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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1544*
HOUSE BILL 1544
C3 6lr2329
By: Delegate Rosenberg
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Justice Corps Program – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Justice Corps Program in the University 3
System of Maryland to provide an alternative pathway to a license to practice law 4
subject to a certain requir ement; and generally relating to the Maryland Justice 5
Corps Program. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 8
Section 10–207 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Education 13
Section 12–401 through 12–406 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 4. Maryland 14
Justice Corps Program” 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 20
10–207. 21
(a) To qualify for admission to the Bar, an applicant shall be an individual who 22
meets the requirements of this section. 23
(b) An applicant shall be of good character and reputation. 24
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(c) An applicant shall be at least 18 years old as of the date of admission. 1
(d) An applicant shall: 2
(1) have completed the academic work necessary to meet the minimum 3
requirements for admission to an American Bar Association approved law school; and 4
(2) have a degree of juris doctor or its equivalent from a law school that the 5
Board recognizes. 6
(e) An applicant shall [pass]: 7
(1) PASS a written examination given by the Board under this subtitle; OR 8
(2) SUCCESSFULLY COMPLET E THE MINIMUM QUALIF ICATIONS 9
ESTABLISHED BY THE SUPREME COURT OF MARYLAND FOR AN ALTER NATIVE 10
PATHWAY TO LICENSURE. 11
(f) An applicant shall meet any other qualification or requirement that the 12
Supreme Court of Maryland establishes by rule. 13
Article – Education 14
SUBTITLE 4. MARYLAND JUSTICE CORPS PROGRAM. 15
12–401. 16
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 17
INDICATED. 18
(B) “PARTICIPANT” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE APPLICATION TO 19
PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN APPROVED. 20
(C) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE MARYLAND JUSTICE CORPS PROGRAM. 21
(D) “SUPERVISING ORGANIZAT ION” MEANS A N ORGANIZATION THAT 22
PROVIDES CLOSE SUPERVISION OF AND PROFESSIONAL DEV ELOPMENT TO A 23
PARTICIPANT. 24
12–402. 25
(A) THERE IS A MARYLAND JUSTICE CORPS PROGRAM IN THE UNIVERSITY 26
SYSTEM OF MARYLAND. 27
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(B) (1) THE PROGRAM SHALL BE ADMI NISTERED JOINTLY BY THE 1
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND FRANCIS KING CAREY SCHOOL OF LAW AND THE 2
UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE SCHOOL OF LAW. 3
(2) IN ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM, THE UNIVERSITY OF 4
MARYLAND FRANCIS KING CAREY SCHOOL OF LAW AND THE UNIVERSITY OF 5
BALTIMORE SCHOOL OF LAW SHALL: 6
(I) ESTABLISH APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR THE 7
PROGRAM; 8
(II) REVIEW APPLICATIONS A ND SELECT INDIVIDUALS T O 9
PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM WHO MEET THE E LIGIBILITY REQUIREME NTS 10
ESTABLISHED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE; 11
(III) VERIFY THAT EACH PARTICIPANT IS PLACE D WITH A 12
SUITABLE SUPERVISING ORGANIZATION; 13
(IV) SUPPORT PARTICIPANTS AND SUPERVISING 14
ORGANIZATIONS; AND 15
(V) MONITOR THE COMPLIANCE OF PARTIC IPANTS AND 16
SUPERVISING ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM AND 17
THE LAWS OF THE STATE. 18
12–403. 19
(A) APPLICATIONS FOR PART ICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM MAY BE 20
ACCEPTED BEGINNING JULY 1, 2027. 21
(B) AN INDIVIDUAL SHALL B E APPROVED FOR PARTICI PATION IN THE 22
PROGRAM IF THE INDIVIDUAL: 23
(1) SUBMITS AN APPLICATIO N IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE 24
PROCEDURES ESTABLISHED FOR THE PROGRAM; 25
(2) IS A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND FRANCIS 26
KING CAREY SCHOOL OF LAW OR THE UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE SCHOOL OF 27
LAW; 28
(3) HAS NOT TAKEN THE MARYLAND BAR EXAMINATION; AND 29
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(4) HAS COMMITTED TO A 3–YEAR TERM OF PARTICI PATION IN THE 1
PROGRAM WITH A SUPERV ISING ORGAN IZATION THAT THE PROGRAM HAS 2
DETERMINED TO BE SUITABLE. 3
(C) TO BE DETERMINED AS A SUITABLE SUPERVISING ORGANIZA TION 4
UNDER THE PROGRAM, THE SUPERVISING ORGANIZATION SHALL: 5
(1) BE A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATION LOCATED IN THE STATE; 6
(2) AGREE TO SHARE THE TOTAL COST OF THE BENEFITS PROVIDED 7
TO A PARTICIPANT UNDER § 12–404 OF THIS SUBTITLE; AND 8
(3) AGREE TO PROVIDE PROF ESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT NO COST 9
TO THE PARTICIPANT , INCLUDING MENTORSHIP , TRAINING, AND NETWORKING 10
OPPORTUNITIES. 11
(D) THE PROGRAM SHALL GIVE PR IORITY TO SUPERVISING 12
ORGANIZATIONS THAT: 13
(1) WORK IN UNDERSERVED AREAS OF THE STATE; OR 14
(2) SPECIALIZE IN UNDERSERVED LEGAL AREAS. 15
12–404. 16
(A) (1) A PARTICIPANT IN THE PROGRAM SHALL RECEIVE THE BENEFITS 17
AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS SECTION. 18
(2) THE STATE AND THE SUPERVI SING ORGANIZATION EACH SHALL 19
PAY 50% OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE BENEFITS PROVIDED TO A PARTICIPANT 20
UNDER THIS SECTION. 21
(B) A PARTICIPANT SHALL RECEIVE: 22
(1) AN ANNUAL SALARY OF $75,000; AND 23
(2) AN ANNUAL HOUSING STIPEND OF $15,000. 24
(C) IF A PARTICIPANT HAS STUD ENT LOAN DEBT FOR AT TENDING LAW 25
SCHOOL, THE PARTICIPANT SHAL L RECEIVE UP TO $30,000 FOR EACH YEAR OF 26
PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM TO BE USED FOR PAYME NT OF THE STUDENT 27
LOAN DEBT. 28
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12–405. 1
(A) WHEN A PARTICIPANT HAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE PROGRAM, 2
THE SUPERVISING ORGANIZATION SHALL ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION TO 3
THE PARTICIPANT. 4
(B) AFTER A PARTICIPANT HAS RECEIVED A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION 5
IN ACCORDANCE WITH S UBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION , THE PARTICIPANT MAY 6
COMPLETE THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE SUPREME COURT 7
OF MARYLAND FOR AN ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY TO LICENSURE. 8
(C) A PARTICIPANT WHO HAS RECEIVED A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION IN 9
ACCORDANCE WITH SUBS ECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION AND HAS SUCCESSFULLY 10
COMPLETED THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIO NS ESTABLISHED BY TH E SUPREME 11
COURT OF MARYLAND FOR AN ALTER NATIVE PATHWAY TO LI CENSURE SHALL BE 12
ADMITTED TO THE BAR UNDER § 10–207 OF THE BUSINESS OCCUPATIONS AND 13
PROFESSIONS ARTICLE. 14
12–406. 15
THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND SHALL ADOPT REG ULATIONS TO 16
CARRY OUT THIS SUBTITLE. 17
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 18
October 1, 2026. 19