in case preparation, do investigations, and conduct interviews of clients, experts, and witnesses. They also prepare memoranda and argue motions before judges.
Students that want to sharpen their courtroom skills can participate in Moot Court, which gives them great training in written and oral advocacy. This is a great way to team up with other students and develop your legal analysis, research, and oral advocacy skills.
The Fannie Angelos Program For Academic Excellence allows people of all backgrounds to gain access to the legal profession. Done in conjunction with Maryland’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), this program received the prestigious ABA diversity leadership Reward.
There are two law journals at the school, The University of Baltimore Law Review and The University of Baltimore Law Forum. Only students with excellent grades are eligible to participate in either journal.
Student Organizations
There are over two dozen student organizations at the University of Baltimore School of Law! Among them are (the):
- American Bar Association
- Business and Tax Law Association
- Criminal Law Association
- Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Association
- Government and Military Law Association
- Immigration Law Association
- Parents in Law School
- Phi Alpha Delta
- Real Estate Law Association
- UB Disabled Law Students Association
Summary
The median GPA and LSAT scores of program entrants are 3.45 and 155, respectively. These numbers are attainable for many law school applicants! Additionally, the school has a relatively high acceptance rate of 49.5%, so there’s a good chance you’ll get in if your grades and LSAT scores are above the median values.
Based on its U.S. News and World Report rankings, definitely keep this school in mind if you’re enthusiastic about working in legal clinics and/or going to law school on a part-time basis.
How do I get into one of the law schools in Maryland?
Regardless of what school you end up applying to, there are plenty of things you’ll have to do before becoming a law student.
The good news is whether you’re applying to the best law schools in Maryland or another part of the country, the process is the same. The first step in the law school admissions timeline is to take the LSAT. Although there are no required LSAT score ranges for law school, both of these Maryland law schools have median LSAT scores that give you a pretty good indication of how you compare to their previous incoming class.
Of course, it’s important to give yourself the best chance by scoring higher than the median. Law schools want to attract the best, so make sure you give yourself the ultimate chance by getting a high LSAT score.
If you’re looking to improve your LSAT performance, Blueprint Prep has the best LSAT prep courses tailored to your individual learning style. From a DIY Self-Paced Online LSAT Course to a Live LSAT Class to our new, intensive 170+ LSAT Course and even Private LSAT Tutoring, we have the LSAT course designed to increase your score by 15 points on average!
Don’t want to commit to a prep course right now? Get access to a bunch of free LSAT resources when you create a Blueprint LSAT account. And when you’re ready to make the leap into LSAT prep, we’ll be here to help!
