The UNM School of Law has launched a new program for students seeking a Master of Studies in Law, otherwise known as the MSL program.
Program Director Daniel Ortega said the degree targets those who can thrive in a demanding, competitive academic atmosphere, as demonstrated by their academic record and professional accomplishments.
“The basic premise of the MSL degree is that many current workforce positions can be performed more effectively and with more positive outcomes with the benefit of legal education and knowledge," Ortega said.
He said the legal field is becoming more specialized, and the new degree program will help students become ready for that.
The program seeks applicants in mid-career and recent college graduates who need or want intensive, short-term training in the law to enhance their skills for their current or future jobs, but do not need or want a Juris Doctor degree, he said.
For instance, he said, this includes those who are interested in the Indian Law or Natural Resources and Environmental Law concentrations who are working for tribal governments and enterprises, or for government agencies and nonprofit organizations focusing on natural resources/environmental issues.
Ortega said he believes the MSL program will benefit New Mexico overall by making legal education more broadly accessible to the segment of the workforce that has less time to devote to a degree program that is pertinent to their current or future jobs.
“Although the Law School has produced many outstanding leaders in the public and private sectors for decades, its status as the only law school in New Mexico and small size -- approximately 340 J.D. students -- make legal education a scarce public resource that is needed by a greater portion of the workforce than is possible to serve solely through the J.D. degree,” he said.
Because of this, Ortega said just increasing the size of the J.D. program was not the answer, as some people don’t need or want a J.D., and others simply don’t have the time or funds for a three-year J.D. program.
However, these individuals know some legal education will make them more attractive to employers and prepare them to make greater contributions in their chosen fields and in society at large, he said.
Students who would like to pursue an MSL would need a bachelor’s degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the U.S. or its equivalent in another country, Ortega said.
Ortega said he encourages anyone who thinks the MSL program might be right for them to contact the Law School. Dozens of schools across the country now offer master's programs similar to MSL, making it more common and familiar among employers in many parts of the country, he said.
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Law School Co-Dean Sergio Pareja said he believes the MSL degree is ideal for those who want a condensed legal education but who do not need or want a law degree.
This is because the degree is flexible and customizable, Pareja said.
Students can earn the MSL degree in one year of full-time study or in up to four years of part-time study, and students take law classes which relate directly to their job or interests, he said.
“The program will help graduates distinguish themselves in the marketplace with specialized legal training,” Pareja said.
Law School Co-Dean Alfred Mathewson said officials are excited about offering the new degree program because it will help fill the growing need for non-attorneys with a working knowledge of law in New Mexico.
“Employers in federal, tribal, state and local government, the national labs and private-sector fields are enthusiastic about the MSL because graduates will gain solid credentials and legal expertise,” Mathewson said.
Nichole Harwood is a news reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Nolidoli1.
