About the National Legal Masters Conference
The National Legal Masters Conference is an annual gathering of academic professionals dedicated to advancing graduate legal education for non-lawyers. Now in its ninth year (2026), the conference is organized by a volunteer group of educators from institutions across the country. While not affiliated with any formal organization, the conference reflects a shared commitment to innovation, collaboration, and community-building in the legal education space.
About Legal Masters Degrees
Legal masters degrees are designed for professionals who seek a foundational understanding of law without becoming attorneys. These programs, offered by law schools throughout the United States, serve a wide range of fields, including healthcare, business, technology, and public policy, and are increasingly recognized as valuable tools for navigating complex legal environments.
Examples of legal masters degrees include (but are not limited to) Master of Legal Studies (MLS), Master of Science in Law (MSL), and Master of Jurisprudence (MJur) and Juris Master (JM).
Conference History
Since its inception in 2017, the National Legal Masters Conference has been hosted by a variety of institutions:
| 2017 | St. Mary’s University School of Law | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2018 | University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law | Sacramento, California |
| 2019 | Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law | Davie, Florida |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic | – – – |
| 2021 and 2022 | Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law | Online |
| 2023 | University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 2024 and 2025 | St. Mary’s University School of Law | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2026 (planned) | UC Law San Francisco (Formerly UC Hastings) | San Francisco, California |
Participating Institutions
Over the years, the conference has welcomed attendees from a wide range of universities and colleges offering legal masters programs. Our 8th Annual Conference in 2024 welcomed representatives from the following institutions:
Arizona State University – Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
DePaul University College of Law
Drexel University Kline School of Law
Florida International University
Florida State University College of Law
Fordham University School of Law
Indiana University – Indianapolis
Indiana University Maurer School of Law – Bloomington
LMU Loyola Law School Los Angeles
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Northwestern University
The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
Penn State University Dickinson Law
Regent University School of Law
Roger Williams University School of Law
Rutgers Law School
Seton Hall University School of Law
St. Mary’s University School of Law
Texas A&M University School of Law
Tulane University School of Law
UC Law San Francisco (Formerly UC Hastings)
UCLA School of Law
University of Akron School of Law
University of Cincinnati College of Law
University of Denver Sturm College of Law
University of Florida
University of Maryland Carey School of Law
University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law
University of Oklahoma
University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
University of South Carolina
University of Southern California
University of St. Thomas
University of Tennessee College of Law
University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
Vanderbilt University Law School
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
Wake Forest University School of Law
Wayne State University Law School
Western State College of Law at Westcliff University
William & Mary Law School