U of T to offer professional law degree

A unique master’s degree program combining law and business is set to launch at the University of Toronto this fall. In creating the Global Professional Master of Laws program, the university says it is responding to student demand.

"The faculty has done a lot of consultation and academic research to identify important areas of study such as trade, investment, and the globalization of institutions. International commercial arbitration is a huge area that was not significant in the past but is now a larger issue," law dean Mayo Moran told the Varsity. The "executive-style master’s degree" will cater to both legal and business professionals, including those who might not have had any previous legal training.

Moran says the program will bridge the gap between lawyers who are "trained to think of what could go wrong and to be conservative" and business leaders who "are more forward looking." According to the university, it is the first program of its kind in North America.