Why Should I Earn Tulane University’s MJ-LEL?

Tulane’s online Master of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment Law (MJ-LEL) program was designed to accelerate careers and improve the day-to-day efficacy of professionals with HR responsibilities. With the expertise you'll acquire through this program, you’ll become a greater asset to your organization long before you graduate. You'll gain self-sufficiency as you save money, reduce risks, and improve workplace culture.

Don’t just take our word for it. Students in the MJ-LEL graduating cohort of 2023 recently wrote about the program: why they sought it out, its greatest strengths, and the impact it has already had on their careers. Read on to see the program from their perspectives.

In a curriculum led by tenured, innovative, connected faculty, Tulane’s MJ-LEL program provides HR professionals with a highly respected legal degree. The world-class faculty experts are attorneys with extensive experience in the field as counsel to HR and executive teams, and top HR professionals at the highest levels of the nation’s most recognized corporations.

“My biggest takeaway from this program would definitely be the instructors. Tulane has the most amazing, caring, knowledgeable and compassionate instructors I have ever come in contact with.”
—Lisa B., MJ-LEL ’23 candidate

The program is led by two celebrated scholars and legal authorities:

“Students come to Tulane because we help them become experts, visionary professionals, legal translators, and frontline policymakers.”
— Dr. Saru Matambanadzo

Named Senior Director of Online Legal Education in September 2022, Professor Matambanadzo is the Moise S. Steeg Associate Professor of Law and the Ratner Family and New Day II Professor in Social Entrepreneurship. She is also a nationally known authority on gender and workplace equity, having earned her JD from Harvard Law School and her PhD in women’s studies from UCLA.

Dr. Matambanadzo was Tulane Law’s inaugural Gordon Gamm Faculty Scholar from 2013-2014. In 2016, she served as the chair of the American Association of Law Schools Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues. Her research areas include work law, pregnancy discrimination, legal personhood, feminist legal theory, embodiment theory, critical legal theories, philosophy and law, the legal history of slavery, marriage, and legal personhood, legal pedagogy.

Professor Townsend-Gard is the John Koerner Professor of Law. She specializes in intellectual property law and entrepreneurship and is regularly interviewed by the media for her expertise in these areas. Her teaching in the Tulane Law School focuses on the intersection of intellectual property within the context of employment law and business practices, and she is deeply committed to mentoring students.

Dr. Townsend-Gard earned a PhD in European History from UCLA and a JD/LLM in International trade from the University of Arizona. A successful entrepreneur, she’s also a widely published author, podcast creator and host, textile artist, and inventor of the Durationator^®, a software system that aims to determine the worldwide copyright status of every kind of cultural work.

As Deputy Faculty Director of Tulane’s MJ-LEL program, her responsibilities include promoting the program through social media and cultivating stronger ties with its growing alumni base.

Dedicated to helping working HR professionals increase their overall knowledge and effectiveness, the MJ-LEL program employs a collaborative learning environment in which practical application is front and center. Graduates complete the program able to train employees about sexual harassment, deal effectively with unions, engage in collective bargaining, mediate disputes or participate in the arbitrations of labor disputes, create personnel manuals, lead executive searches that are EEOC-compliant, and much more.

“The MJ-LEL is a comprehensive program specializing in employment law and has given me a strong foundation. Each class I’ve taken expanded my knowledge and skill set to [help me] become a better business partner. I enjoyed the program’s rigors, and the case readings—while highly challenging—have been gratifying. If you want to continue to evolve and improve your craft, Tulane’s Master of Jurisprudence is the program that will provide professional development and further your career.”
—Christina R., MJ-LEL ’23 candidate

Explore the MJ-LEL core curriculum, including courses in:

• Legal Analysis
• Employment Discrimination
• IP Issues in the Employment Context
• Sex and Gender Issues in the Workplace
• Social Media Issues in the Workplace

As a student, you’ll choose from electives that include:

• Negotiating Skills
• Medical Leaves of Absence
• Privacy in the Workplace
• Investigating, Mediating and Arbitrating Employee Complaints
• Recruitment, Retention, Termination, Retirement, and Turnover

“This program has not only helped me increase my level of confidence in strategic decision-making and overall knowledge in my field, but also it has made being an HR professional feel a lot less lonely—the unexpected outcome I didn’t know I needed until I had it.”
—Allison L., MJ-LEL ’23 candidate

The dynamic nature of the program ensures that students form professional and personal connections, creating lifelong networks of classmates and faculty who can help support and accelerate each others’ careers. As you claim your degree, you’ll join an unparalleled community of alumni in leading firms, organizations, and unions.

“The education our students receive at Tulane changes their lives, providing space to build confidence and develop competencies for often unimagined paths.”
— Dr. Saru Matambanadzo

As affirmed by members of the class of 2023, students choose Tulane’s MJ-LEL program to expand their professional expertise, heighten their confidence, and transform their careers.

“I chose the MJ-LEL program because it had the one thing that every other master’s program I researched was missing: law. I do not want to be a practicing attorney; I love consulting. Obtaining my master’s will solidify to my clients that I have the expertise they are looking for and [that] they can be confident in the services and guidance that I provide to them. Through my job, I get the opportunity to teach and mentor other HR professionals; I hope to be able to take that to the next level and begin adjunct teaching once I complete the MJ-LEL program.”
—Lorrie C., MJ-LEL ’23 candidate

“Human resources has become increasingly complicated due to labor and employment laws that can vary from the federal level to the state level. [I chose the MJ-LEL because] I was confident that this program would increase my knowledge base in human resources and allow me to further my career with a legal focus within human resources.”
—Rachel T., MJ-LEL ’23 candidate

Having the expertise to navigate today’s many complex HR laws is just as critical as understanding their significance. In Tulane’s online MJ in Labor and Employment Law program, you’ll master the complexities of employment law, gaining the legal foundation to meet federal, state, and local compliance regulations. Learn more about our world-class curriculum and make plans to meet with one of our Admissions Advisors today.