A Curriculum Built Around Business Needs of the Future
Online M.S. in Law Courses in AI, Compliance, and Business
Every course in the University of Illinois Master of Science in Law was created from scratch, not just repurposed from another program’s curriculum. The entire program is organized around a single question: what does a mid-career professional in business, tech, or compliance actually need to advance?
The answer is a flexible, stackable credential portfolio built around high-demand professional skill areas with certificates you can earn along the way.
Master Legal Skills in AI, Privacy, and Compliance
Built for working professionals navigating legal complexity without a law degree. The online MSL from U. of I. delivers stackable credentials in high-demand areas including AI governance, cybersecurity, employment law, and business compliance. Start with a certificate or go straight to the full degree.
What law program are you interested in?
Get more information
MSL Requirements
The MSL consists of 32 credits across 8 courses (4 credits each), delivered fully online in 8-week segments over 18 months.
Tech & Privacy Concentration:
For professionals navigating AI governance, cybersecurity, data privacy, and emerging technology regulation.
Three certificates:
- AI Privacy & Governance in Law
- Cybersecurity Law & Resilience
- Law of Emerging Technologies
Business Compliance Concentration:
For professionals managing compliance, corporate governance, employment law, and regulatory risk in business environments.
Three certificates:
- Ethics & Corporate Governance
- Advanced Business Law
- Employment Law & Workplace Dynamics
Legal Foundations for Professionals (Required for MSL — 3 courses, 12 credits)
LAW 510: Introduction to Law (4 credits)
This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the American legal system, tailored for working professionals. It examines the foundational principles, structures, and substantive areas of U.S. law, emphasizing how legal concepts apply to real-world challenges in business, technology, government, and related fields. The course highlights the interplay between law and societal change, analyzing how legal shifts have influenced—and been influenced by—social, political, and economic dynamics.
LAW 511: Legal Reasoning for Strategic Decision Makers (4 credits)
This course prepares non-lawyers in business, tech, government, and related fields to navigate legal advice through an understanding of legal reasoning, enabling strategic decision-making in complex regulatory landscapes. The course develops skills in evaluating legal advice, assessing compliance risks, interpreting statutes and regulations, and integrating legal analysis with business, ethical, and operational considerations while collaborating effectively with legal counsel.
LAW 513: Working Effectively with Lawyers (4 credits)
This course provides students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to collaborate effectively with legal professionals in organizational settings. Students explore the foundations of legal practice, legal research methods, statutory and case law analysis, contract review, and effective legal communication. The course also develops students' ability to organize and synthesize legal information, write clearly and persuasively, and use artificial intelligence responsibly to support legal and business decision-making.
Tech & Privacy Concentration Certificates
AI Privacy & Governance in Law Certificate
This certificate equips you with the legal and regulatory knowledge to lead AI governance initiatives, navigate privacy compliance, and build ethical frameworks for responsible AI deployment.
LAW 540: AI Compliance (4 credits)
This course explores emerging legal frameworks governing artificial intelligence, including regulatory requirements, risk classifications, and compliance obligations. Students develop the ability to assess AI systems, evaluate governance strategies, identify regulatory gaps, and support responsible AI deployment through effective compliance planning and organizational oversight.
LAW 541: AI & Data Privacy (4 credits)
Students examine the intersection of artificial intelligence and data privacy through laws such as GDPR and CCPA. The course develops skills in conducting privacy impact assessments, evaluating AI data practices, analyzing breach scenarios, and implementing privacy protections that support responsible data governance and regulatory compliance.
LAW 542: AI Ethics & Bias (4 credits)
This course focuses on the ethical challenges associated with artificial intelligence, including fairness, transparency, accountability, and algorithmic bias. Students learn to identify sources of bias, evaluate ethical trade-offs, apply bias mitigation strategies, and support the development and deployment of equitable, trustworthy AI systems.
Cybersecurity Law & Resilience Certificate
This certificate equips you with the legal frameworks, regulatory requirements, and governance strategies to manage cybersecurity risk effectively and lead incident response with confidence.
LAW 543: Cyberthreats & Compliance (4 credits)
Students explore the legal and regulatory dimensions of cybersecurity, including cyber threats, compliance obligations, governance, and organizational risk management. They develop skills in identifying vulnerabilities, evaluating legal and operational risks, creating compliance strategies, and supporting effective responses to cybersecurity challenges.
LAW 544: Cyber Risk Mitigation (4 credits)
This course examines strategies for reducing cybersecurity risk through governance frameworks, technical controls, and legal compliance. Students learn to assess vulnerabilities, evaluate mitigation strategies, manage supply chain cyber risks, and develop comprehensive risk management plans that strengthen organizational resilience and regulatory compliance.
LAW 545: Cyber Incident Response (4 credits)
Students study the legal, operational, and governance considerations involved in responding to cybersecurity incidents. The course develops skills in breach response planning, incident investigation, post-incident analysis, stakeholder coordination, and designing response strategies that align legal obligations with organizational recovery and resilience objectives.
Law of Emerging Technologies Certificate
This certificate equips you with the legal frameworks, strategic tools, and ethical grounding to lead innovation in blockchain, biotech, digital health, and other rapidly evolving technology domains.
LAW 546: Intellectual Property of Emerging Technologies (4 credits)
This course explores intellectual property law as it applies to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and software innovation. Students examine patents, licensing, commercialization, open-source issues, and infringement risks while developing strategies to protect innovation and support technology commercialization within evolving legal frameworks.
LAW 547: Health Tech Law & Privacy (4 credits)
Students examine the legal and regulatory issues surrounding digital health technologies, including HIPAA, FDA oversight, patient privacy, and AI-assisted healthcare. The course develops skills in evaluating health data practices, assessing regulatory risks, designing privacy policies, and supporting compliant innovation within healthcare technology environments.
LAW 548: Frontiers of Technology Law (4 credits)
This course explores the evolving legal challenges associated with emerging technologies such as quantum computing, neurotechnology, and the metaverse. Students develop skills in policy analysis, regulatory forecasting, ethical evaluation, and strategic planning while examining how legal frameworks adapt to rapid technological innovation and global regulatory developments.
Business Compliance Concentration Certificates
Ethics & Corporate Governance Certificate
This certificate equips you with the legal frameworks, ethical principles, and strategic tools to lead corporate governance, compliance programs, and ethical decision-making at the executive level.
LAW 520: Ethics & Compliance (4 credits)
Students examine the legal and ethical frameworks that guide organizational compliance, including anti-corruption laws, corporate ethics, and regulatory standards. Through practical case studies and assessments, they learn to identify compliance risks, evaluate ethics programs, develop training initiatives, and support governance practices that promote accountability, integrity, and responsible organizational decision-making.
LAW 521: Corporate Governance (4 credits)
This course explores the legal principles that shape corporate governance, including fiduciary duties, shareholder rights, board responsibilities, and organizational accountability. Students develop the ability to evaluate governance structures, analyze governance failures, assess proposed reforms, and apply governance principles to support ethical leadership and sound strategic decision-making.
LAW 522: Supply Chain Oversight (4 credits)
Students explore the legal and ethical responsibilities involved in managing modern supply chains, including transparency standards, vendor accountability, and regulatory compliance. The course develops skills in identifying supply chain risks, evaluating oversight strategies, conducting compliance assessments, and designing governance practices that promote responsible and sustainable business operations.
Advanced Business Law Certificate
This certificate equips you with the legal frameworks and strategic tools to navigate contracts, corporate transactions, securities regulation, and antitrust law with confidence.
LAW 523: Antitrust Law (4 credits)
Students examine the legal and ethical frameworks that guide organizational compliance, including anti-corruption laws, corporate ethics, and regulatory standards. Through practical case studies and assessments, they learn to identify compliance risks, evaluate ethics programs, develop training initiatives, and support governance practices that promote accountability, integrity, and responsible organizational decision-making.
LAW 524: Securities Law (4 credits)
This course provides students with the tools to understand and navigate securities law, enabling strategic decision-making in capital markets and regulatory environments. Students explore securities statutes and regulations for investor protection and capital markets and apply legal knowledge to practical issues that commonly arise in business and tech through case studies that ask them to analyze disclosure failures, evaluate compliance programs, and create strategies aligned with ethical practices, preparing to support financial compliance roles in business, tech, and related industries.
LAW 525: Business Organizations (4 credits)
In this course, students will learn the tools to understand and navigate business organizations, enabling strategic decision-making in entity formation and governance. The course explores entity types (e.g., LLCs, corporations) and their governance and tax implications. Students apply entity selection principles, analyze dissolution risks, and evaluate hybrid structures, preparing to advise on business formation strategies in business, tech, and related industries while aligning with ethical and compliance goals.
Employment Law & Workplace Dynamics Certificate
This certificate equips you with the legal frameworks and strategic tools to manage employment law compliance, navigate workforce risk, and lead HR decisions with confidence.
LAW 530: Employment Discrimination (4 credits)
Students examine the legal framework governing workplace discrimination, harassment, and equal employment opportunity under laws such as Title VII and the ADA. The course develops skills in investigating workplace complaints, analyzing employment practices, evaluating diversity initiatives, and supporting legally compliant, equitable workplace policies.
LAW 531: Individual Employee Rights (4 credits)
This course explores the legal protections afforded to employees under laws governing wages, labor relations, family leave, whistleblower protections, and workplace rights. Students learn to assess employment decisions, evaluate retaliation risks, develop compliant workplace policies, and balance legal obligations with organizational and employee relations objectives.
LAW 532: Employee Benefits (4 credits)
This course equips students with the tools to understand and navigate ERISA requirements for pension and health plans, enabling strategic decision-making to support employee retention and organizational goals. The course positions learners as strategic decision-makers who operate within the bounds of benefits law and collaborate competently with legal counsel. Through practical case studies and assessments, students design benefits plans, analyze fiduciary duties in disputes, and create policies aligned with legal, ethical, and governance principles.
Curriculum FAQs
What Types of Law Courses Are Offered in the MSL Program?
Students in the MSL program take courses organized around two concentrations:
Every MSL student completes Legal Foundations for Professionals.
- The Tech & Privacy concentration covers AI Privacy & Governance in Law, Cybersecurity Law & Resilience, and Law of Emerging Technologies.
- The Business Compliance concentration covers Ethics & Corporate Governance, Advanced Business Law, and Employment Law & Workplace Dynamics.
Every MSL student completes Legal Foundations for Professionals.
How Many Courses Are in the MSL Program?
The MSL program consists of eight courses, delivered fully online in 8-week segments. The full degree takes 18 months to finish.
What Certificates Can You Earn During the MSL Program?
The MSL program offers up to seven stackable certificates as you work toward the full degree. Each certificate consists of three courses focused on either Tech & Privacy or Business Compliance, and may be earned independently or as part of the MSL.
At the completion of your MSL you will have earned two certificates.
At the completion of your MSL you will have earned two certificates.
Ready to Build Legal Expertise for Your Career?
Start your application to the MSL or a certificate program; or learn more about the program and how legal knowledge could help you reach your professional goals.
Upcoming Admissions Deadlines
Jan
10
Final Deadline
January 10
Spring 2027
Jan
19
Classes Start
January 19
Spring 2027
