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MSL Career Outcomes

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MSL Career Outcomes

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If you’re considering our Master of Studies in Law (MSL), you may be wondering how this degree will help your career.

Expanding Your Career with an MSL Degree

The need for legal skills in non-lawyer jobs continues to grow. Government agencies increasingly rely on non-lawyers for work that benefits from expertise in law, legislation, and regulation. Law firms today are hiring more non-lawyers in managerial, professional and administrative roles, as they have a different skill set than lawyers do. We see corporations across many industries expand their in-house legal teams with non-lawyers who have legal expertise, rather than adding attorneys to the mix. 

Advanced knowledge of the legal system helps you:

  • Gain a competitive edge when applying for jobs;
  • Provide a greater understanding of how the law affects your current role;
  • Enhance your resume by developing a specialization in government law or water & environmental law.

Career Outcomes

The law intersects with every field, and many job responsibilities would be enhanced with a MSL degree. Here are just some common titles for in-demand jobs:

  • Analyst
  • Regulatory compliance officer and due diligence
  • Human resources representative
  • Program coordinator
  • Contracts and grants officer
  • Management consultant
  • Government official and public agency staff
  • Courtroom clerk
  • Healthcare practitioner
  • Legislative aide
  • Legislative director
  • Lobbyist and government affairs
  • Policy analyst
  • Program manager
  • Water resources or environmental engineer
  • Public information officer
  • Journalist or policy reporter
  • Land use planner
  • Public utilities
  • Environmental or public agency consultant
  • Policy advocate

New Career Opportunities

Our MSL degree provides opportunities for you to explore a variety of interests across different fields. For example, someone working in government affairs may take courses in lobbying, election law, and statutory interpretation. Individuals working with water and environmental issues may take courses in water resources law, environmental law, and water and environmental justice. All students have the opportunity to undertake individualized research supervised by a faculty adviser, focusing on a topic of their choice, selected to meet their professional and educational objectives.

Through our MSL coursework, you’ll be better equipped to:

  • Review and understand agreements such as contracts;
  • Review and draft proposed local, state, and federal laws and regulations;
  • Understand and comply with regulatory requirements for specific industries;
  • Work with attorneys and compliance officers.

Our degree is meant to prepare you with the knowledge and skills to enter a new role or advance in your current role. It is best to identify your goal for earning this degree and how you plan to use it to your advantage.

McGeorge also offers a large and respected alumni community of graduate and JD students, offering significant opportunities for students who seek to expand their professional networks.

The Key Question To Ask Yourself

In determining whether the MSL degree is right for you, consider your ultimate professional and personal goals. The key is to determine whether the skills provided by the MSL degree have the potential to advance those goals. For example, someone working in legislative affairs could obtain an MSL with concentration in government law and policy to better understand the aspects of the job that intersects with lawmaking, such as how particular words might be interpreted, or the role of agencies. Similarly. an MSL with concentration in water and environmental law could help people who work in technical fields such as consultants and engineers navigate regulations more effectively, or influence policy. In other cases, agency staff may want to advance in their current role or shift to a role that has policy influence, either to obtain higher pay or to do work that is more meaningful to them. Our admissions advisors are happy to speak with you to discuss whether the MSL might benefit your career path.

What’s Next?

The MSL is designed for recent graduates to working professionals so you can obtain your degree on a part-time basis, making the online MSL an ideal option for pursuing your professional and personal goals.

Are you interested in exploring new career opportunities with an MSL degree? Learn more about our application process and deadlines by clicking here.

 

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