Sydney Comitz Bowers, B.S. '15, J.D. '17, didn’t just attend The University of Baltimore; she strategically
engineered her future. By leveraging UBalt’s unique pre-law option to seamlessly merge her bachelor’s in business administration with her Juris Doctor,
Comitz Bowers turned her education into a calculated career advantage—saving valuable
time and tuition dollars in the process.
This accelerated path didn't just fast-track her entry into the legal world; it equipped her with the business acumen she now uses daily as the office manager and attorney at Bowers Law, LLC. Whether she is unraveling complex injury claims or managing the operations at the firm, Sydney proves that a law degree backed by business strategy is a powerful differentiator in a crowded market.
Her journey from a savvy undergraduate to a dual Cum Laude graduate illustrates exactly
what is possible when you choose an education built on radical flexibility—but the
real proof lies in the lives she changes every day.
She recently sat down with us to share her career milestones, thoughts on the intersection
of business and law, and offers valuable advice for our students.
As both an attorney and the office manager at Bowers Law, how do you balance the demands
of practicing law with the operational challenges of running a business?
"To be clear, it was not easy. The balancing act of being a practicing attorney with my own caseload and managing an entire law office which at one time consisted of three locations, seven attorneys and four support staff was further complicated by my commitment to being an involved, loving parent. The demands of office management have fluctuated dramatically over time. We all lived through a global pandemic that re-wrote the way we do business seemingly overnight. I would credit my adaptability, good time management, commitment to crafting and empowering the right team and adopting the right technologies as being the most helpful in juggling what is certainly a great, ever-changing balancing act."
What are the most significant business challenges you face in the daily operations
of private legal practice?
"By far the biggest challenge is managing the limited resources of time, money and
human capacity to maximize firm outcomes for the present and future. It is always
a challenge to manage limited resources so that we can both meet our office’s present
needs and build and grow the firm for the future. Firm growth requires the same if
not more focus and intention than managing daily operations and the two are always
in competition."
How do you use your business acumen to help clients safeguard and maximize their settlement
money after a case is resolved?
"As a personal injury attorney, the biggest way I can maximize my client’s settlement
is by keeping myself up to date on the laws that are adjacent to my industry. I make
a point to constantly learn about the medical billing industry, how health insurance
carriers and lien holders are operating, and what financial investment tools exist
for clients to invest and grow settlement money. In my opinion, maximizing settlement,
is as much a result of efforts of minimizing your clients’ debts, negotiating their
balances, and holding billing providers accountable as it is negotiating a good settlement.
When I learn something new, I then ask, 'how can I leverage this information for a
better outcome for our clients?' Typically, that involves me amending our procedures,
updating our staff training and drafting standard letters we can use over and over
again for reoccurring industry challenges."
How did the Early Entry law option at the University of Baltimore allow you to strategically
accelerate your career path while saving time and tuition?
"Being able to graduate one year earlier than I would have otherwise been able to,
saved me money on not only tuition, but rent. I worked several campus jobs, applied
for countless scholarships and combined those efforts with the early entry law track
to minimize my debt. I know that the savings and acceleration of my degree, which
the early entry law option provided me, allowed me to stretch my academic scholarships
and to graduate with more financial freedom than many of my peers had the opportunity
to do. While not for lack of hard work on my end, the opportunity the Early Entry
law option provided to me, allowed me to enter the legal field sooner and with more
freedom to pursue the kind of law that I was passionate about. I know how absolutely
blessed I was to have that experience when many of my peers did not."
In what ways did your undergraduate business studies specifically prepare you for the rigors of the UBalt School of Law?
"The quality of the professors who taught me at the UBalt Merrick School of Business was outstanding. I was taught and mentored by leading business professionals with real world experiences in being industry leaders. They imparted wisdom beyond the text books and were genuinely committed to producing not just “good hires,” but great leaders. I felt fully prepared to take on and navigate law school during what would have been my senior year thanks to the high quality of the professors at the UBalt Merrick School of Business."
What advice would you give to undergraduate students who are considering a career
that combines the disciplines of business and law?
"On their own business and law are each strong degrees that when combined with good
work ethic will yield many opportunities for gainful employment. However, when you
understand both business and law there are even more opportunities across so many
diverse fields. Not only does combining these disciplines provide the opportunity to do unique, intellectually-stimulating,
and fulfilling work, but you also learn skills which will empower you to be successfully,
self-employed. More doors open and even if difficult job markets, you have the profound
power of choice, enabled by your knowledge backed skills, of where you want to apply
yourself. I think it is a particularly good fit for students who are internally motivated,
that are seeking the maximum amount of opportunity and flexibility in their careers."
What inspired you to get involved with the Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center, and why is this advocacy work so meaningful to you?
"I became acquainted with Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center (MCVRC), trying to help a client who was struck by a hit and run driver where there was no insurance coverage. It didn’t sit well with me not having some type solution to offer. A colleague told me they had heard of a group that advocated on behalf of victims and recommended I call MCVRC.
I remember my first conversation with the MCVRC advocate. When I told her I was an attorney, seeking to find help for someone who needed it, she told me I came to the right place, that she had a good feeling about me, and wanted to put me in touch with their executive director. When I spoke to the executive director I recall that he was taken aback by how much I cared. I believe he instantly recognized my internal sense of justice and later (after a full vetting) endorsed my appointment to the board of directors. Advocacy in general is simply educated, organized passion in motion.
Victims’ advocacy is a natural extension of injury advocacy, which I know and love. The work I am doing with MCVRC is helping to grow and shape me into the person I want to become. I have the pleasure of doing this surrounded by some of the most wonderful, inspiring advocates. If you or a loved one have ever been a victim of a crime, or even suffered a serious injury through someone else’s negligent and harmful actions, then you know the type of person you want helping you is someone who still burns for justice, who sees and respects you and who is committed to empowering you and walking along side of you as you navigate some of the most difficult experiences of your life. Those are the qualities, I strive to develop in myself and they are the qualities I most admire in my colleagues at Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center."
What personal goal(s) have you set for yourself this year to continue your professional
growth?
"As office manager it is largely up to me to set goals for our office and our team
and track how we are achieving those goals, but with a law office it’s not always
easy to predict which cases will resolve in which year so my goals tend to be mix
of improving client experiences, streamlining procedures, and training staff. My
focus for my own professional growth in 2026 is on continuing education and learning
about industries which are adjacent to injury law. I try to educate myself on how
things like medical billing, HIPAA laws, and lien resolution so that I can offer my
clients more value. An example of this is last year I focused on learning about medical
billing requirements and held a provider accountable for a bill they tried to collect
on which had become uncollectible due to a billing error on behalf of the provider.
This year, I will continue to build upon my knowledge base to dispute uncollectible
bills. It sounds really boring, but it saved that particular client about $20,000."