Longtime Faculty Member Robert Rubinson Will Build on the Strong Foundation Established by Founding Program Director, Barbara Babb
June 22, 2021 – Professor Robert Rubinson will serve as Director of The University of Baltimore School of Law’s online Post-J.D. Certificate in Family Law beginning July 1. He will assume the leadership position held by founding program director, Professor Barbara Babb.
In speaking about the transition, Professor Babb has said, “I am delighted to hand the reins of this program to my dear friend and colleague. Rob’s experience leading the law school’s clinical program and his breadth of scholarly interests bring important perspectives to this hands-on program, which is focused on preparing lawyers to take a holistic and problem-solving approach to family law.”
Rubinson was involved in the program’s design as a faculty advisor to the team of leading practitioners and judges who developed the curriculum and course content for the certificate. “It’s wonderful to draw on the expertise of the family law community in Baltimore and our region, and to draw their insights back into the training of lawyers who want to pursue family law,” he said. “The Post-J.D. Certificate in Family Law has an incredible and immensely committed faculty, and the program provides students with a depth of knowledge, practice insights and mentorship. I see my job as incoming director as supporting what’s already there, enhancing it where possible, and working to extend the program’s reach so that more students can take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.”
A nationally recognized expert who has consulted and published widely on issues of legal ethics and professional responsibility, Rubinson has taught at the school of law since 1997. In addition to teaching courses on professional responsibility, alternative dispute resolution, law and poverty, critical legal theory, and a seminar on mediating family disputes, he currently directs the law school’s Mediation Clinic for Families and recently served as Interim Associate Dean for Experiential Education.
He sees an alignment between leading a program focused on training practicing attorneys in family law and his other interests: “At the root of my work in professional responsibility and mediation is an interest in ensuring that clients are well served by the attorneys they retain. The certificate program in the end is about ensuring that clients get effective representation in a vital practice area, where the issues are deep, complex, and often affect children.”
The Post-J.D. Certificate in Family Law, launched in 2017, helps equip lawyers with the in-depth and cross-disciplinary knowledge they need to excel in the field of family law. Since Fall 2019, the program has been offered fully online to make it accessible to students nationwide. The 16-credit, five-course program is administered by the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts at the School of Law. It offers an interdisciplinary education in all aspects of family law, including child development, financial issues, advocacy and the business aspects of a family law practice.
