Master
in
2024 – 2025
Every day, professionals in a wide range of fields engage the law in their work, from innovating medical treatments and new technologies to launching businesses or crafting effective public policy.
The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School is a national leader in legal education, offering unrivaled opportunities to physicians and nurses, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, educators, technology developers, public servants, and creative professionals.
Our Master in Law (ML) candidates are brilliant individuals who enrich Penn Carey Law’s collaborative, collegial community with their diverse perspectives and deep expertise. The Penn Carey Law ML degree allows these accomplished professionals to immerse themselves in rigorous study of the law and build the legal knowledge necessary to advance their professional and academic goals.
Sophia Z. Lee Dean and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law
Master in Law Degree Candidates at a Glance
DEGREES COMBINED WITH THE ML INCLUDE:
Business Administration
Computer & Information
Technology
Dentistry
Education
Engineering
Environmental Sciences
Liberal Arts
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Medicine
Non-Profit Leadership
Nursing
Public Administration
Public Health
Regulatory Affairs
Social Work
Veterinary Medicine
51% OF ML DEGREE CANDIDATES hold
1 OR MORE ADVANCED DEGREES
30% OF CURRENT ML DEGREE CANDIDATES are pursuing A DUAL DEGREE AT TIME OF APPLICATION
ML degree candidates average 11+ YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE at time of application
The Master in Law Program
Through Penn Carey Law’s unique Master in Law (ML) degree program, you can immerse yourself in the legal concepts that impact your industry every day. Our specialized curriculum combines a solid foundation in the U.S. legal system with the opportunity to select courses that intersect with your discipline, better positioning you as a leader and visionary in your field.
No matter the professional or academic focus, the ML program equips individuals with the knowledge and skills required to effectively manage the risks and complex needs of organizations within an evolving legal and regulatory landscape. The ML may also be combined with other graduate programs at Penn—many students complement primary degrees in medicine, business, education, engineering, and public policy with the ML degree.
The ML Program offers additional possibilities to engage with the law, including the Certificate in Law and ad hoc ML courses for members of the Penn Community and summer courses for visiting students.
ML Course Offerings
ML
FOUNDATIONAL COURSES
U.S. Law and Legal Methods
LAWM 5110
General Business Law
LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State
LAWM 5290
ML ELECTIVE COURSES
American Constitutional Law
LAWM 5050
Technology Law and IP for Non-Lawyers
LAWM 5060
Medical Liability and Negligence
LAWM 5130
Contracts and Negotiations
LAWM 5150
Corporate Governance and Compliance
LAWM 5220
Entrepreneurship and the Law
LAWM 5250
Health Law and Policy
LAWM 5300
Fundamentals of U.S. Legal Research (Asynchronous)
LAWM 5360
Healthcare Compliance, Ethics & Governance (Synchronous)
LAWM 5410
Health Law and Comparative Health Systems Overview (Asynchronous)
LAWM 5560
Patent Law (Asynchronous)
LAWM 5760
Venture Capital Bootcamp
LAWM 5590
Certificate in Law Requirements
4 Courses (4 CUs/12SH)
1 Required ML Course: U.S. Law and Legal Methods
LAWM 5110
REMAINING COURSEWORK:
3 Courses (9SH) from ML curriculum or upper-level JD curriculum
The Certificate in Law provides faculty, staff, and students at the University of Pennsylvania an opportunity to immerse themselves in important legal topics and issues impacting the areas of their academic disciplines and future professions.
Master in Law Degree Requirements
8 Courses Minimum Full or Part Time (8CUS/24SH)
4 ML COURSES:
3 Required Foundational
U.S. Law and Legal Methods
LAWM 5110
General Business Law
LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State
LAWM 5290 and 1 ML Elective
Three foundational ML courses cover the essential areas of law in the United States, providing students with the skills and knowledge to succeed at Penn Carey Law and throughout their careers. Students then specialize, choosing additional coursework in their areas of interest from ML electives and the upper-level JD curriculum.
4 required JD courses (12 SH) from upper-level JD curriculum
Healthcare Leaders
Manoj Mittal WEV’12, ML’18
MBBS (Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi University), MRCP (Royal College of Physicians)
Physician, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Faculty, Perelman School of Medicine
“I loved the ML program for the intellectual stimulation it provided me. I recommend it to physicians and students in healthcare and the sciences to better understand the legal and regulatory underpinnings of their work, enhance their training in this domain, and be better prepared to practice, teach, and research in today’s complex healthcare environment.”
U.S. Law and Legal Methods
LAWM 5110
General Business Law
LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State
LAWM 5290
Health Law and Policy Fundamentals
LAWM 5300
Health Care Fraud: Investigation and Prosecution LAW 5880
Comparative Health Systems and Law LAW 9160
Health Care Financing LAW 9390
Drug Product Liability Litigation LAW 9430
Human Resources Professionals
Emma Grigore LPS’16, ML’20
PHR (HRCI) Director of Human Resources, The Wharton School
“Penn Carey Law’s ML program will give you the confidence to understand and effectively manage the legal issues you might confront in your career. From navigating contracts to understanding employment law issues, I found myself applying what I learned in class almost immediately in my HR position.”
U.S. Law and Legal Methods
LAWM 5110
General Business Law LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State LAWM 5290
Employee Benefits LAW 6020 Employment Discrimination LAW 6590 Corporate Governance and Compliance LAWM 5220
Fundamentals of U.S. Legal Research LAWM 5360
5090
Healthcare Strategists
Andrew Thum ML’18, GNu’18, GrN’23
Director of Nursing Workforce Operations,
Jefferson
Health
“The ML Program has been incredibly rewarding and an invaluable complement to my career. I have already seen the influence of my education at Penn Carey Law in my role to shape and drive my organization’s nursing workforce strategy, programs, and overall operations across PA and NJ for over 10,000 nurses. I recommend this Program to those who desire a better understanding of the legal and regulatory underpinnings of their work.”
U.S. Law and Legal Methods
LAWM 5110
General Business Law
LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State
LAWM 5290
Corporate Compliance
LAWM 5220
Health Law and Policy
LAWM 5300
Health Care Financing LAW 9390
Negotiations in Healthcare
NURSING 5480
Current Issues in Health and Social Policy
NURSING 5400
Government & Public Policy Changemakers
Ayodeji Aladesanmi ML’23, LPS’23
Management & Budget Consulting (MBC) Analyst, PFM
“As a student of public policy and management, I found the Law School’s ML program indispensable to my studies at Penn. I focused my ML classes on the laws, rules, and long-standing norms that govern the work of democratically accountable public institutions. Now, as I begin my career in public finance—advising public officials on policy, management, and budget decisions—I am confident that my contributions will be founded in the idea that governments should work efficiently, equitably, and transparently for all people across society.”
U.S. Law and Legal Methods LAWM 5110
General Business Law LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State LAWM 5290
American Constitutional Law LAWM 5050
Regulatory Law and Policy LAW 9310
Law and Candidacy LAW 9680
Public Management and Leadership GAFL 7320
Public Law and Public Process GAFL 6310
Trailblazing Entrepreneurs
Jehan Luth GR’19, ML’22 CEO and
Founder, Banyan
“The ML program enabled me to understand the legal framework underlying my business idea, helping me avoid problems and move quickly to seize emerging opportunities. I learned what every entrepreneur should know: the right questions to ask, and how to best utilize counsel. This education was key for the successful launch of my startup.”
U.S. Law and Legal Methods
LAWM 5110
General Business Law
LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State
LAWM 5290
Health Law and Policy Fundamentals
LAWM 5300
Technology Law and IP for Non-Lawyers
LAWM 5060
Artificial Intelligence LAW 9820
Contracts and Negotiations
LAWM 5150
Future of Finance LAW 6650
Privacy/Intellectual Property Experts
Sarah Finnerty ML’18
Infrastructure Program Manager, Google News
“I work with privacy professionals, [and] the best part is that I can now engage in conversations that are more ethical and theoretical with people who have vast experience in this field. Being able to think in a different way has been invaluable.”
U.S. Law and Legal Methods
LAWM 5110
General Business Law LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State LAWM 5290
Technology Law and IP for Non-Lawyers LAWM 5060
Intellectual Property and National Economic Value LAW 9660
History of Privacy and the Law LAW 9300
Patent Law LAW 6770
Intro to IP Law & Policy LAW 5070
Eve Higginbotham ML’20
SM (MIT), MD (Harvard)
Professionals
Former Vice Dean for Inclusion and Diversity, Senior Fellow LDI Health Economics; Professor of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine
“As someone often called as an expert witness and engaged in discussions with lawyers, I wanted to know how a seasoned medical practitioner could become well-versed in the law. Penn Carey Law’s ML program was the answer and has helped me zero in on legal areas that intersect with my medical practice and corporate board governance responsibilities, administrative law concerns, and the regulation of medical techniques and treatments.”
U.S. Law and Legal Methods
LAWM 5110
General Business Law
LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State
LAWM 5290
Health Law and Policy Fundamentals
LAWM 5300
Fundamentals of U.S. Legal Research LAWM 5360 Healthcare Finance LAW 9390 Regulatory/Compliance
Corporate Governance, Ethics, and Compliance LAW 7040 American Constitutional Law LAWM 5050
Pathbreaking Technology & Science Innovators
Kiran Musunuru ML’18, G’24
MPH (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), MD (Weill-Cornell Medical College), PhD (The Rockefeller University)
Co-Founder and Senior Scientific Advisor, Verve Therapeutics; Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine
“As a cardiologist engaged in research for a potentially revolutionary treatment to prevent cardiovascular disease, I found the practical, real-world focus of my ML courses extremely relevant, particularly those on IP; the opportunity to take law courses at this important juncture was a dream come true.”
U.S. Law and Legal Methods
LAWM 5110
General Business Law
LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State
LAWM 5290
Patent Law
LAWM 5760
Intro to IP Law & Policy LAW 5070
Regulatory Law and Policy LAW 9310
Technology Law and IP for Non-Lawyers
LAWM 5060
Drug Product Liability Litigation LAW 9430
Education Thought Leaders
Kendrick Davis GEng’14, ML’17, PhD’18
Associate Professor of Research, University of Southern California; Former Chief Research Officer, USC Race & Equity Center
“The education system in K-12 and higher education is extremely complex. My ability to effectively recommend local policy required a working knowledge of the legal context of these decisions, especially when communicating recommendations to the mayor or other cabinet members.
The ML gave me the necessary knowledge to navigate these issues.”
U.S. Law and Legal Methods
LAWM 5110
General Business Law
LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State
LAWM 5290
American Constitutional Law
LAWM 5050
Mental Health Law LAW 7050
Immigration Law LAW 7800
Law of the Professor: Continuing Problems in Higher Ed LAW 9490
Discrimination in Education LAW 9690
Finance/Corporate Innovators
Will Matson ML’19, WG’19 President, Apex Service Partners
“I plan to use my ML education to build businesses measured not only by generated profit but also by their positive social impact. I am motivated to do good for society while doing well in business, and for me the latter is inextricably linked with the former. The ML degree will empower me to achieve this.”
U.S. Law and Legal Methods LAWM 5110
General Business Law LAWM 5280
Navigating the Regulatory State LAWM 5290
Corporate Governance and Compliance LAWM 5220
Corporate Finance: Legal Aspects LAW 7690
Distressed Dealmaking LAW 9080
Bankruptcy LAW 6460
M&A Through the Business Cycle LAW 7500
JD Course Sampling*
Business & Finance
Bankruptcy
Business Strategy, Private Equity, and Corporate Law
Commercial FinanceSecured Transactions
Corporate Finance: Economics and Law
Corporate Reorganization
Corporate Taxation
Corporations
Crisis Management
Deals: Economic Structure of Transactions & Contracting
Economic and Regulatory Policy for Global Markets
Empirical Law and Economics
Employee Benefits
Employment Discrimination
ESG: Current Developments in Public Corporation ESG Initiatives
Fashion Law
Federal Income Taxation
Finance, Economics and Law of Financial Crises
Financial Regulation
International Business
Transactions
International Investment
Arbitration
International Tax
International Trade Regulation
Labor Law
Law and Economics
Law of Financial Institutions
M&A Through the Business Cycle
* For a complete and current list, please visit CourseFinder on our website.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Money Laundering
Private Action: Antitrust, RICO & the Class Action
Real Estate Transactions
Shareholder Activism
Startups and Venture Capital
Structuring Venture
Capital and Private Equity
Transactions
Tax Policy Seminar
Education
Discrimination in Education
Higher Education Law and Policy
Law of the Professor:
Continuing Problems in Higher Education
Regulatory & Compliance
Administrative Law
Consumer Financial Regulation
Corporate Ethics, Compliance, and Social Responsibility
Networks, Platforms and Utilities: Law and Policy
Oil and Gas Law
Regulatory Law and Policy
SEC Enforcement
Securities Regulation
Technology
AI and Implicit Bias
Antitrust: Mergers, IP & Vertical Restraints
Artificial Intelligence Law
Blockchain and the Law
Copyright Cybercrime
Intellectual Property
Transactions
Intro to Intellectual Property Law
Law, Technology, and Access to Justice
Law of Autonomous Vehicles
Patent Law
Patents, Innovation, and Value
Privacy and Racial Justice
Privacy Law
Social Media Law
Trademarks
Healthcare & Pharmaceutical
Comparative Health Systems and the Law
Drug Prices, Patents, and Politics
Freedom, Responsibility, and Neuroscience
Health Care Financing and Equity
Health Care Fraud: Investigation and Prosecution
Health Law and Policy
Health Law in Practice
Mental Health Law
Pharmaceutical Regulation and Enforcement
Government & Policy
Access to Justice
American Criminal Law
Animal Law and Ethics
Church & State in America: Contemporary & Historical Perspectives
Climate Change Law and Policy
Community Lawyering to End Mass Incarceration
Conflict of Laws
Conservative Political Legal Thought
Constitutional Interpretation
Criminal Justice Reform
Criminal Law Foundations and Policy
Election Law
Energy Law and Climate Change
Entertainment Law
Family Law
First Amendment
Immigration Law
International Human Rights
Juvenile Justice
Land Use Law
Law and Candidacy
Law and Morality of War Law and Sexuality
Local Government Law
National Security Law
Power, Injustice, and Change in America
Public Corruption and the Law
Race, Law, and Resistance
Refugee Law
State Constitutional Law
Strategic Lawyering for Social Justice
The Supreme Court
Voting Rights
Women, Law, and Leadership
Admissions
We look for talented professionals and students who are intellectually curious with strong academic records and ambitious professional profiles. Applicants should demonstrate a well-articulated desire to engage in the rigorous academic challenge that the ML program presents and to contribute to Penn Carey Law’s accomplished, vibrant community. Visit our website to find detailed application instructions.
The Penn Carey Law Community
Our supportive, inclusive community values collaboration and teamwork. We appreciate the breadth of experiences and perspectives that every member of our community brings to the Law School and engage our colleagues and faculty in ways that respect and celebrate the many distinctions in philosophy and experience.
In addition to the rich, interdisciplinary curriculum, ML degree candidates are encouraged to take advantage of a variety of robust extracurricular opportunities, including student affinity groups, centers and institutes, and campus events throughout the year.
Jennifer Caughey DMD/ML’19, Mohammad Mousavian DMD‘19/ML’18
Master in Law Faculty Perspectives
ML lecturers are renowned academics and practitioners with years of experience in their fields. Appreciating that ML degree candidates often enter the program without a law background, the twentyfive lecturers and faculty teaching in the ML program distill complex legal concepts, bridging legal principles and practice, to provide ML degree candidates with a solid foundation for JD elective courses. As an ML degree candidate, you will also learn from Penn Carey Law’s standing faculty.
Rebecca E. Clayton, Esq.
Adjunct Professor of Law and Associate General Counsel Nexxt, Inc.
“The Master in Law program is an exceptional opportunity for professionals in varied disciplines to gain a strong legal background to inform and enhance their decision-making. The wide-ranging experiences of the ML students fosters an engaging and vibrant learning environment.”
Andrew Kandel, Esq. C’82, L’86
Chief Compliance Officer & Co-General Counsel, Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.
“The Master in Law program provides a unique opportunity to teach not just the law, but the real life and practical application of the law. In addition, my course greatly benefits from the diverse experiences of a mix of graduate students, undergraduates, faculty, and other practicing professionals.”
Michael Gerhardt
Burton Craige Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence, University of North Carolina School of Law, Scholar-in-Residence & Director of Content, National Constitution Center
“As a constitutional scholar, having been called to testify several times before Congress regarding constitutional interpretation, I enjoy interacting and sharing these experiences with ML students as we analyze the Constitution and how it shapes our daily lives and the political life of this nation.”
Donyale Reavis, Esq. L’99, G’99
Vice President, Goldman Sachs
“No matter how fast or how often the face of traditional and start-up businesses change, bandwidth and capacity are timeless. As an ML student, you are trained to analyze, identify, and assess threats and opportunities through the lens of legal compliance and protection, and as a result, leave with exponentially greater bandwidth and capacity around assessing threats and developing protection strategies.”
Emily Largent Nu’06
Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine
“I appreciate the range of personal and professional experiences that ML students bring to my classroom. Their unique perspectives guide our learning, enrich our discussions, and highlight the significant—and sometimes surprising—role of law and policy in all our lives.”
