MLS vs LLM: Which Legal Degree Is Right for You?

If you’ve been in the legal field for a while, you might want to expand your area of knowledge. Some professions require more advanced legal knowledge than a paralegal or legal assistant can acquire. Sometimes, attorneys need specialized training in a unique practice area or want to teach law in another state.

Two advanced degrees, the Master of Legal Studies (MLS) and the Master of Laws (LLM), are available for legal professionals who want more advanced legal knowledge but aren’t looking to pursue a law degree. The MLS and LLM are not juris doctor (JD) degrees, and except in specific instances for the LLM, will not let the holder take the bar exam or practice law.

MLS and LLM degrees are offered in person, online, and in hybrid courses from colleges and universities like American University and many others.

Which one is better for your needs? It depends on your career goals, current education, and job status. We’ll review an MLS vs. LLM degree and what makes each a good fit for a legal professional.

What is an MLS Degree?

The Master of Legal Studies (MLS) degree is a graduate degree. If your career path requires legal knowledge and a good understanding of law but doesn’t include litigation or the practice of law, then an MLS would be a great fit for you.

An MLS covers much of the same educational ground as a JD degree. The courses typically include:

• Legal studies, legal writing, and research

• Business law, contracts, and business formation

• HR, employment law, policy, and management

• Health care and insurance law

• Regulatory compliance

If you already have a career in the legal field or interact with attorneys regularly and need to understand legal jargon, the MLS degree is ideal. For instance, professionals in human resources, regulatory compliance, and insurance handle legal documents and consult with their colleagues in the legal department. It helps to know the policy behind the regulations when you’re working in these areas.

The MLS degree is available from many colleges and universities. You won’t need to attend law school to gain this valuable legal education.

What is an LLM Degree?

A Master of Laws (LLM) is a post-graduate law degree. It lets lawyers specialize in a particular area of law and permits attorneys from outside of the United States to acquire the knowledge they need to take a state bar exam and practice in the U.S.

Unlike an MLS, only those with an existing JD can apply for an LLM. Attorneys within the U.S. usually need their JD from an ABA-accredited law school. International applicants must take the TOEFL or other proof of competency in English before they can apply for a course.

As a post-graduate course, the LLM degree program resembles a PhD program more than a traditional college course. LLM students may have only one or two required classes, like the LLM program offered at USC’s Gould School of Law. All other classes must consist of 21 units taken from the law school course catalog.

LLM students usually meet with a graduate counselor to craft a graduate program that provides them with a degree or certificate in their focus area. Common programs focus on:

• Alternative Dispute Resolution

• Business Law

• Entertainment Law

• Transnational Law and Business

• Technology and Entrepreneurship Law

International students must complete Introduction to U.S. Legal Systems and Legal Research to prepare them to study for the state bar exam.

Key Differences Between an MLS and an LLM

Degree	Practicing Law?	Career Paths	Coursework	Completion Time	Degree Options
MLS	No	Legal profession, non-litigation, regulatory, HR, insurance, etc.	General legal knowledge, some specialization for employment areas.	1-2 years	In-person, hybrid, online
LLM	Yes	International: Prepare for the Bar exam. Domestic: Specialize in narrow practice area	Single area such as tax law, entertainment law	1 year, 2 years if part-time.	Usually in-person only. Some online courses are available.

Not all law schools offer LLM degrees. If you plan to get an LLM to take a state bar exam, you’ll need to attend an accredited law school, so review the school’s credentials carefully.

The MLS degree is available from most state colleges and universities. Private schools also offer MLS degrees.

American University : The MLS program is a 30-unit online course that can be taken full-time or part-time. American has online and in-person MLS courses.

There are ten LLM program tracks. Each has 24 required units that can be tailored to the student’s individual needs. 16 units must be completed from classroom study. American has both online and in-person courses for the LLM.

Students interested in their LLM or MLS should take time to Google both degrees and review available schools. The American Bar Association (ABA) also has a list of accredited schools for review.

Pros and Cons of Each Degree

Depending on your career goals, your current career, and your education status, there are pros and cons for each kind of legal degree.

Pros and Cons of an MLS Degree

Advantages	Disadvantages
Does not require a JD	Graduates cannot practice law
May be more affordable	Limited career opportunities in the legal system
Designed for those in the legal field who are not attorneys

Pros and Cons of an LLM Degree

Advantages	Disadvantages
Specialized legal knowledge	Requires prior law degree
Improves legal job prospects	May be more expensive than an MLS
Required for international attorneys in the U.S.

Who Should Pursue an MLS vs an LLM?

Both the MLS and LLM are graduate programs intended for those who already have a secondary degree and want to advance their careers.

The MLS degree is intended for non-lawyers and those who don’t plan to become attorneys. If you want a career in a legal-adjacent profession where knowledge of the law will help you understand your job and improve your performance, then an MLS degree would be the right pursuit.

The LLM degree is meant for those who are already practicing attorneys. It is designed for lawyers who want to specialize in a particular practice area or are looking to enter academia and teach one type of class. LLMs are also necessary for attorneys from other countries who need a “crash course” in American law and legal practice so they can take the bar exam and begin practicing law in the United States.

The two degrees are intended for different types of students. You can determine which one you need very easily: If you don’t have your JD already, then it will need to pursue an MLS degreet.

FAQs

Are MLS and LLM degrees suitable for practicing attorneys?

An MLS would be redundant for a practicing attorney. The MLS degree is an in-depth legal degree that teaches students everything an attorney already knows. The LLM is for practicing attorneys who want to specialize in certain practice areas.

Can you pursue both an MLS and an LLM degree?

The Master of Legal Studies is a graduate degree, similar in scope to the Juris Doctor degree. The Master of Laws is a post-graduate degree, and a student must have their JD before they can apply for an LLM. Trying to take both would be putting the cart before the horse.

What are the differences between an LLM and a BCL degree?

A Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degree is a graduate law course taught at Oxford University in Great Britain. Students with BCLs go on to become solicitors or barristers, the British equivalent of attorneys in America.

The LLM is a post-graduate degree offered by colleges and universities in the United States and allows international students to sit for the state bar exams in the U.S.

What career options are available after an MLS degree?

The MLS degree is valued in a range of careers, including healthcare, human resources, regulatory and financial compliance, criminal law, cybersecurity, policy and legislation, and more. Many of these careers require individuals who understand legalese and legal documentation.

Are MLS and LLM degree programs available online?

Schools are increasingly offering online and hybrid programs as well as in-person courses. LLM and JD programs are more likely to require at least some in-person classes, so students should review the course requirements carefully.

Conclusion

Choosing between the MLS or LLM depends on your current employment and educational status. To get an LLM, you must be a practicing attorney or have a JD from an accredited law school. While an attorney can obtain an MLS, there’s no real need for them to do so.

All students should do their due diligence before applying to any college or university. Consider your career goals and financial status carefully. Contact the admissions office, ask for an information packet, and look at the curriculum before deciding on a school. Be sure you can get the classes you want. Look at the professors, too, and see what kind of career counseling the school offers.

Sources:

• https://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/distance_education/approved-distance-ed-jd-programs/

• https://www.american.edu/wcl/

• https://classes.usc.edu/term-20233/classes/law/

• https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/bachelor-civil-law