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Hi Everyone,

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Anonymous

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Hi Everyone,

I’ve been a paralegal for over 20 years in the television entertainment industry. I’m considering pursuing a Master of Legal Studies (MLS), but I’ve been told by some that it’s a “worthless” degree and that if I’m going to invest the time and money, I should just go to law school and earn a JD instead.

The challenge is that a JD is extremely expensive, and I’m hesitant to take on significant debt at this stage in my life.

For those who have earned an MLS (or work with professionals who have), did it meaningfully impact your career trajectory, compensation, or professional credibility? Do you feel it was worth the investment? I’d especially appreciate hearing from anyone in media, entertainment, or in-house legal roles. Thank you in advance for your insight.

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  1. Anonymous

    I guess my question for you would be in what way do you see this degree benefiting you? I did look into this, once upon a time. The time it would take to complete really appealed to me and I thought that perhaps it could enhance my knowledge of employment law. In the end, I decided against it. Seeing no real benefit to it other than just having another degree.

  2. Pink Barracuda

    I flirted with something similar on the business side in my early 30s. I looked a few different Master's programs. At the end of the day between the time away from family 2 nights a week and every other weekend plus tuition combined with market research would have had me "breaking even" on the cost of the program in something like 16 YEARS. That being said, professional credibility is a lot harder to put a number on. I'm a "numbers" girl. I did the math and couldn't justify it. Good luck!

  3. Anonymous

    I think you need to decide what your goal is first. Is it more money? If it is you should see who is earning more and what credentials they have that got them there. If it is more responsibilities then the educational value may not be worth it if you don't see the self-investment to get there.

  4. Ally Morgan

    I've been a litigation paralegal since 2002. What is your goal in obtaining more education? Unless you just want to go to school, you don't need either of those degrees to continue being a paralegal. I'm happy with my job, salary, and company, but I believe that the specialized education and certifications that I've spent time and money on aren't really recognized or valued by anybody other than myself.

  5. Anonymous

    I came from the television entertainment industry (now in publishing) and would advise pausing on additional degrees right now and pivoting to Business Affairs roles. There are a lot of Biz Affairs and Contract roles where you don’t need a law degree (some prefer JD) that just want candidates who can negotiate and draft agreements for talent, production etc and they’re usually with Major studios or entities and pay well. Business Affairs is often a great team to be on as you’re aligned with both the business stakeholders and Legal.

  6. SHARI BECKER

    I’m a paralegal, in marketing. I went back to school and got my MBA in my 50s. I should have gone to law school or taken the MBA/Law program. Not sure what a masters in legal studies will really “buy” you.

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