Master of Legal Studies (MLS) Programs in Illinois

Many Illinois professionals whose occupations regularly intersect with the law may benefit from a legal education. If you don’t intend to take the bar exam and become a practicing attorney, a Master of Legal Studies (MLS) degree may be an appropriate option for you. This degree program is designed for non-lawyers and provides a good understanding of legal issues that regularly arise in your job.

Here’s a look at the types of legal degrees available in Illinois, the career outlook for legal-related jobs, and colleges and universities offering online MLS degree programs.

Overview of Legal Degrees in Illinois: Types and Concentrations

A Master of Legal Studies (MLS) or a similar degree, such as the Master of Studies in Law (MSL), may allow students to choose courses that emphasize a particular area of law. In Illinois, there are a variety of concentrations available for students, including human resources, estate planning, international business law, health law and technology.

The master’s degree in legal studies does not qualify a student to take the bar exam or become a lawyer, but can help with such careers as paralegals or legal assistants.

Law School Highlights in Illinois

There are nine law schools in Illinois approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), according to the Law School Admissions Council:

• DePaul University College of Law
• Illinois Institute of Technology – Chicago-Kent College of Law
• Loyola University Chicago School of Law
• Northern Illinois University College of Law
• Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
• Southern Illinois University School of Law
• University of Chicago Law School
• University of Illinois College of Law
• University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (formerly UIC John Marshall Law School)

The University of Chicago was founded in 1890 (with classes beginning in 1892), and the Law School opened in 1902. Former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and current Justice Elena Kagan were former professors; Justice John Paul Stevens was an undergraduate at the university. Former President Barack Obama taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004 (as a senior lecturer).

Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, founded in 1859, counts among its notable alumni Supreme Court Justices John Paul Stevens and Arthur Goldberg; William Jennings Bryan (who earned his law degree at Union Law College, a predecessor of Northwestern Law, and later served as U.S. Secretary of State); presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson II; and Harold Washington, the first Black mayor of Chicago.

University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (UIC Law) is widely recognized as one of the most diverse law schools in Illinois and the nation, according to LSAC. The school also has a long history of expanding access to legal education, including graduating its first female graduate, Jessie Cook (1903), its first Black graduate, James Randle (1904), and its first Hispanic graduate, William Rodriguez (1912). Of Illinois’s ABA-approved law schools, the University of Chicago and Northwestern University (Pritzker School of Law) currently offer graduate-level legal studies programs designed for non-lawyers, including the Master of Legal Studies (MLS) and Master of Science in Law (MSL) degrees. These programs provide advanced legal knowledge without leading to bar eligibility and are intended for professionals who work in law-adjacent fields such as business, healthcare, technology, compliance, and public policy.

Legal Career Outlook in Illinois

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Illinois ranks fifth in the nation for employment in legal occupations. As of May 2025, the state employed 52,860 people in legal roles. Among those occupations, lawyers had the highest median annual wage at $160,800, while title examiners, abstractors, and searchers had the lowest at $49,990.

Careers with a Master’s Degree in Legal Studies in Illinois

What can you do with a master’s in legal studies? There are many career options for those who earn an MLS degree. The BLS includes all of these positions under its general umbrella of legal occupations:

• Arbitrators, mediators and conciliators: The May 2025 national median pay for these roles was $75,530, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Illinois continues to have one of the highest employment levels in this occupation and remains a high-paying state, with an annual mean wage of $131,290.
• Court reporters: In 2024, the BLS grouped court reporters and simultaneous captioners together under the same occupational code. The national median annual wage for this combined category was $70,580, with a mean annual wage of $75,920. Employment growth remains steady, with continued demand for transcription and captioning services in both legal and media settings.
• Paralegals and legal assistants: The May 2025 national median pay for paralegals and legal assistants was $62,890, with a mean annual wage of $69,700. Illinois continues to rank among the top states for employment in this field and offers competitive wages for these professionals.

Top Legal Employers in Illinois

The number of people employed in various legal occupations in Illinois, according to the BLS as of May 2025:

In addition to a large state government workforce, with Federal Reserve data showing robust numbers of jobs in the Illinois state government sector, Chicago is one of the nation’s premier legal markets, home to major law firms frequently ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by attorney headcount and revenue.

Note: *Programs granted acquiescence by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Information on this page was retrieved and updated in June 2026.