Background: A young, opposite sex couple living in Columbia, Maryland recently sought legal counsel with Attorney Carter because they want to get married without the knowledge of their families. Both are 15 years old, and the young woman is pregnant.

Carter asks you to use Westlaw to conduct research on the couple's question before her next meeting with them.

PART 1 Instructions:

Can the couple obtain a civil marriage license in Maryland without their families' knowledge? Explain the analysis that supports your conclusion in detail.

TIP:Use IRAC to organize your response. Your answers should:

• Clearly state and directly answer the legal question correctly;
• Identify the relevant legal rule (a primary authority) and cite it in Bluebook format.
• Describe the relevant legal rule in plain English for the reader who may be unfamiliar with that law; and
• Shows howthe relevant rule applies to the legally significant facts of the clients' case,leading to thepredicted outcome