Lawrence E. Schmidt
Considered by some to be one of the preeminent practitioners of land use law in Baltimore County, Larry has been a member of the Bar of Maryland for over 40 years. Larry initially litigated both civil and criminal cases before focusing on land use in the 1980’s. In that decade, Larry was a member of the Baltimore County Board of Appeals for approximately five years. During that time, he adjudicated complicated and significant land use cases including several which ultimately came before the appellate courts of the State and established widely cited precedent. He returned to private practice after his tenure on the Board and then was appointed Zoning Commissioner for Baltimore County in 1991. He served in that position for over 13 years (1991-2004), which represents the longest period of service of any individual ever in that position. All told, he has personally adjudicated over 3,000 cases involving complex land use issues. Larry retired from government service in 2004 and founded the law firm of Gildea & Schmidt, LLC with David Gildea in 2004. Later, the firm merged with the practice of Michael Paul Smith and Smith, Gildea & Schmidt LLC was established in 2011. Larry became Of Counsel to the firm in 2020. His practice primarily focuses on land use matters, including zoning, development, historic preservation and environmental issues, and related litigation. He has appeared in numerous courts throughout the state on various land use matters, including the Maryland Appellate Court, the United States District Court for Maryland and the United States Court of Appeals (Fourth Circuit). His clients range from national corporations (e.g., Amazon) to individuals who need land use and zoning counsel. Larry also has significant experience in representing clients before state and local administrative agencies and tribunals.
Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College), B.A. cum laude (1975)
University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D. (1979)
Court of Appeals of Maryland (May 24, 1979)
Circuit Court for Baltimore County (November 16, 1979)
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (1980)
U.S. Supreme Court (1998)
Larry is a member of The Maryland State Bar Association and an at large member of the directors of the Real Property Section. In addition, he served on the Maryland State Bar Association’s Board of Governors from 1998 to 2000. He is also a member of the Baltimore County Bar Association and has chaired and served on numerous committees of that association.
In addition to his legal endeavors, Larry is a frequent speaker to service organizations, community groups and professional organizations. He also has authored articles in the Maryland Bar Journal
In furtherance of Smith, Gildea & Schmidt’s commitment to making Baltimore and Maryland a better place, Larry has engaged in numerous volunteer activities during his career. He is formerly a member of the Board of Education for Baltimore County and served as its President from 2011 through 2014. Larry has also served as President of the Greater Towson Committee and was also an active member of the Lutherville – Timonium Recreation Council. Larry serves as President of the Board of Directors of Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center, a non-profit educational center in northern Baltimore County.
He is a member of the Baltimore County Chapter of the Maryland Building Industry Association (formerly known as the Home Builders Association of Maryland) and has lent his expertise to many other advisory groups and organizations. For many years, Larry served as a mentor in the Mock Trial program for high school students and has also served in numerous leadership positions in his church (Timonium United Methodist Church) .