“You ought to be a lawyer!” This section will help you select your courses and create your academic road map.
You heard it a lot and took it to heart―and now you’re in law school. What kind of lawyer do you want to be? How do you discover which kind of law is right for you? The legal field encompasses a multitude of specialties, and important distinctions exist between, say, employment law and criminal law or between a practice specializing in wills and estates and one that focuses on the environment.
At the University of Baltimore School of Law, our advice to you is simple: Take a look around. Think about what you care about. From that first step you can begin to determine the area of the law that fits your ambitions, your intellect and your dreams.
To help you, we’ve gathered fundamental information about nearly 20 fields of legal practice that includes:
- A basic job description
- The skills you’ll need to succeed in the field
- A list of courses that will help you build those skills
- The types of jobs attorneys in that field usually find
- Co-curricular activities to consider as a student
- Names of faculty and/or alumni available to mentor you in the field.
Our goal is to help you shape and customize your law school experience to support your personal and professional goals. UBalt is here to help you.
Of course, many people enter law school with an interest in examining all the possibilities. If that sounds like you, check out our recommended courses. This list will assist you as you build important skills and will also help make you more marketable in many fields.
Concentrations
The School of Law also offers concentrations in eight of the featured fields of practice. In these instances, you’ll find a link that will direct you to detailed information about the concentration. There is overlap between the suggested courses and the concentration requirements, but the two are not interchangeable. If you want to pursue a concentration, you must read the concentration requirements carefully.
What's the difference between a concentration and a practice track?
A concentration comprises substantive or doctrinal courses in a particular area of the law. Practice tracks combine these courses with practical activities like externships, moot court and co-curricular activities to develop the skills necessary for practice in a particular area of the law. UBalt has 19 practice tracks and nine areas of concentration.
Practice Tracks
Areas of Concentration
You’re on your way!
Once you understand the range of practice areas, you can begin the work of law school with purpose and get the most from UBalt’s acclaimed academic program and experiential learning opportunities.
Course availability
Keep in mind that some courses are not necessarily offered every semester. It’s wise to start planning your trajectory early to make sure you plug all your desired courses into your law school schedule. The total number of credits required to complete the JD at UBalt Law is 87.