Situated in the mid-Atlantic region, Maryland is in the Fourth Federal Circuit Court jurisdiction of the U.S. The capital city is Annapolis and its largest city is Baltimore. Nicknamed The Chesapeake State, Old Line State, and the Free State, Maryland is one of the original thirteen colonies. The state is considered the home of religious freedom, founded by George Calvert in 1632 as a refuge for persecuted Catholics from England.

Maryland was the seventh state to ratify the US Constitution and was critical in the founding of Washington D.C, which sits on land donated by Maryland. The state has one of the highest median average salaries because its proximity to the nation’s capital makes it home to government contracting jobs in aerospace and defense, as well as medical and bio-research laboratories.

Several government agencies also call Maryland home, including the National Security Agency/Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Information Systems Agency, and United States Cyber Command. Political party strength is regularly with the Democratic Party, and the state contributes 10 electoral votes to presidential elections.

Johns Hopkins University and School of Medicine in Baltimore is one of the best healthcare systems in the U.S. The University of Maryland is a leading public research university, too. Maryland is home to several Fortune 500 companies, including Lockheed Martin, Marriott International Hotels, Discovery Communications, Under Armour, McCormick & Co. spices, T. Rowe Price investments, Ciena telecommunications, and Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Baltimore has a thriving tourism industry with key landmarks in the Inner Harbor, including National Aquarium, Port Discovery Children’s Museum, and Fort McHenry National Monument. Baltimore is home to the Baltimore Ravens NFL team and the Baltimore Orioles MLB team. Baseball fans enjoy Orioles Park at Camden Yards and the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum. Maryland is also home to Ocean City and miles of oceanfront property along Chesapeake Bay, as well as Civil War landmarks like Antietam National Battlefield.

The National Law Review covers federal and state news from the state of Maryland including government agency regulations and legislation, sick leave and employment law, telehealth, cybersecurity threats, immigration and visa-news, and other topics which affect the state.