For professionals working in compliance, healthcare, finance, sport management, criminal justice or any other field that is shaped by regulation and legal risk, legal literacy is a highly practical career asset.
There are two primary credentials that most people consider when they decide to pursue graduate legal education: the Master of Legal Studies and the Juris Doctor. Because these degrees have different professional outcomes, it is important to select the degree that best suits your career goals.
This article examines how each degree is structured and what it prepares graduates to do, helping you determine which path aligns with your professional goals.
What is a Juris Doctor (JD)?
A Juris Doctor (JD) is a professional degree that prepares individuals to practice law in the United States. It provides comprehensive training that qualifies graduates to take (and pass) their state bar exam, which is required to obtain licensure to practice law. Some of the topics that JD students will be exposed to through courses, clinics and internships include:
- Legal analysis
- Research
- Writing
- Courtroom procedure
A typical JD program takes three years of full-time study, with an admission process that emphasizes undergraduate performance and LSAT test scores. In most cases, JD students do not work full time during law school because of its demands.
Most JD students intend to become practicing attorneys in law firms, government agencies or corporate legal departments.
What is a Master of Legal Studies (MLS)?
The Master of Legal Studies is a graduate degree designed for professionals who need substantive legal knowledge but do not intend to become practicing attorneys. An MLS degree does not qualify graduates to sit for the bar exam or formally practice law.
Instead, the curriculum focuses on how the law operates in a practical organizational context, often through the lens of regulatory frameworks, contracts, compliance or risk management. MLS graduates gain legal and regulatory knowledge that they can use across sectors and industries, enabling them to confidently navigate regulatory environments and collaborate with counsel.
The degree serves professionals in roles where legal fluency supports stronger decision-making and risk management. Some programs, including SMU Dedman School of Law’s online M.L.S., offer concentrations in specific subject areas so that students can choose courses most relevant to their roles.
Comparing an MLS and JD: Key program differences
While a Juris Doctor (J.D.) is the gateway to licensed practice, a Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) supports professionals who need to navigate legal frameworks in business, HR, compliance, sports, criminal justice and other regulated fields without becoming an attorney. This difference is reflective across the components of the degree.
| MLS | JD | |
|---|---|---|
| Admission requirements | Bachelor’s degree; no LSAT required | Bachelor’s degree; LSAT required |
| Prerequisites | No legal background required | Strong academic record recommended |
| Curriculum focus | Practical legal knowledge for professional contexts | Legal analysis, research and writing |
| Duration | 1–2 years | 3 years |
| Financial commitment | Generally lower; may offer part-time study | Higher; typically full-time |
| Eligible for bar exam? | No | Yes |
Differences in career outcomes
Because the JD prepares graduates for licensure and the MLS does not, the two degrees position their holders for different roles in the labor market. MLS graduates can use legal expertise to advance within their existing fields, often in roles that intersect with but do not center on the law.
Career outcomes for JD
JD graduates enter a licensed profession with defined rights to practice law. These roles reflect the degree’s alignment with licensed practice. Ultimately, the value of a JD is inseparable from its licensure function.
| Job title | Median annual salary |
|---|---|
| Attorney | |
| Corporate counsel | |
| Legal consultant | |
| Litigator | |
| Prosecutor |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lightcast
JD salary range
Salaries for attorneys vary significantly by sector, specialty and experience. The American Bar Association reports that the median salary for first-year associates at private law firms was $200,000, while median entry-level salaries ranged from $64,200 to $69,608 for civil legal services or public defender roles.
Career outcomes for MLS
Professionals with an MLS typically have roles where knowledge of the law can improve decision making and operational oversight. Careers for MLS graduates span industries, but all roles require them to engage with legal frameworks and manage risk without requiring outside counsel to monitor every situation.
| Job title | Median annual salary |
|---|---|
| Compliance officer | |
| Contracts manager | |
| Healthcare administrator | |
| Human resources manager | |
| Political scientist |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lightcast
MLS salary range
Salary outcomes for MLS graduates vary widely due to the versatility of the degree. Payscale reports an average salary of $77,000 per year for MLS graduates, but many of the common roles for these professionals offer much higher salaries.
Which program is right for me?
Choosing between an MLS and a JD turns on how you intend to engage with the law in your career.
When should you choose an MLS?
The Master of Legal Studies is a strong fit for professionals who want legal knowledge to sharpen their performance in a role they already hold or are actively pursuing. It is particularly well suited to mid-career professionals seeking to expand their decision-making authority, take on compliance-related responsibilities, assess risk exposure or engage more effectively with legal counsel.
Professionals with foundational knowledge of the law are in high demand across industries where legal frameworks shape daily operations:
- Business, compliance and human resources: An MLS can help you evaluate contracts, carry out compliance duties and minimize risk to your organization.
- Healthcare: Legal education provides context for navigating patient privacy and regulatory requirements.
- Criminal justice: Professionals may use their MLS to better interpret policy and procedure.
- Sports management: Sports agents and other professionals improve their understanding of contracts, licensing and liability.
When should you choose a JD?
The JD is the right choice if you want to be a practicing attorney. If you intend to represent clients, argue cases, provide legal counsel as a professional service or hold another role that requires bar admission, a JD is required.
For professionals who do not want to practice law, pursuing licensure may introduce time and cost that do not align with their career objectives. In those cases, an MLS provides a more direct and efficient path to gaining relevant legal expertise.
Gain practical legal knowledge with SMU Dedman Law’s online M.L.S.
The online M.L.S. curriculum features a mix of asynchronous learning and weekly live sessions with classmates and faculty, and five concentrations in key areas that intersect with law:
- Business law: The business concentration will serve early and mid-career managers or aspiring managers who can benefit from legal knowledge.
- Compliance law: The M.L.S. in compliance law provides professionals who work in ethics, compliance, internal investigations and more with the legal skills to avoid pitfalls in challenging regulatory environments.
- Criminal justice: Criminal justice professionals, including law enforcement, victim advocates and court staff, navigate challenging legal situations. Those seeking leadership positions will benefit greatly from SMU Dedman Law’s M.L.S. in criminal justice.
- HR and employment law: Understanding employment, employment discrimination, contract and civil law are important for those working in human resources. The HR and employment law concentration teaches key legal aspects of employment and contract law.
- Sports law: The M.L.S. in sports law offers aspiring sports agents, college athletics staff and other professionals education in contract negotiations, labor law and how NIL impacts athletes and organizations. SMU is uniquely positioned in the sports industry due to its proximity to Dallas, named the No. 1 sports business city in 2023 by the Sports Business Journal.
SMU Dedman School of Law gives its students a strong legal education that is both deeply rooted in its 100 years of history and future-focused for the legal environment of the 21st century.
A nationally ranked private university located in the heart of Dallas, SMU is a distinguished center for global research and teaching. SMU’s diverse, high-achieving students come from the U.S. and around the world to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Careers that require legal licensure and the authority to practice law are suited to the JD. For example, practicing attorneys, corporate counsel and litigation specialists need licensure as a baseline qualification.
The MLS is better suited to roles where legal knowledge supports professional performance without requiring a law license. Compliance officers, contracts managers, human resources managers, sports agents, law enforcement officers, mid and upper level corporate managers and consultants regularly operate within legal frameworks that an MLS directly addresses.
The JD typically requires three years of full-time study at an ABA-accredited law school.
An MLS can generally be completed in one to two years. Many programs, including the online MLS at SMU Dedman Law, offer part-time and online formats designed to accommodate professionals who want to keep working while earning their degree.
JD programs typically require a bachelor’s degree, standardized test results (such as the LSAT or GRE) and a competitive academic record.
Most MLS programs require a bachelor’s degree but generally do not require standardized test results. Some MLS programs consider relevant professional experience as part of the application.
Request information
To download a program brochure and learn more about the online Master of Legal Studies offered by Southern Methodist University, please fill out the form. You can also get in touch with an enrollment specialist directly by calling us at 469-871-6018.
