January 3, 2024
Pathway to Legal Understanding
In addition to her role as a pro bono and reduced-fee mediator for divorce and family disputes, Carolyn Clark teaches mediation and conflict resolution at the S.J. Quinney College of Law. Photo: Niki Chan Wylie
The U’s Master of Legal Studies program helps strengthen communities through legal education
Carolynn Clark wants to make it possible for anyone to obtain a legal education.
Recognized with the prestigious 2022 Utah Council on Conflict Resolution’s peacekeeper award, Clark exemplifies the significance of ensuring legal accessibility for all. In addition to her role as a pro bono and reduced-fee mediator for divorce and family disputes at Utah Dispute Resolution, she imparts her expertise through teaching mediation and conflict resolution to both juris doctorate (JD) and MLS students at the S.J. Quinney College of Law.
Carolynn’s experience in the field has shed light on inherent challenges to getting legal help: accessing it can be complicated.
“There are a lot of people in the community who need legal help but don’t get it because they don’t know how to access it—and probably don’t have the money to access it. That’s a huge issue,” she says. “We don’t have enough people who are educated in the law who could help.”
Carolynn is hoping to bridge the gap with a robust Master of Legal Studies (MLS) program at the University of Utah.
The MLS program is tailored to meet the needs of working professionals outside of the legal realm by offering a comprehensive one-year curriculum aimed at empowering individuals to effectively utilize legal knowledge within their respective careers.
“MLS students with Licensed Paralegal Practitioner licensure can give legal advice and draft legal documents in the areas of family law, debtor issues, and landlord/tenant disputes.” Carolynn says. “Many people with these types of legal problems cannot afford an attorney or are underserved by legal professionals.”
Typically, MLS programs repurpose their JD courses. The U’s program, however, went for a different approach to better meet prospective students where they are. “Our students are wanting to apply this information to their jobs now. So, we’ve created courses from scratch with the MLS student in mind,” Carolynn says. “In that way, we’re quite different than a lot of other programs that might exist nationally.”
The applications of the U’s MLS degree are incredibly diverse, catering to a wide range of professional fields. There are many applications to this type of degree. People in health care compliance, human resources, law enforcement, as well as those employed in law firms or courts, can greatly benefit from acquiring legal education, even if their aspirations do not revolve around practicing law directly.
“Many of the students just want to be more fluent in the language of the law and be better at what they do,” Carolynn says.
Recognizing this growing demand, the S.J. Quinney College of Law is working on expanding their course offerings, envisioning a future legal landscape that embraces and caters to the many needs of professionals across various industries.
As the program evolves, Carolynn eagerly anticipates its expansion. One significant avenue for growth involves establishing a scholarship fund aimed at assisting students facing financial constraints.
“Some of our students come from difficult backgrounds and are really trying to get that leg up in the industry,” Carolynn says. “They need help affording a program like this, and scholarships are an impactful way of providing that support.”
