Virtually all of the courses taught at the Willamette University College of Law are open to MLS students, including: Business Organizations, Employment Law, Labor Law, Healthcare Law & Policy, Corporate Finance, Federal Income Taxation, Business Entities Tax, Business Planning, Legislation, and State & Local Government Law, among others.

The MLS is not intended to prepare students for the JD program. In compliance with rules of the American Bar Association, no credit may be given toward the JD for any courses taken in the MLS program.

The degree requires 26 credit hours, which works out to approximately eight or nine classes. Those credits may be satisfied by any combination of eligible law school courses, including one required first-year course. MLS students are required to take one of the following: Contracts, Civil Procedure, Property, Torts, Criminal Law or Constitutional Law I. In addition, MLS students must write a research paper and sit for finals with the regular JD final schedule.