MSL Degree Program

Why earn an MSL degree?

"I want to help scientific innovation progress."

Jessica Trostel
MSL Class of 2016

"I want to protect innovation."

Zachary Dickerson
MSL Class of 2016

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MSL Profiles

Sonny Cave ('85)

Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer, ON Semiconductor

Sonny Cave

Sonny Cave (’85) is executive vice president, general counsel, chief compliance and ethics officer, chief risk officer, and corporate secretary at ON Semiconductor.

Harry Surden

Associate Professor, Intellectual Property and Patent Law

Harry Surden

"The MSL program offers a great opportunity to learn specialty areas of law in depth, at the level and rigor of a law school education, without the full three-year commitment of a JD degree."

Jessica Trostel

MSL Class of 2016

Jessica Trostel

"I couldn’t believe that the MSL degree is only a year. You get a whole Master’s degree, externship experience, and are set up to take the patent bar examination so you are able to start practicing soon after graduation. It’s very exciting that there is a huge demand for professionals in this field."

Mindy Sooter ('03)

IP Lawyer, WilmerHale LLP

Mindy Sooter

"Students of the MSL program will add a combination of legal knowledge and practical patent skills to their existing technical backgrounds ... will will uniquely position them to work in the field of patent law, and the efficiency and skills they will bring to bear will place them in strong demand."

Kristelia Garcia

Associate Professor, Copyright, Trademark, and Property

Kristelia Garcia

"In the highly competitive world of IP, an MSL degree allows a scientifically-inclined student to distinguish him/herself from the pack without the burden and commitment of a full JD program."

Zachary Dickerson

MSL Class of 2016

Zachary Dickerson

"I was interested in the MSL program because I really enjoyed the sciences, but wanted to find a way to be involved in science not on the research edge."

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Master of Studies in Law

Colorado Law’s Master of Studies in Law (MSL) degree is a one-year, 28-credit, no LSAT required program that enables students who hold at least an undergraduate degree to obtain legal training short of a full Juris Doctor (JD). Increasingly, emerging job markets have openings that require some legal knowledge and employers are assigning a number of legal tasks traditionally performed by lawyers to non-lawyers. Colorado Law’s MSL will prepare students to obtain and excel in those positions. MSL students will be admitted into one of two specialty tracks: Patent Law or Ethics and Compliance.

MSL - Patent Law

Shifts in the economy, coupled with recent developments in patent law, mean that there is a growing demand for employees who help companies protect their valuable ideas and products by securing patents. This role is increasingly being filled by patent agents. The patent agent career allows individuals with engineering and science degrees to pursue an interesting and in-demand career practicing patent prosecution, representing inventors and innovators in the patent drafting, submission, and eventual patent issuance process.

Upon completion of the MSL - Patent Law degree, students will be prepared to sit for the Patent Bar Exam.*

*Students must meet several requirements to sit for the Patent Bar and register with the USPTO, including specific science or engineering degrees. 

MSL - Ethics and Compliance

The Ethics and Compliance track trains students to become compliance and ethics officers at large corporations, as well as at nonprofit entities, such as colleges, universities, and hospitals. These organizations are subject to an increasing number of legal requirements and need trained professionals to lead effective in-house programs to ensure compliance with statutes and regulations.  

The Ethics and Compliance track trains students to develop, improve, and manage ethics and compliance programs and help organizations obey the law, reduce the risk of fraud, other law-breaking, and misconduct, and mitigate their firms’ legal liability and reputation risk. Students have the opportunity to focus on specific fields of law, such as privacy/cybersecurity, healthcare, and financial services. 

MSL Curriculum Overview

MSL students will be admitted into one of two specialty tracks and take courses specifically tailored for that track. MSL in Patent Law is designed to train prospective patent agents. MSL in Ethics and Compliance is designed to prepare prospective ethics and compliance officers in privacy/cybersecurity, health care, and financial services. We anticipate offering additional specialty tracks in other areas in subsequent years.

All MSL students will take two courses designed specifically for MSL students - one that introduces them to the American legal system, and one that introduces them to legal research, writing and analysis. In addition to those introductory courses, MSL students will take required and elective courses, alongside JD students, relevant to their specialty track. 

 

One-year Master's Degree | No LSAT Required