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School of Law

Criminal Practice Clinic

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Faculty: Professors Dan Shemer and Mary Jo Livingston

The Criminal Practice Clinic offers students the opportunity to actually practice criminal law, under Rule 16 of the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar, in the trial courts of Maryland. Students prosecute or defend persons charged with crimes, such as assault, drug offenses, alcohol-related charges, disorderly conduct, theft and the like. As a student lawyer, you investigate, interview witnesses/clients, negotiate plea agreements, argue motions, give opening statements and closing arguments, direct- and cross-examine witnesses and more.

Unlike most of the other clinics at the University of Baltimore School of Law, CPC students are supervised by assistant state's attorneys and assistant public defenders, not University of Baltimore School of Law faculty. A classroom component, which is taught by a UB faculty member and meets once-a-week for two hours, rounds out the CPC experience.

You choose:

  • The office - State's Attorney Office or Public Defender Office.
  • The jurisdiction - Baltimore City or any county in the state.
  • The court - District Court (adult criminal matters) or the Juvenile Court (juvenile criminal matters); some jurisdictions even allow students to do some work in the Circuit Court.

Grading: The four-credit placement is pass/fail; the two-credit classroom component is graded.

Prerequisites: First-year day courses, Evidence, Criminal Law, and Constitutional Criminal Procedure I.

Co- or Prerequisite: Trial Advocacy; Professional Responsibility.

Policies and Procedures

The Criminal Practice Clinic selects its students through the lottery process.