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 2026-2027 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 first year law students. 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 Services during New Student Orientation 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 Services 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 3 to 4 Peer Advisors for each first-year section of day and evening students.
How to Become a Peer Advisor
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.
- Participate in a mandatory peer advisor orientation in mid-August just prior to fall orientation for new students.
- Participate in the mandatory fall orientation program for incoming students.
- 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 and promote participation in Maryland Carey Law House Cup Events.
- 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 Head Coordinator who oversees Peer Advisor activities and programming.
Deadlines and Interviews
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Interviews of peer advisor applicants will be conducted on a rolling basis throughout March early April. Selections will be made shortly thereafter.
Peer Advisor Training
The Peer Advisor Training for 2026-2027 Peer Advisors will take place in August.
Please feel free to contact Director of Student Affairs, Jason Hess if you have any questions.