The Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) is funding scholarships for attorneys attending this innovative online program.
April 5, 2021 – The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) – Maryland Chapter has funded a new scholarship for the Post-J.D. Certificate in Family Law. Starting in Fall 2021, students enrolled in the program can begin to receive the award. This new scholarship is funded by the AAML-Maryland Chapter’s three-year commitment of $3,000 per year. The goal of funding the scholarship is to improve the practice of family law and to encourage attorneys to enter this critical practice area. Scholarship awards are based on need and fund availability for students who enroll full-time in the certificate program and who remain in good academic standing in program coursework.
Since 2015, the Maryland Chapter of AAML has endowed the Cheryl Lynn Hepfer Family Law Award at the University of Baltimore School of Law to recognize students who show promise as family lawyers by excelling in a range of family law coursework and experiences at UB. This new gift reflects the chapter’s commitment to AAML’s mission, “To encourage the study, improve the practice, elevate the standards, and advance the cause of matrimonial law, to the end that the welfare of the family and society be protected.”
Program Director, Professor Barbara Babb, explained the importance of this new scholarship for attorneys interested in the Post-J.D. Certificate in Family Law. “Since the program’s launch in 2017, we have heard from our applicants and students that the greatest barrier to enrollment and completion of the program is financial. This scholarship funding allows us to ease the financial burden on our students. It also permits us to encourage more attorneys to use the program to sharpen their skills and to develop a holistic, family-centered approach to the practice of family law. This is truly an investment in improving the future of family law practice.”
The only program of its kind nationally, the online certificate program was developed in collaboration with an advisory committee of preeminent family law attorneys and judges in Maryland, many of whom are members of the Maryland Chapter of AAML. Program faculty include distinguished practicing attorneys and judges who are leaders in family law. The Post-J.D. Certificate in Family Law offers a firm grounding in the core skills and knowledge essential to the practice of family law and insights into the day-to-day practice of this dynamic area of the law from those who are at the leading edge of the field.
UB is recognized widely for the quality and breadth of its family law courses, clinical and experiential offerings, family law center, and the Family Law Area of Concentration within the J.D. program. The certificate program is housed in the University of Baltimore School of Law’s Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts, a nationally renowned center of advocacy, legal education and community-based action dedicated to transforming the family justice system, improving family courts, and connecting courts to communities. CFCC works to ensure that the practice of family law in Maryland, the nation, and around the world improves the lives of families and the health of communities.
