To advance his career in public service and health equity, Lazaro Cardenas determined that getting a master’s degree in law, with a focus on health law, was the next step. Learn more about why he chose McGeorge’s Master of Science in Law and his experience so far.

The environmental law faculty are experts in water and environmental law, and they impart real-world knowledge and practical skills in their outstanding teaching. The professors have years of hands-on experience in the areas they teach. Here are a few examples of the caliber of professor you’ll learn from at McGeorge.

Mariana Corona Sabeniano, ’15, was one of the first students to pursue a Master of Science in Law, Government Law & Policy when the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law launched the program eight years ago.

Most of the work of making laws is done by the legislative branch of government, though governors can play a key role beyond signing vetoing legislation. Professor Chris Micheli, who teaches in McGeorge School of Law’s Master of Science in Law (MSL) in Government Law & Policy program, delivered a webinar that takes a detailed look at the role of the California governor’s office with regard to state legislation.

In 2018, the Association of American Law Schools conducted a national survey, Before the J.D. According to the survey, the most common (44%) reason for attending law school is it offers a path to a career in government, politics, or public service. 32% chose it to advocate for social change. But lawyers are not the only people who deal with legal matters in these areas. Whether you’re pursuing a career within the legal field or you have legal concerns to handle in your day-to-day business, an MSL degree from McGeorge School of Law can help you advance your career.

Tara Beltran (MSL ‘18) began to consider pursuing a master’s degree when she worked at a California public agency, managing a habitat program. “I became very interested in water policy and water law during that time,” she told us. Also, “I knew I wanted to continue that work, so I looked into getting an advanced degree to further my career.”

McGeorge Professor Nicole Kuenzi, an expert on California water law, is a hearing officer in California’s Administrative Hearings Office, which was created in 2019. The hearings office is housed within the California State Water Resources Control Board, which is the agency charged with safeguarding the state’s water resources for all Californians.

Professor Muilenburg reported that the McGeorge MSL degree is very well recognized by individuals working in and around the capitol. The degree shows, she said, a unique understanding of law and policy issues, either in government law and policy or in environmental and water law and policy. “It helps individuals stand out from their peers, either in the job application process or for promotion within a person’s existing organization.”

When Catalina Sanchez began her legislative career in public service working at the California State Assembly, she knew that earning a graduate degree was part of her plans. What she didn’t know, though, was whether that degree would be Master of Public Administration, a Master of Public Policy, or a Master of Public Health degree.

We invited water policy expert Kim Delfino to speak with us at a webinar about changes she anticipates to water policy in the Biden administration. Delfino reviewed the Biden administration’s top four priorities: Covid-19, economic recovery, climate change, and racial equity. “These priorities,” she said, “will have a profound impact on water policy.” In her presentation, Delfino laid out the changes that are already underway and what we can expect to see going forward.