One Decade and Over 200 Alumni Later, Master in Law Program Lives Up to Its Ambitious Vision

In January 2014, the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School boldly entered a new dimension of legal education when it launched a groundbreaking program: the Master in Law (ML) degree, the Law School’s first degree designed for those working outside the legal profession and one of few new degrees introduced in over a century.

Ever a leader in driving innovation and excellence in cross-disciplinary legal education, Penn Carey Law was among the first top-ranked law schools to offer such a program.

The ML program’s early inspiration was rooted in a desire to better prepare those in the highly regulated field of medicine; before long, the ML’s potential to have a broader impact on a multitude of disciplines became clear.

Former Law School Dean Ted Ruger was part of the program from its earliest days, helping design the curriculum and teaching several courses, and he often highlights a founding principle of the program: the law belongs to everyone — not just to those who plan careers as attorneys.

“Our ML candidates are brilliant individuals who enrich Penn Carey Law’s collaborative, collegial community with their diverse perspectives and deep expertise,” said Sophia Z. Lee, Dean and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law. “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.”

Since its first graduating class of four students in 2016, the ML program has grown to 204 alumni and 112 current students. Degree candidates’ average length of professional experience is 11 years, with over 10 percent possessing over two decades. Most successful applicants already possess at least one graduate degree; many have several.

“We recruit the best and the brightest prospective students for the ML degree,” said Catharine Restrepo L’93, Assistant Dean of the ML program. “Coming from the C-Suite and board rooms across major industries, these students are scientists, physicians, and investment bankers. Some discovered lifesaving biotech innovations and entered our program to commercialize their work and bring solutions to patients who need them. Others learn the law to navigate the nuances of entrepreneurship, intellectual property, and raising capital; still others serve as elected or appointed state and federal government officials, pioneering policy improvements across fields.”

The ML program quickly realized success by filling a legal knowledge gap among savvy professionals across countless industries.

“Every entrepreneur needs to know what questions to ask and how best to utilize counsel,” said Jehan Luth ML’19, CEO and Founder of Banyan, a fintech infrastructure company that harnesses item-level receipt data to keep consumers safe.

Dr. Eve Higginbotham ML’20, Vice Dean for Inclusion and Diversity of the Perelman School of Medicine, found the ML education intellectually stimulating and helpful in her medical practice, academic leadership, and roles on numerous boards. Her deeper understanding of legal concepts increased her confidence when voting on matters that presumed a certain level of legal acumen, she said.

Nick Miller ML’24 experienced firsthand the power of law to make necessary societal change, first as an Allentown School Board member and then as a state senator representing Pennsylvania’s 14th Senatorial District. Miller said the ML has made him a better leader, “enabling him to understand the law — how it is written, policy, and the legal dynamics of politics.”

Dr. Lee Fleisher ML’24, former Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from 2020 to 2023 said he drew on something he learned in his foundational regulatory class every day during his time at CMS and when one of his regulations went to the Supreme Court, his Constitutional Law class proved invaluable in understanding how to prepare his colleagues in the Department of Justice.

Witnessing our students and alumni in the workplace, employers and colleagues of our ML graduates describe the emergence of a new type of multidisciplinary professional who — already well-respected for their expertise in their respective fields — can also serve as reliable intermediaries between counsel and those making key business decisions. Armed with legal knowledge, they are savvy business partners who grasp legal concerns while balancing and mitigating risks to advance business goals.

Karen Young, Comcast Vice President of Enterprise Procurement, described one such colleague, Arturo Perez ML’24, Director of Enterprise Procurement, as a connector and problem solver who can ultimately drive deals forward, deftly appreciating legal risks while also understanding complex business needs.

The privacy professionals among ML students and alumni see a particular demand for their skills and knowledge base supplemented by legal education, finding interesting work, and robust employment opportunities.

Sarah Finnerty ML’18 attributes the ML with increasing her career mobility; she served as a Privacy Analyst and became the Assistant Privacy Officer in Penn’s Office of Compliance upon graduation, transitioned to Blackstone as Associate Vice President and Privacy Manager, then to her current position at Google as a Product Compliance Program Manager.

After serving as Communications Director for the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic (Information Society Project) at Yale Law School, Leah Ferentinos ML’19 was recruited by Meta to work on content policy regarding election integrity and misinformation.

Students begin the ML Program by taking three foundational courses.

“It was important to create a strong foundational curriculum for these students who, though accomplished in their respective fields, were entering law school classrooms with no prior background in legal education,” explained Restrepo.

The program was specially designed with content relevant to degree candidates’ work and offered in a manageable, flexible format — an essential component, considering the demanding professional lives and schedules of those the program wanted to attract.

JD coursework is a required part of the degree, which both distinguishes the Penn Carey Law ML Program and enriches the ML student experience, not only giving them access to the deep, voluminous JD curriculum but also supporting cross-disciplinary learning and providing opportunities to forge deep connections among all law students, as envisioned by the program’s early design team.

In 2021, one such connection produced an award-winning proposal at the G2 Conference and Hackathon Challenge. Steven Appel L’ 21, a JD student at the time, and two MLs, Govind Nagubandi ML’23 and Chandra Nukala ML’21 collaborated on their proposal, “Feminizing Financing for Trade in Africa: New Approaches to Systemic Challenges,” which placed third in the global competition.

About a third of ML degree candidates are graduate students from across Penn’s campus, combining degrees with the ML. Wharton MBA students have been a part of the program since the first class, describing the ML as a perfect pairing with their MBAs. Will Matson ML’19, GW’19 chose Wharton over other top business schools specifically because of the ML option. Early in his investment banking career at J.P. Morgan, Matson regularly interacted with corporate and M&A attorneys and gained a sense that law would play a role in his future business career. He now serves as President at Apex Service Partners in Tampa, Florida and relies on this legal grounding in his work.

Considered among the top programs in the country, the ML program was honored by national peers when chosen to host the Sixth Annual National Legal Masters Conference, held in March 2023 to great acclaim. Restrepo and her team celebrate ten years of the ML program this Spring 2024.

“In the short term, we will celebrate this milestone with two days of events including lectures, panels, and networking opportunities featuring the law’s interdisciplinarity — the essence of the ML Program,” said Restrepo.

Looking toward the future, Restrepo is thrilled about all that is to come, emphasizing the unlimited potential of ML students and alumni, supported by the Law School’s commitment to them, to change the world in diverse, significant ways.

“The future is interdisciplinary,” said Restrepo, “and the ML program, as an integral part of Penn Carey Law, plays a crucial role, ensuring the Law School continues to lead the way.”