Pre-Law Board of Advisors
The Pre-Law Advisory Board (PLAB) is a resource for the Loyola University Maryland. The members of the PLAB are stakeholders of Loyola who have a responsibility to provide input concerning the quality, form, and outcomes of Loyola’s undergraduate programs, and provide critical and useful feedback to the Pre-Law Advisor and to the Associate Dean of Social Sciences and Graduate Programs.
The Board provides recommendations to the pre-law advisor at Loyola to raise the academic climate for our undergraduate students and their faculty to enhance the number and quality of applicants into law school and related fields and to increase national visibility and prestige for Loyola University’s pre-law program.
The Board reviews and provides feedback to the Pre-Law Advisor on ways to improve the pre-law program at Loyola.



Abbie Flanagan is an Assistant Public Defender in Maryland, where she advocates for the educational rights of young people in the youth legal system. Her work includes representing students in special education and school discipline matters, ensuring that youth in out-of-home placements have access to appropriate education, and training attorneys and social workers to recognize and address educational barriers. Abbie graduated from the University of Kansas (B.S., 1997) and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law (J.D., 2004). She has represented young people in jurisdictions across Maryland throughout her career and also spent time at Loyola’s Center for Community, Service, and Justice, where she worked as the Assistant Director of Outreach and Advocacy. She is especially committed to challenging systemic barriers in education and enjoys encouraging future advocates—like Loyola’s pre-law students—to pursue this important work.


Timothy Lynch is the president of Offit Kurman. He is also a member of the firm's Executive Committee. As such, he is involved in the management of daily operations as well as the strategic planning for the firm. He also leads the firm’s growth and expansion efforts. Before moving into this role, he was the firm’s managing principal and took the lead on supervising all lawyer operations at the firm. Timothy has a national practice that focuses acting as general counsel and special litigation counsel for many entrepreneurs as well as owner-managed businesses and their owners in a wide array of industries. In that regard, he regularly advises clients on strategic, growth and corporate issues. He also regularly advises financial institutions and key employees on employment and regulatory issues. Locally, Timothy serves as board counsel and general counsel to the Washington Area New Auto Dealers Association (WANADA). He is the founder of the Best Practices Roundtable for CEOs in Central Maryland.
Internationally, Timothy is the principal delegate for the Association of International Law Firm Affiliates (AILFN). He also serves as the global chairperson of "Best Practices for Professional Services Organization Practice Group" for Geneva Group International (GGI). GGI is an educational and referral group of international, independent audit, accounting, law and consulting firms. Timothy speaks on panels globally several times a year regarding best practices and developing trends in the legal services and professional services industries.

Searle E. Mitnick is a member of Gordon Feinblatt LLC, a Baltimore-based law firm, where he practices mainly in real estate and business. His combined 50 years of legal experience have gained him a reputation for forming various business entities; handling major lease transactions of commercial and multipurpose properties; managing bond financing, mortgage insurance, and state and federal subsidies; overseeing the acquisition, development and construction financing of real estate and solar facilities; collaborating on multistate transactions; and serving as an expert witness and presenter for numerous industry and professional seminars. Searle graduated with a B.S. from Loyola College (now Loyola University Maryland) and holds a J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School. After graduating from law school, he clerked for the Hon. Frederick J. Singley, Jr. of the Court of Appeals of Maryland.


Jimmy Peabody-Harrington is a labor and employment attorney at Miles & Stockbridge, P.C., in Baltimore, Maryland. Jimmy advises businesses navigating workplace legal challenges in the courtroom and C-suite and crafts customized solutions to meet his clients’ business objectives. His practice includes representing employers and businesses in a range of matters, including claims of discrimination and harassment, breach of contract, wage and hour and wrongful discharge. Jimmy is a graduate of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law (J.D., 2021) and Loyola University Maryland (B.A., 2017). At Loyola, Jimmy was involved in the Student Government Association, the Pre-Law Society, and club and intramural sports.



