A Master of Legal Studies, or MLS, is one of the most common law degrees for nonlawyers. It gives students a broad foundation in legal concepts, legal reasoning, and selected areas of law without qualifying them to practice law.
The MLS became more visible as law schools expanded beyond the traditional JD model. For much of American legal education history, law schools were focused mainly on training lawyers. But as legal regulation became central to business, healthcare, employment, technology, and public administration, schools began offering master’s programs for professionals who needed legal fluency rather than a law license.
The purpose of the MLS is to make the law understandable and useful to people in non-attorney roles. Students may study constitutional law, contracts, administrative law, employment law, compliance, privacy, healthcare law, or business regulation. The emphasis is usually on identifying legal issues and working effectively within legal systems.
An MLS is for professionals who interact with lawyers, regulations, contracts, policies, or legal risk. It is commonly pursued by people in compliance, HR, healthcare administration, business operations, government, education, nonprofit management, and legal-adjacent roles. It is not usually intended for someone who wants to represent clients as an attorney.
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American Bar Association – Non-JD and Post-JD Programs by School