If you are interested in running, take a look at the positions up for election: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MxlxVZWVu0v15Rotpz0yqAtm2oQE023CcAfzw9-imhg/edit?usp=drivesdk

Make sure you join the GroupMe:  https://groupme.com/join_group/98190174/lGxZwaIx

And follow the Pre-Law Society on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/umbcprelaw

We're so excited to get started on our very first article for the UMBC Law Review! 

This article will be in Restorative Justice, focusing on the connection between restorative justice and the rehabilitation of formerly incarcerated individuals. 

Mack and Han will be working directly with the writers to support you in writing the article and ensuring deadlines are met. 

James will also be available to answer any questions you have about the admissions process.

Students who are planning to apply for Fall 2024 admission are strongly encouraged to attend!

12-1 pm. Library Gallery. "From the Classroom to the Courtroom: 2018 UMBC English Alumna Breia Lassiter Tells Her Story." Breia Lassiter (Juris Doctor, Michigan State University), Associate Attorney in the Employment Law practice group of Dinsmore & Shohl, a law firm in Cincinnati, Ohio, will discuss her personal history from her days as an English major at UMBC, through law school and work as a student clinician at Michigan State University, to taking the bar exam, passing it, and finally now working as an Associate Attorney at a law firm.  This talk will be of interest to all Alumni, and to Pre-Law, English, and other CAHSS majors, in particular, who are considering career paths in public service.  

 

4-5:30 pm. Library Gallery.  Panel, "Restorative Justice and the Rights of the Incarcerated."

Our distinguished speakers will be:

Breia Lassiter, 2018 English Alumna, now working as an Associate Attorney for Dinsmore & Shohl. In her work as a law student clinician, Ms. Lassiter successfully advocated for the rights of an incarcerated man who was not receiving his religious meal accommodations from the prison. For months he could hardly eat anything that was served to him, and she was able to argue on his behalf as a student clinician at Michigan's Sixth Circuit. The court published the opinion ruling in his favor. She will speak on her work in this specific case. 

 

Walter Lomax, Executive Director, Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative.  Mr. Lomax was unjustly incarcerated in a Baltimore area prison for 39 years for crimes he didn't commit.  Since his exoneration and release in 2007,  he has used his voice to become a powerful, influential advocate for criminal justice reform in MD. He is the founder and leader of the Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative. In 2021, The Walter Lomax Act (Senate Bill 14) was signed into law, overhauling how the state compensates people who are wrongfully convicted, sentenced, and incarcerated for crimes.

 

Natasha Dartigue (J.D),  Office of the Public Defender, Baltimore, MD. She was just appointed in 2022 as Maryland's Public Defender and served in a related capacity in advocating for the rights of the incarcerated for more than twenty years.  She and her office have been associated with helping exonerate a number of individuals recently. Ms. Dartigue will speak about the work of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. On March 18, 1963, the United States Supreme Court guaranteed the right to counsel to indigent defendants in criminal cases in the landmark case, Gideon v. Wainwright.  On July 1, 1971, the Maryland Legislature created the Maryland Office of the Public Defender (OPD). OPD opened its doors in 1972 and is an independent state agency. 

Cosponsors: Alumni Association; the following departments: English, GWST, History, Political Science, American Studies, Center for Social Science Scholarship (CS3); and the Dresher Center for the Humanities 

The Chairwoman will discuss the legal challenges facing her nation, as the approval of off-shore windfarms threatens to destroy the important historical and cultural sites of one of the first Native nations to have contact with European colonizers. 

Schools that will be represented during the workshop include American University Washington College of Law, University of Baltimore School of Law, Howard University School of Law, The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law (Catholic Law)

Attendees will hear from actual law school deans of admission about the rigorous selection process, learn what the components of a "top-notch" application are, how to choose the school that's right for you, and much more!

Santoni, Vocci & Ortega is a boutique litigation law firm in Timonium focused on tenants' rights, consumer protection, and personal injury. 

The firm is looking for a law clerk to join their team. This position is available immediately and will be paid on an hourly basis for part-time clerks.

Candidates should possess the following skills:

De'Jonique Carter, Pre-Law Advisor at Dillard University, will provide guidance on how you can evaluate what schools to apply to, and ultimately what schools to attend.

Whether you're working on getting your apps in before Thanksgiving, or you're anxiously awaiting responses, take this opportunity to ask De'Jonique any questions you have about applications and admissions!

Register here to get the Zoom link.

If you can't attend live the session will be recorded and emailed out to those who registered.