Yale Law School offers a Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) degree program for a small number of non-lawyers who want to obtain a basic familiarity with legal thought and to explore the relation of law to their disciplines. It is a one-year terminal program designed for those who do not desire a professional law degree, but who are interested in a rigorous curriculum and grounding in legal studies.

Candidates in the M.S.L. program are typically experienced scholars with doctorates who have research or teaching objectives in mind, or mid-career journalists seeking an intensive immersion in legal thinking so that they are better able to educate their audiences upon their return to journalism. To qualify for the M.S.L. degree, students must: complete the first year of the J.D. program (27 units); complete four required first-term courses (Constitutional Law, Contracts, Procedure, and Torts) (M.S.L. candidates may substitute an elective for one of those courses); and complete at least 10 graded units of the 12 units required in the second term (the second term is entirely elective and affords opportunities for independent research and clinical experience, in addition to regular courses and seminars)