Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
MLS 400 Human Resources Compliance - 3 Units
This course examines the institutional models and regulatory schemes governing the management of employees in the workplace. Topics include a survey of the creation, maintenance and termination of the employment relationship, employee/employer duties, employment protections, torts in the workplace, workplace privacy and workplace safety and health. Delivery mode: traditional graduate, online, and accelerated.
MLS 414 Employment Discrimination - 3 Units
Students examine the legal rules and public policies surrounding employer practices and employee claims sounding in discrimination against members of protected classes or in hostility in the workplace. Topics include the state and federal regulations governing employment discrimination; employer planning, best practices, and prevention of claims; and the legal processes for determination and redress of discrimination in the workplace. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 450 SHRM-CP/SCP Exam Prep: Core HR Strategies and Functions - 3 Units
Students combine expert instruction with the official Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) certification preparation tool: the current SHRM Certification Prep System. As an official SHRM Education Partner, TLS offers this two-course sequence which is a comprehensive and effective way to prepare for success on the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP exam while completing the MLS degree. MLS 450 covers HR strategy, talent acquisition, employee engagement and retention, learning and development, total rewards, and structure of the HR function. MLS 450 and MLS 451 must be taken within the same calendar year. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 451 SHRM-CP/SCP Exam Prep: Organizational Effectiveness and Risk Management - 3 Units
Students combine expert instruction with the official Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) certification preparation tool: the current SHRM Certification Prep System. As an official SHRM Education Partner, TLS offers this two-course sequence which is a comprehensive and effective way to prepare for success on the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP exam while completing the MLS degree. MLS 451 covers organizational effectiveness and development, workforce management, employee and labor relations, technology management, managing a global workforce, risk management, corporate social responsibility, and U.S. employment law and regulations. Prerequisite: MLS 450. MLS 450 and MLS 451 must be taken within the same calendar year. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 505 Philosophy and Theology of Justice - 3 Units
Students survey foundational sources in history, philosophy, Christian theology, and the Bible as the basis for law, justice, and governmental order in the United States. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 521 Contracts - 3 Units
Students study the fundamentals of contract law, including the common law and selected portions of the Restatement (Second) of Contracts and the Uniform Commercial Code. Topics include remedies, offer, acceptance, discerning the agreement, the parol evidence rule, Statute of Frauds, flaws in the agreement process, unconscionability, third-party interests, enforceability, consideration, promissory estoppel, performance and non-performance, warranties and conditions, breach, and defenses. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 523 Contract Drafting and Analysis - 3 Units
Students learn practical contract drafting skills, including how to translate a business deal into contract concepts, how to draft each of a contract's parts, how to draft with clarity and without ambiguity, how to negotiate a contract, and how to review and analyze a contract. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 531 Criminal Law - 3 Units
Students learn how to deal with substantive criminal law problems in both practical and policy terms. Students inquire into the proper scope and objectives of criminal law, limitations on the State's power to define criminal liability, and general principles of liability and defenses for offenses against the person and property. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 540 International Human Trafficking - 3 Units
Students examine an overview of the global trafficking in persons for forced labor or sexual exploitation as well as the factors that contribute to this issue. Students also consider how it is being addressed through legal, economic, and other solutions as well as applicable international conventions and the United States policy responses to human trafficking. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 541 Torts - 3 Units
Students examine common and modern law dealing with compensation for injuries to persons and property. Topics include intentional torts and defenses, negligence and defenses, strict product liability, strict liability, defamation, invasion of privacy, nuisance, misrepresentation, vicarious liability, survival actions, wrongful death, immunities, and torts affecting businesses and familial relationships. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 544 Domestic Human Trafficking - 3 Units
Students examine an overview of domestic human trafficking issues by looking at each facet of human trafficking from recruitment of the victims to the execution of the crime. Students examine what domestic trafficking actually looks like in the United States versus the perception of it in the media. Students have insight into the victims of human trafficking and how they fall prey to the traffickers. Students examine the crime of trafficking and legal avenues that may be available both to deter trafficking as well as to help those victims that are discovered; this is accomplished by looking at investigation and prosecution models that may be effective in combating human trafficking. Finally, students examine the roles and responsibilities of third party actors as it relates to this crime. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 545 Human Trafficking: Law and Policy (Cambodia) - 3 Units
In this study abroad course in Cambodia, students are introduced to international and domestic laws and policies governing various forms of human trafficking, including forced labor, sexual exploitation, and other modern forms of slavery. Cambodia is considered a source, transit, and destination country for many forms of human trafficking. Students explore Cambodia's history as well as its legal responses to the Cambodian genocide and human trafficking. Students examine the diplomatic and policy tools employed by governments, non-governmental organizations, and other institutions to combat trafficking, including foreign aid, local investment, education, and economic development. Students have the opportunity to meet with multilateral organizations, government officials, NGOs, survivor organizations, and other key individuals involved in the anti-trafficking movement. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 558 Legal Fundamentals - 3 Units
Students examine American law, including the sources of law, the constitutional system, and the judiciary. Students broadly study major legal doctrines in the United States, with a special emphasis on Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Property Law. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 565 Juvenile Law and Delinquency - 3 Units
Students examine important issues surrounding juvenile delinquents and different stages of prosecution of juvenile offenses. Topics include theories of causations of delinquency, gangs, drugs, interventions, court procedures, different types of consequences available for punishment, search and seizure, and interrogation of juveniles. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 568 Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Criminal Justice - 3 Units
Students examine the ways in which race, ethnicity, and class impact the offender in the criminal justice system through both a cultural and Christian worldview. Students consider the relationship between law enforcement and racially and ethnically marginalized communities as well as how one's race, ethnicity, and/or class may affect prosecutorial discretion when it comes to charging, plea bargaining, sentencing, the death penalty, and indigent counsel. Additionally, students examine the use of imprisonment in the United States as well as reentry into the community. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 572 Victimology and Restorative Justice - 3 Units
Students examine the relationship between victims and their offenders, the interaction between victims and the criminal justice system, the impact of crime on victims' families, and the reintroduction of offenders to society. Students focus on the Christian view of reconciliation. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 575 Law and Theory of Corrections - 3 Units
Students examine penology, probation, punishment theory, and trends in alternatives to institutionalization. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 580 Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals - 3 Units
Students master the essential techniques of identifying, analyzing, and applying primary and secondary legal authorities to solve complex client issues. By navigating industry-standard databases like Westlaw and LexisNexis, students learn to verify "good law" through modern citators and develop cost-effective research strategies. Participants practice the IRAC method to synthesize judicial opinions and statutes into professional office memoranda, client correspondence, and trial court motions. Throughout the term, students refine their technical proficiency in citation styles to ensure that all work products meet professional court standards. By the conclusion of the course, students possess the analytical tools necessary to provide high-level support in any legal environment. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 581 Civil Litigation and Procedure - 3 Units
Students examine the functional role of the paralegal throughout the lifecycle of a civil lawsuit in both state and federal court systems. By analyzing the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, students learn to navigate the progression of a case from the initial client interview and investigation through the filing of a final judgment. Participants practice drafting essential litigation documents, including complaints, answers, and various discovery requests such as interrogatories and requests for production. The course emphasizes the critical management of deadlines, the mechanics of electronic filing (e-filing), and the ethical preservation of evidence in the digital age. By the conclusion of the course, students possess a technical understanding of the procedural hurdles required to move a civil dispute toward resolution. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 582 Legal Technology and E-Discovery - 3 Units
Students explore the intersection of law and technology, focusing on the specialized software and digital processes essential to modern legal practice. By engaging with the Electronic Discovery Reference Model, students learn to manage the lifecycle of electronically stored information, from preservation and collection to review and production. Participants gain hands-on experience with practice management systems, document assembly tools, and litigation support software used for trial presentation. The course emphasizes the ethical obligations regarding data security, client confidentiality in the cloud, and the technical challenges of "big data" in complex litigation. By the conclusion of the course, students are prepared to navigate the high-tech landscape of a contemporary law office with technical confidence and ethical oversight. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 583 Paralegal Ethics and Professional Responsibility - 3 Units
Students examine the ethical framework and regulatory standards governing the legal profession, with a primary focus on the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. By analyzing the attorney's duty of supervision, students learn to navigate complex issues such as the unauthorized practice of law, attorney-client privilege, and the work-product doctrine. Participants practice establishing "ethical walls" to manage conflicts of interest and explore the professional boundaries of client communication and fee-sharing. The course emphasizes the consequences of ethical breaches in the digital age, including social media pitfalls, data security, and the duty of technological competence. By the conclusion of the course, students are equipped to maintain the highest standards of professional integrity while mitigating risk for the firm and its clients. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 584 Advanced Legal Drafting and Communication - 3 Units
Students master the production of high-stakes legal documents while integrating advanced technology and operational strategy into the drafting process. By moving beyond basic research, students learn to synthesize complex data into concise client intake summaries, strategic case evaluations, and executive-level briefings. Participants explore the ethical deployment of Generative AI for document automation and legal analysis, focusing on prompt engineering and the verification of AI-generated work product. The course emphasizes "Plain English" communication and leadership in legal workflows, preparing students to analyze firm operations and streamline the delivery of legal services. By the conclusion of the course, students are equipped to lead legal teams through the transition from raw information to actionable, high-level work products. Prerequisite: MLS 580. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 600 Constitutional Law - 3 Units
Students examine the powers of the federal government and selected topics regarding the relationship of the branches of the federal government to each other and to the States, as well as topics regarding the Bill of Rights, due process, equal protection, and the effect of the Fourteenth Amendment on the application of the Bill of Rights to the States. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 601 Churches and the First Amendment - 3 Units
Students examine the First Amendment, emphasizing its critical role in protecting the rights of churches and religious organizations in the United States. Students explore the key provisions of the First Amendment that directly impact religious institutions, including the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause, as well as the freedoms of assembly and speech. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 660 Property - 3 Units
Students focus on the acquisition, disposition, and use of personal and real property. Topics include the nature of ownership and possession, bailment, adverse possession, common law classifications of estates in land, concurrent ownership, present and future interests in land, landlord-tenant law, transfers of interests in real property, real estate contracts, legal descriptions, conveyances and deeds, recording systems, title insurance, private land-use restrictions (easements, covenants, and equitable servitudes), public land-use regulations, eminent domain, and regulatory takings. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 670 Alternative Dispute Resolution - 3 Units
Students practice foundational skills for helping people resolve conflict outside of court using peacemaking principles. Students learn to utilize critical thinking and Christian peacemaking principles necessary for resolving personal conflict. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 675 Mediation - 3 Units
Students examine the use of third-party intervention as an alternative collaborative process for dispute resolution. Students analyze the skills needed to be an effective mediator as well as the ethical and practical limitations on the use of mediation. Students participate in simulated mediation exercises. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 680 Negotiation Theory and Practice - 3 Units
Students examine the theory and practice of negotiation as a process to reach contractual agreements and resolve disputes. Students examine negotiation strategies, Christian principles, and ethical issues to develop a Christian approach to negotiation. Students participate in simulated negotiation exercises. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 685 Labor Law and ADR in the Workplace - 3 Units
Students examine the legal and policy implications of employee organization, bargaining, and dispute resolution. Topics include employee organization, collective bargaining laws and processes, state and federal regulation of organizing and bargaining, and arbitration of labor and employment disputes. Additionally, students examine common and statutory law dealing with arbitration and mediation issues arising from the workplace. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 686 Cross Cultural Dispute Resolution - 3 Units
Students examine the impact of cultural differences on the resolution of interpersonal and international disputes and examine cultural differences such as long-term versus short-term horizons, risk aversion, and individual/community expectations. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 700 Introduction to Bioethics - 3 Units
Students examine an overview of the ethical issues in health care and biotechnology that make up the field of bioethics. Biblical-theological and other prominent contemporary perspectives are developed and assessed. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 702 Business Organizations - 3 Units
Students examine agency relationships, partnerships, and corporations. Topics include the fiduciary duties of agents, directors, and officers; shareholder voting and lawsuits; the rules around corporate disclosures; insider trading; and corporate control transactions. Particular attention is given to the way in which corporations organize and operate. Students also examine the respective roles, relationships, and liability exposure of shareholders, directors, and officers. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 783 Criminal Procedure - 3 Units
Students examine important issues of criminal procedure arising during the investigation and early stages of prosecution. Topics include constitutional limits on arrests and stops, search and seizure, interrogation of suspects, right to counsel, the exclusionary rule, identification procedures, and the privilege against self-incrimination. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 800 Wills, Trusts, and Estates - 3 Units
Students examine rules pertaining to intestate succession; testamentary dispositions; execution, modification, and revocation of wills; testamentary capacity and contests; interpretation of wills; protection of spouses and children; and the use of substitutes. The creation, types, and characteristics of trusts are also examined, including coverage of the construction of trusts, trust administration, and wealth transfer taxation. Fiduciary administration issues also are considered. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 850 Exempt Organizations - 3 Units
Students survey government regulation and oversight of nonprofit organizations by federal and state tax agencies, and address the attorney's role in annual reporting requirements, managing unrelated business income, and bequests to charities. Prerequisite: MLS 861. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 860 Strategic Planning - 3 Units
Students study strategic planning theories, methods, and group processes in different nonprofit organizational environments. Students examine the application of strategic planning specifically to the mission, fundraising, operations, and human resources of charities. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 861 Nonprofit Law - 3 Units
Students study nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations, with an emphasis on governance issues. Students address formation, board responsibilities, fundraising, operations, and dissolution. Students learn about the application for tax-exempt status and annual informational tax returns. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 910 The Right to Life and the Law - 3 Units
Students study the complex medical, social, legal, and ethical issues raised by topics such as abortion, embryonic research, IVF, infanticide, and euthanasia. Students survey U.S. Supreme Court and other U.S. and international judicial decisions pertaining to these issues. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 913 The Rights of Vulnerable Persons - 3 Units
Students survey the international treaties and bodies intended to protect the rights of women, children, and families. Topics include pertinent international instruments and principles of international law relating to gender-based discrimination; violence against women; children's rights to privacy, education, and information; pornography; enslavement and servitude; child soldiers; and the implications of religious liberties on the family. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 914 The Rights of Underrepresented Populations - 3 Units
Students survey international and regional efforts to articulate and protect the human rights of ethnic, racial, religious, linguistic, and national underrepresented populations; persons with disabilities; and indigenous groups. Related issues such as identity, autonomy, self-determination, xenophobia, nationalism, and racism are addressed. Delivery mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 923 Introduction to International Human Rights Law - 3 Units
Students examine an introduction to international human rights law. Topics include the foundational and historical development of human rights, and the development of international and regional legal systems to protect human rights. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 932 International Human Rights Protection (Europe) - 3 Units
In this study abroad course in The Hague, Netherlands, and Strasbourg, France, students address the recognition and protection of human rights under international law. Students address the protection of human beings in the international human rights system, in regional human rights systems, and under international criminal law and international humanitarian law. Students investigate the jurisprudence of human rights, including its history and development, as well as the theological and philosophical foundations for reflecting on the nature and scope of human rights. Students visit numerous international courts, museums, and a Nazi concentration camp, and have the unique opportunity to interact with human rights lawyers, judges, government officials, academics, and activists from around the world. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 951 Religious Liberty and the Law - 3 Units
In this advanced course, students examine critical issues of law and religion both in the United States and internationally. Issues addressed include the theological foundation of law and the legal foundation of theology; the relationship between church and state; religious discrimination and accommodation; prohibitions on blasphemy, apostasy, and defamation; persecution of and by religion. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 952 Religious Freedom and Parental Rights - 3 Units
Students explore the intersection of religious freedom and parental rights within the framework of the U.S. Constitution and broader legal principles. Students examine how the First Amendment and other legal protections safeguard the rights of parents to raise their children according to their religious beliefs while balancing the interests of the state in regulating education, health, and welfare. Key topics include homeschooling and religious education, medical decision making and religious exemptions, and the role of religious beliefs in child custody disputes. Students will also address contemporary challenges, such as vaccination mandates, gender identity issues, and the rights of minors in religious contexts. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 953 Faith in the Workplace - 3 Units
Students explore the complex relationship between faith and the workplace, focusing on the legal, ethical, and practical aspects of religious expression and accommodation in professional environments. Students examine issues such as the rights of employees to observe religious practices, the obligations of employers to provide reasonable accommodations, and the boundaries of religious expression at work. Students will also address contemporary challenges, such as religious attire, prayer in the workplace, and conflicts between religious beliefs and workplace policies on issues like LGBTQIA+ rights and gender equality. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 954 Law, Religion, and Public Policy - 3 Units
Students survey the interaction between law, religion, and public policy as a basis for forming individual patterns of public engagement and establishing habits toward good citizenship. Topics range from the interaction of law and religion, the role of faith in forming legal judgment, and the public engagement of the church in the contested public square. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.
MLS 962 Real Estate Transactions - 3 Units
Students examine the basic statutory and common law principles governing a real estate transaction. Topics include arranging the deal, performing the contract, closing the contract, assuring title, financing the purchase, federal income tax considerations, and condominium and other communal arrangements for home ownership. Delivery Mode: Traditional Graduate, Online, and Accelerated.