What is a Legal Masters Degree?

An introduction to graduate legal education for professionals, students, and employers.

Introduction

Law shapes decisions in nearly every professional field. Healthcare, business, technology, finance, education, and government all operate within complex legal and regulatory frameworks. Yet the professionals managing these sectors do not necessarily intend to become attorneys; instead, they seek a deeper understanding of the law as it directly applies to their operational responsibilities.

Legal master’s degrees provide a structured pathway to pursue that education. They connect foundational law school study with students’ existing industry experience, professional duties, and career growth objectives. According to preliminary survey data from the National Legal Masters Association (NLMA), over 86% of graduate respondents (236 of 272) report that their legal master’s degree provided ‘strong value’ or ‘good value’ in their professional lives.

What Are the Different Types of Legal Masters Degrees?

Graduate legal degrees for non-lawyers are offered under several degree designations depending on the awarding law school: 

• Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
• Master of Studies in Law (MSL)
• Master of Jurisprudence (MJ)
• Juris Master (JM)

Some degrees include specialization within their degree name:

• Masters of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP)
• Master of Law in Cybersecurity and Privacy
• Masters of Compliance and Risk Management

Although these degree titles differ, they share the primary educational purpose of providing graduate-level legal training for individuals outside the traditional attorney-licensure pathway. 

Programs vary in their areas of specialization, academic structure, and delivery format. Some offer a broad introduction to law, while others concentrate on particular industries, professional fields, or areas of legal practice.

For prospective students and employers, understanding a program means looking beyond its title to consider what it teaches, whom it serves, and how its educational objectives relate to professional goals.

What Does a Legal Masters Degree Offer?

Legal masters degrees provide structured opportunities to study law and understand its role in professional and organizational settings.

Depending on the program, students may encounter legal foundations, regulation, contracts, compliance, legal analysis, or specialized subjects relevant to their fields. The emphasis and depth of study vary across institutions and programs.

The defining feature is the connection between legal education and the student’s professional or academic objectives. A student may seek to understand the regulatory environment governing an industry, develop expertise in a specialized area, or strengthen their ability to recognize and address legal issues in their work.

Legal masters degrees are not standardized around a single curriculum or professional outcome. They encompass a range of educational approaches designed to serve different students and purposes.

Where Do Legal Masters Degrees Fit in Graduate Education?

Educational Positioning: Legal master’s degrees occupy a distinct position within graduate law school education:

• Distinct from the Juris Doctor (JD): The Juris Doctor (JD) is the professional degree designed to prepare individuals for attorney licensure and court practice.
• Distinct from the Master of Laws (LLM): The Master of Laws (LLM) is an advanced post-JD degree intended for individuals who already hold a primary law degree.

While the field continues to grow across 110+ law schools, NLMA research shows that employer recognition remains a key hurdle. In survey findings, 104 of 272 graduates and 50% of surveyed law schools (18 of 36) highlighted employer awareness as a primary challenge facing the degree. Strengthening public awareness and professional identity across industries is a core strategic focus for the NLMA.

Students may enter these programs at different stages of their professional lives. Some are recent college graduates; others have years of experience in their fields. Their objectives may include expanding their knowledge, strengthening their professional effectiveness, or exploring new directions.

The diversity of students, programs, and professional objectives is a defining characteristic of the field.

Why Does This Field Matter?

Legal knowledge has relevance well beyond the traditional practice of law. Professionals across industries encounter legal rules, regulatory requirements, and decisions shaped by law.

Legal masters degrees provide a way to study these subjects through graduate-level education, connecting legal knowledge with the responsibilities and interests of people working in a wide range of fields.

For students, employers, and educational institutions, understanding this category of graduate education is an important starting point for understanding the many ways law intersects with professional life.

The National Legal Masters Association (NLMA) works to advance understanding and recognition of legal masters degrees and to support the institutions, students, graduates, and employers involved in this field.