Land use and zoning approvals can determine whether a project moves forward, stalls, or never gets off the ground. At Shulman Rogers, we help landowners, developers, lenders, and institutions navigate Maryland zoning and land use regulations with clear judgment and steady advocacy.

We deliver elite legal expertise through genuine partnership — staying responsive, accessible, and closely aligned with your business objectives from due diligence through entitlement, permitting, and construction.

Strategic Guidance Through Complex Approvals

Zoning matters require more than technical knowledge. They demand coordination with government agencies, thoughtful community engagement, and a practical understanding of development realities.

Our attorneys represent clients before planning commissions, zoning boards, administrative agencies, and appellate courts throughout Maryland. We collaborate seamlessly with our real estate, environmental, tax, and litigation teams to provide unified, strategic counsel at every stage.

Our focus is simple: fewer surprises, clearer pathways, and efficient approvals that support your long-term goals.

Representative Experience

We advise on a broad range of land use and zoning matters, including:

  • Entitlements, rezonings, and variances
  • Conditional uses, special exceptions, and administrative hearings
  • Subdivision approvals and development districts
  • Mixed-use, residential, retail, office, and industrial development
  • Affordable and workforce housing, including moderately priced dwelling units (MPDUs), and workforce housing dwelling units (WFDUs)
  • Transit-oriented and smart growth projects
  • Public-private partnerships and development agreements
  • Impact taxes, development fees, and economic incentives
  • Historic preservation, forest conservation, stormwater management, and environmental compliance
  • Community outreach and government relations
  • Expedited Approval Plan process

Local Insight. Coordinated Depth.

With deep roots in Maryland, we understand the regulatory landscape and the political realities shaping land-use decisions across the state. Just as importantly, we stay accessible and accountable throughout the process.

Clients come to us for sophisticated zoning counsel. They stay because we are responsive, practical, and invested in helping their projects move forward.

Practice Chair

Practice Chair

Counsel

Professional Distinctions

Our land use attorneys use their cross-disciplinary expertise and experience with their legal knowledge.  They have been former land planners, engineers, accountants, professors, and in‑house counsel to government agencies.

We maintain an active legal and industry presence and serve in a range of capacities on behalf of the public and private sector, including:

  • Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors
  • Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors
  • City of Rockville Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors
  • Leadership Montgomery County, Board of Directors
  • Maryland National Capital Building Industry Association (M NCBIA), Board of Directors
  • NAIOP (“National Association of Industrial and Office Properties”), Maryland/D.C. Chapter
  • ULI (“Urban Land Institute”): Urban Development Mixed Use Development
  • American Planning Association, Planning and Law Division National Program
  • George Washington University Law School, Adjunct Professor in Planning, Zoning and Land Use Law
  • Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board
  • North Bethesda Transportation Management District
  • White Flint Master Plan Advisory Committee
  • M-NCPPC Transportation Policy Task Force
  • Citizens Advisory Committee to Montgomery County Permitting Services
  • City of Rockville Zoning Ordinance Revision Advisory Committee (RORZOR)
  • Maryland State Highway Administration Land Use Expert Panel for the Inter-County Connector (ICC)
  • Maryland State Bar Association Land Use Section and Real Estate Section
  • Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance