Law and public service - Legal studies

Protective measures available through intellectual property law allow businesses to safeguard advancements they’ve created and retain an edge in the marketplace. Pursuing this master's emphasis in intellectual property law can provide you with the background needed to:

• Assess when creative advancements are vulnerable to loss.
• Identify potential intellectual property protection options.
• Maintain competitive advantages through various techniques, including brand building.

The importance of intellectual property law

This interdisciplinary program explores fundamental legal principles, facilitating your growth in concepts related to the law, legal writing and more. Intellectual property law is a focus within the curriculum, helping you gain a deep understanding of copyrights, patents, trademarks and trade secrets. By studying intellectual property law, you'll gain the tools to protect your ideas, build a strong brand and manage creative content responsibly. Coursework explores the importance of trade secrets, NDAs and licensing agreements. This knowledge will equip you to handle collaborations, protect confidential information and negotiate favorable deals. Upon graduating, you’ll also have the skills to protect your work across borders and avoid legal risks. These insights are applicable across industries and prepare you for a wide range of professional roles.

What is a degree emphasis? Is it the same as a concentration?

A degree program’s emphasis is similar to a concentration, but there are key differences.

• A concentration is a formalized selection of courses within a major. A concentration requires a minimum of 15 credit hours of which at least nine credit hours must be upper division. Your concentration appears on both your ASU diploma and your transcripts.
• An emphasis is a selected topic area defined within the major. It’s typically 9–12 credit hours and doesn’t need to be officially declared. The emphasis will not appear on your diploma or transcripts.

This program offers a broad understanding of the U.S. legal system and how it connects with other fields. You’ll build core expertise in legal concepts, analysis and writing you can apply to your current or future roles.

When you choose this emphasis, you’ll focus on the frameworks and policies that protect the environment and promote fair business practices. The curriculum examines the regulations that drive environmental protection, social responsibility and economic sustainability.

Sustainability law careers continue to grow in corporate settings and at all levels of government. You’ll graduate prepared to help organizations gain a competitive edge and make a positive impact while meeting their economic goals. Understanding how laws and regulations affect your industry can also set you apart from your peers.

The skills you’ll develop

• Climate change solutions
  • Apply mitigation and adaptation strategies, including emissions reduction and carbon trading mechanisms.
• Corporate governance
  • Embed sustainability goals and accountability into leadership structures and operations.
• Environmental compliance
  • Help organizations meet permit conditions, reporting obligations and regulatory standards to avoid penalties.
• Environmental impact assessment
  • Incorporate sustainability considerations into project planning and decision-making to reduce environmental harm.
• Social responsibility
  • Advance labor rights, human rights and transparency across global supply chains.
• Sustainable business strategies
  • Design strategies that align with legal requirements and environmental best practices to position organizations as responsible and future-focused.

What is a degree emphasis? Is it the same as a concentration?

A degree program’s emphasis is similar to a concentration, but there are key differences.

• A concentration is a formalized selection of courses within a major. It requires a minimum of 15 credit hours, with at least nine upper-division credit hours. Your concentration appears on both your ASU diploma and transcripts.
• An emphasis is a selected topic area within the major. It’s typically 9–12 credit hours and doesn’t need to be officially declared. The emphasis will not appear on your diploma or transcripts.

The sports industry is a multibillion-dollar enterprise in the U.S. with the potential to exceed a trillion dollars globally. As the industry rapidly grows, so does a demand for professionals who understand the various challenges in this field.

This program explores topics such as antitrust and labor concerns, league and player regulations, intellectual property rights and contract negotiations. You’ll examine the forces influencing professional and amateur athletics and gain insights into sports branding, analytics and business operations.

The curriculum offers various electives, allowing you to tailor your studies to your career goals. You’ll also have the option to participate in a special project or externship related to your interests.

What is a degree emphasis? Is it the same as a concentration?

While an emphasis and concentration are similar, there are key differences.

• A concentration is a formalized selection of courses within a major requiring a minimum of 15 credit hours; at least nine must be upper division. The concentration appears on your ASU diploma and transcripts.
• An emphasis is a selected topic area defined within the major that’s typically 9–12 credit hours and doesn’t need to be officially declared.

Throughout this Master of Legal Studies, you'll gain a solid foundation in U.S. law, including essential skills in legal analysis and writing, as well as understanding legal concepts. This 30-credit program is designed for professionals who want to understand the law and its implications in their careers without pursuing a full law degree. In as little as a year, you'll develop an interdisciplinary perspective on legal principles and enhance your ability to engage effectively with attorneys.

This degree is ideal for professionals in various fields who seek to advance their careers or pivot to new ones by gaining legal insights relevant to their work. It’s especially suited for those who want to understand the law’s impact on their industry, but not for those aiming to practice law.

Tailor your studies to your interests and career

When you earn your Master of Legal Studies online, you have the option to customize your degree to align with your specific interests and career aspirations with one of the following emphases:

• Business law
• Conflict resolution
• Contract management
• Construction law
• Corporate and health care compliance
• Criminal law
• Federal contracting law
• Federal Indian law
• Healthcare law and administration
• Indian gaming
• Intellectual property law
• Land use and property development law
• Law and sustainability
• Legal paraprofessional
• Navajo Nation law
• Sports law
• Tribal self-governance

Each emphasis consists of 9 to 12 credit hours and is designed to deepen your knowledge in that particular area. While choosing an emphasis is optional, it’s important to note that you don’t need to officially declare an emphasis and it won’t appear on your diploma or transcripts. This flexibility allows you to supplement your general legal foundation with specialized knowledge that is directly relevant to your professional goals, making your MLS degree highly adaptable to various career paths.

Please note, students who enroll in the legal paraprofessional emphasis will take the coursework they need to be able to sit for the AZ Paraprofessional (LP) exam offered by the State of Arizona. The AZ LP program allows non-lawyers to practice law in a handful of limited subject areas. Additionally, ASU Online also offers a Master of Human Resources and Employment Law. This program focuses on identifying and analyzing legal issues to solve critical human resources problems.

How does this MLS compare to a Juris Doctorate (JD)?

Earning a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree is a key step toward becoming a practicing attorney, while completing an MLS degree provides an understanding of basic legal concepts that can be applied to various careers. A Master of Legal Studies degree doesn’t allow you to practice law and program courses don’t transfer to the Juris Doctor program. Instead, the MLS focuses on specific areas of the law that are relevant to your professional path. Knowledge of concepts ranging from conflict resolution to employment law can offer you valuable context and inform your decision-making.