When a professional is accused of violating ethical rules and faces a disciplinary action, they often have many of the same questions. These are our answers to some of the most common questions about protecting professional licenses. Which bodies are responsible for investigating complaints against professionals in Maryland? The regulatory body responsible for investigating complaints and taking disciplinary Read More
Professional Licensure
Three Steps Every Nurse Should Take After Receiving an Order of Summary Suspension from the Maryland Board of Nursing
It is every nurse’s worst nightmare. After investing thousands of dollars and a significant number of hours into not only obtaining your nursing license but building your nursing career, the prospect of receiving an Order of Summary Suspension and Notice of Agency Action from the Maryland Board of Nursing is too much to even fathom. It’s like a dagger in the heart. All it takes is a lapse in judgment, an Read More
What Can Lead to a Doctor Losing His License to Practice Medicine?
Doctors work very hard to earn their professional credentials. In addition to completing years of rigorous training in medical school, medical professionals also must complete residency requirements and pass board exams in order to be permitted to practice medicine. Once they have become qualified, doctors are required to abide by rules and regulations governing their profession. Failure to do so could result in Read More
You Just Received a Notice of Agency Action Letter from the Maryland Board of Nursing. What Now?
Nurses have an extraordinarily difficult job. From providing patient care to dealing with doctors and the healthcare bureaucracy, it is easy for even the most experienced nurse to be overwhelmed and, on occasion, make a mistake. Unfortunately, sometimes these mistakes prompt a formal letter from the Maryland Board of Nursing with the title, “Notice of Agency Action.” When that happens, the important thing is to Read More
The Maryland Bar Application: What Every Applicant Needs to Know
So you are ready to graduate from law school and begin working as an attorney in the State of Maryland. Of course, things are not quite so simple. Earning your juris doctor is just the first step. Before you can practice law, you must first apply for admission to the Maryland Bar. The admission process itself involves several steps and requires you to provide a significant amount of background information to the Read More
The Fee Agreement: Five Things to Consider
The last thing many Maryland attorneys want to think about is contracts, especially when it comes to sensitive matters like client fees. But written contracts are a necessary evil in this business. If you do not spell out the exact relationship between you and your client, it can easily come back to bite you. We have all dealt with problem clients who dispute every line item of every bill. While Maryland does not Read More
The Maryland Board of Physicians Just Denied Your Application for a License. What Now?
Before you can legally practice medicine in this state, the Maryland Board of Physicians must grant you a license. Any person who meets certain statutory qualifications can apply for licensure. Typically, the Board will act on an application within four months. If there is a problem with your application or the Board ultimately decides to reject it, then there may be an extended hearing and appeals process. Some Read More
Dealing with Character Issues in the Maryland Bar Application Process
For most applicants applying to gain admission into the Maryland Bar, the Application for Admission to the Maryland Bar (the “Bar Application”) is the height of inconvenience. Oftentimes, applicants are in law school and trying to complete the lengthy and extremely detailed Bar Application, which requires them to track down, among other things, former employers, college transcripts, and driving history records in Read More
Four Things Every Attorney Must do After Getting a Letter from Bar Counsel
If you have practiced law for any length of time in Maryland, you have–or will–receive a letter from Bar Counsel. This is the office that investigates complaints filed against licensed attorneys. As you probably already know, such complaints are commonplace. Bar Counsel receives approximately 2,000 complaints each year, most of which are resolved without any adverse action against the attorney. In a handful of Read More
Suffering from Addiction and Practicing Dentistry? Learn How You Can Keep Your License and Continue to Practice in Maryland
Dentists are highly trained medical professionals who provide invaluable oral healthcare services to Maryland residents. They are also human beings, which makes them just as vulnerable to the same physical and mental impairments as their patients. This includes substance abuse disorders, such as drug and alcohol addiction. Under Section 4-315(a)(5) of the Maryland Health Occupations Code, a dentist can face Read More
