Move Up in
the Legal FieldMove Up in
the Legal FieldMove Up in
the Legal Field

Explore Top Online MLS ProgramsExplore Top Online MLS ProgramsExplore Top Online MLS Programs

With a Master of Legal Studies (MLS), you can become a trusted legal expert who advances in the field as a non-lawyer.

The featured programs below are all nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report.1 Each program combines live online classes with self-paced coursework that can be completed on part-time or full-time tracks. These programs’ renowned curricula and interactive approach to online learning have placed them at the top of our list.

FEATURED PROGRAMS ARE RECOGNIZED BY THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION (ABA).

NO TEST SCORES ARE REQUIRED TO APPLY.

These programs are operated by 2U

Pepperdine Caruso School of Law’s online MLS program enables you to develop superior legal expertise and credentials to advance within your chosen field.

  • Completion time: as few as 16 months
  • National rankings: top-55 law school2 and #2 in dispute resolution programs3
  • Concentrations: dispute resolution, human resources and litigation 
  • Program highlight: Master of Dispute Resolution dual degree opportunity available
  • Test scores not required

Scholarships available for the upcoming cohort.

#2

IN DISPUTE RESOLUTION

LEARN ABOUT
PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY’S MLS

SPONSORED

Become a credible and dynamic legal expert with the online MLS from American University’s Washington College of Law.

  • Completion time: as few as 15 months
  • National rankings: #5 in international law4, #7 in intellectual property law and #20 in health law
  • Specializations: general MLS, business, health care compliance, technology and cybersecurity
  • Program highlight: multidisciplinary curriculum features courses from American’s Washington College of Law, Kogod School of Business and School of International Service
  • Test scores not required

#5

IN INTERNATIONAL LAW

LEARN ABOUT
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY’S MLS

SPONSORED

Fordham Law School’s online Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) in Corporate Compliance will prepare you to protect your organization amid changing regulations. Choose from four tracks to complete industry-specific coursework.

  • Completion time: as few as 12 months
  • National rankings: top-30 law school
  • Concentrations: financial services, health care, human resources, general
  • Program highlight: courses are delivered via live online sessions, offered at a variety of times in the morning and evening
  • Test scores not required

Top 30

LAW SCHOOL

LEARN ABOUT
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY’S MLS

SPONSORED

Rise With a Growing Field

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that employment for non-lawyers in the legal field will grow at a rate faster than average in the coming years. Law firms and companies across sectors are expected to hire more paralegals and legal assistants to increase efficiency, and today’s increasingly complex challenges require dedicated assistance and expertise.5

2.5X THE NATIONAL AVERAGE

Paralegal and legal assistant jobs are projected to grow 10% between 2019 and 2029.6

2X THE NATIONAL AVERAGE

Arbitrator, mediator, and conciliator jobs are projected to grow 8% between 2019 and 2029.7

1 https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schoolsarrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
2 Best Dispute Resolution Law Programs (2023). U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved November 2023.arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
3 Forbes. (visited March 2023).arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
4 American University (Washington) Law School Overview (2023). U.S. News & World Report. (Retrieved February 2024).arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
5 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm#tab-6arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
6 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/paralegals-and-legal-assistants.htm#tab-1arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
7 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/arbitrators-mediators-and-conciliators.htmarrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference