Student Experience

Our online Master of Studies in Law (MSL) program embraces the Wake Forest University School of Law culture of community and collaboration. As an MSL student, you will also benefit from a variety of educational and professional partnerships, as well as a breadth and depth of university resources.

Our world-renowned MSL faculty are committed to your success. They are accessible throughout the week, including after work hours.

Meet our MSL Faculty »

In addition, our dedicated professional staff enrich your MSL student experience. Our hands-on team is available to you from your very first interaction and throughout your studies. Wake Forest Law staff in the Admissions, Financial Aid, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Information Technology can provide assistance wherever you are located.

Please reach out to us at msl@wfu.edu or 336-758-4541.

State-of-the-Art Online Learning

The MSL courses are taught asynchronously through the Canvas learning management system, allowing you to schedule your coursework independent of time and place. You will progress through weekly units and assignments, unmatched peer collaboration, and ongoing professor interaction and feedback. Courses include pre-recorded videos and podcasts created and produced by the teaching professor, with assignments focused on solving current, real-world legal issues.

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Faculty

Wake Forest Law faculty teach the MSL core curriculum and in many of the professional track electives, which are otherwise taught by industry legal experts. MSL faculty are not only teacher-scholars, but are committed to staying abreast of the latest real-world applications of the law in the workplace.

All MSL professors are experienced online teachers who create and produce original course content, including pre-recorded videos and podcasts. Professors are accessible and available throughout the week, including after work hours. Meet our exceptional MSL faculty:

Bryan Arkwright

Bryan Arkwright


Courses
  • Telemedicine

Bryan T. Arkwright is a researcher and adjunct faculty in the fields of Telehealth/Telemedicine and Digital Health. A trusted advisor and thought leader in telehealth to numerous health systems, provider organizations, and startup companies, Arkwright has been active in the industry for over 14 years.

Jaime Garcia

Jaime Garcia


Courses
  • Public Law

Jaime Garcia (JD '16) is a practicing attorney and adjunct professor in Public Law. Professor Garcia draws on his experience working for state administrative agencies to help make the class accessible and practical for MSL students.

Beth Mabe Gianopulos

Beth Mabe Gianopulos


Courses
  • Detecting Wrongdoing with Investigations, Monitoring, and Audits
  • Employment Law for Managers

Serving as Associate General Counsel in the Legal Department, Associate Dean of Faculty Relations and Retention in the Office of Faculty Affairs, and an Assistant Professor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Beth Mabe Gianopulos (JD '01) focuses her practice on employment law, complex workplace investigations, and litigation oversight.

Brad Grider

Brad Grider


Courses
  • Labor Law

Brad Grider is a recognized global leader in the fields of labor and employee relations. Brad incorporates nearly 30 years of practical industry experience into the MSL Labor Law course he teaches online.

Catherine Hammack-Aviran

Catherine Hammack-Aviran


Courses
  • Bioethics and the Law

Catherine Hammack-Aviran (JD '14) is an empirical bioethicist and professor with a focus on the intersection of law, regulation, policy, and ethics in healthcare and biomedical research. She teaches Bioethics and the Law in the MSL Program.

Erin Illman

Erin Illman


Courses
  • Cybersecurity and Privacy

Co-chair of Bradley’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Group, Erin Illman is a Board Certified Specialist in Privacy and Information Security Law who advises clients on state and federal privacy requirements, and global data protection laws.

Michael Knapp

Michael Knapp


Courses
  • Advanced Contracts

Michael Knapp is an experienced litigation attorney with a national practice specializing in business and construction disputes. A former Navy lawyer and prosecutor, Professor Knapp has been in private practice for over 20 years and teaching online for nearly 10 years.

Chris Knott

Chris Knott


Courses
  • Private Law

Associate Dean for Information Services and Professor of Law Chris Knott has published primarily in the areas of legal research and legal information.

Allison Levene

Allison Levene


Courses
  • Legal Foundations

Allison Levene (JD '14) is a practicing attorney in Connecticut as well as an adjunct professor for the MSL program.

Deanna Lindquist

Deanna Lindquist


Courses
  • Legal Foundations

Deanna Lindquist is a partner with BlueWater Dispute Resolution Group, and a former legal executive of a global financial institution, with more than twenty years of experience in employment law, contracts and corporate strategic transactions.

Aaron Longo

Aaron Longo


Courses
  • Wage and Hour Law

Assistant General Counsel for Labor and Employment at Bank of America, Aaron J. Longo provides employment law advice in the bank's Legal Department.

Wayne McChesney

Wayne McChesney


Courses
  • Compensation and Benefits

Wayne McChesney is a Senior Vice-President and Assistant General Counsel with the Wells Fargo & Company Legal Department where he leads the ERISA, Benefits and Retirement Section.

Chris Meazell

Chris Meazell


Courses
  • Business Law and Literacy

Professor of Practice Chris Meazell focuses on the evolving nature of the media and the legal profession.

Ellen Murphy

Ellen Murphy


Courses
  • The Unauthorized Practice of Law

Ellen Murphy (JD '02) is a legal ethics professor and wrote the book "Unauthorized Practice of Law for Nonlawyers." She has more than a decade of eLearning experience and has been an online student, teacher, administrator, and program developer.

Bahati Mutisya

Bahati Mutisya


Courses
  • Healthcare Compliance

Bahati Mutisya represents health care providers in legal proceedings and helps them navigate complex regulatory requirements.

Steve Nickles

Steve Nickles


Courses
  • Private Law

Steve Nickles is a scholar and professor in the fields of business and commercial law. A former advisor on academic technology to the country's leading legal publisher, Professor Nickles has been teaching online for nearly 20 years.

Alan Palmiter

Alan Palmiter


Courses
  • Business law & Literacy

Alan Palmiter writes and teaches about corporate law and securities regulation. Recognized for his student texts on these subjects, he also has expanded his scholarship and teaching into the law of sustainable corporate governance and finance. Professor Palmiter has been teaching many of his courses online for the past decade.

Brad Roehrenbeck

Brad Roehrenbeck


Courses
  • Paying for Healthcare

Brad Roehrenbeck is Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at MedCost where he advises on a broad array of evolving legal issues including the Affordable Care Act, ERISA, HIPAA, and state insurance laws.

Reid Whitten

Reid Whitten


Courses
  • International Compliance

Reid Whitten (JD '07) is the Managing Partner of the London Office for the global law firm Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton. He advises and defends clients in sanctions, export, anti-corruption, and foreign investment compliance and investigation.

Ron Wright

Ron Wright


Courses
  • Public Law

Ron Wright teaches and writes about criminal justice and the administration of public agencies. He brings over 30 years of experience to his research and teaching.

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