Advising & Mentoring

Assistant Deans Michele Hayes (m.hayes@law.umaryland.edu) and Crystal Edwards (cedwards@law.umaryland.edu) are primarily responsible for academic advising. Students are encouraged to consult either one for general advice on designing a two- or three-year course plan beyond the initial required course structure. They can also answer questions about the curriculum, specific course offerings, and dual degree programs. Dean Edwards has overall responsibility for the school's externship and study abroad programs. Steven Boggs (sboggs@law.umaryland.edu), the Director of Law Registration is a valuable source of information about academic rules and degree requirements.  

As director of the Academic Achievement Program Associate Dean Russell McClain (rmcclain@law.umaryland.edu) adds another perspective about course selection and academic and career goals. Assistant Dean Dana Morris (dmorris@law.umaryland.edu) and the professional staff of the Career Development Office provide academic guidance as it relates to achieving career goals. Micah Yarbrough, Assistant Director Academic Achievement and Bar Preparation Programs (mYarbrough@law.umaryland.edu) offers valuable advice about bar requirements and bar courses.   

Required courses will prepare you for many subject areas that will be covered on the bar exam. We encourage all students to enroll in courses covered by the bar exam, among other elective courses.  

• Bar Exam Subjects 

Students are encouraged to speak with faculty and managing program directors for advice about certificate or track requirements for the various programs and about specific course offerings.  

Informal advisors for students seeking guidance

Peer Advisor Program

Overview

Are you interested in taking on a leadership role within the law school?  Do you have a desire to pass on to new students the wisdom you have gained from your law school experience?  This is your opportunity to pay it forward!  Please consider serving as a Peer Advisor during the 2019-2020 academic year to provide advice and guidance to the next entering class.

Peer advisors are upper class students who primarily mentor, support, and provide leadership to 1Ls throughout their first year of law school.  They are often also called upon to provide guidance to other new students as needed (transfers, visitors, and LLMs).  Peer Advisors are assigned to each first-year section of day and evening students.  They work with the Office of Student Affairs during our fall orientation program to introduce new students to the law school.  In addition, they plan activities throughout the year to help students become acclimated to the demands of academics and student life outside of the classroom, to become familiar with resources available at the law school and on the larger campus, and to explore all that the Baltimore-Washington region has to offer them.

The Office of Student Affairs is seeking applicants who are enthusiastic, exercise good judgment, are creative, and are interested in building a strong sense of community at the law school.  Our goal is to select 4 to 5 Peer Advisors for each first-year section of day and evening students.

Peer Advisor Obligations

• Serve as mentors primarily to first-year law students throughout the academic year as they acclimate to the University of Maryland Carey School of Law community.
• Depending on their availability in the summer months, Peer Advisors will attend welcome night events for new students in June and July and address new student questions by email, social media, online chat sessions, and panel programs among other activities.
• Participate in a mandatory peer advisor orientation in mid-August just prior to fall orientation for new students. Veteran/Returning Peer Advisors will assist in the planning and implementation of new Peer Advisor Orientation.
• Participate in the mandatory fall orientation program for incoming students on Monday, August 19 and Tuesday, August 20. August 19 will be when we will need the most PA participation during orientation.
• Act as a guide throughout orientation by introducing new students to what they can expect during their first-year of law school and familiarizing them with student-life resources here at the law school and on the larger campus.
• Maintain regular contact with assigned first-year section and communicate information about student activities, academic advising, exam strategies, student leadership opportunities, summer opportunities, and course selection. Help plan and participate in group activities with your assigned section of students.
• Ideally, Peer Advisors will plan one event per month per semester for their section avoiding programming blackout, reading and exam periods. Select a fellow Peer Advisor from your section to serve as a liaison for your section. Liaisons will meet periodically with the Peer Advisor Coordinator who oversees Peer Advisor activities and programming.

Application Deadline and Interviews

The Peer Advisor application deadline is Friday, March 29, 2019 at 11:59 pm.

• First-time applicants must interview to serve in this role. If selected to interview, the Office of Student Affairs will contact you.
• Interviews of first-time peer advisor applicants will be conducted between Wednesday, March 27 and Wednesday, April 10 and selections will be made shortly thereafter.
• Veteran/Returning peer advisors will not have to reapply or interview again. However, please notify Assistant Dean Michele Hayes at m.hayes@law.umaryland.edu if you would like to be a peer advisor again.

Peer Advisor Training

The Peer Advisor Training for 2019-2020 Peer Advisors will take place on Wednesday, May 8 at 11:00 am – 12:30 pm. Lunch will be provided. (Room TBD)

Please feel free to contact Michele Hayes in the Office of Student Affairs at m.hayes@law.umaryland.edu or 410.706.5235 if you have any questions.

Career Development for J.D. Students 

The University of Maryland Baltimore offers academic coaching, a service designed to provide individual and personalized support to all UMB students. For more information and to request an academic coach, please visit Educational Support and Disability Services.