The National Legal Masters Conference will take place March 2–4, 2026, at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, bringing together educators and administrators involved in graduate legal education.
Now in its ninth year, the conference is expected to draw approximately 100 participants representing more than 45 law schools and legal education organizations. The program will feature two days of content, including plenary sessions and multiple breakout periods focused on practical strategies, program management and emerging trends shaping graduate law offerings for non-lawyers.
Jessica Vapnek, associate dean for the Master of Legal Studies program at UC Law San Francisco, said she expects attendees to leave with practical ideas.
“If they’re like me, they’ll return to their home law schools brimming with ideas that they take away from the sessions,” she said.
More broadly, Vapnek said the collaboration happening at the event will influence the direction of graduate legal education.
“All these great minds working in the legal Masters space — I have no doubt that we will be ahead of the curve in shaping legal Masters degrees to better serve our schools, our students, and our society,” she said.
Looking ahead, Vapnek said evolving workplace demands — particularly the rise of artificial intelligence — present a major opportunity for these programs.
“AI is transforming the working world, and so workers have to rely less on what they know than on what skills they have,” she said. “Legal masters programs train students how to think, to analyze and to write. That means they have transferable skills and can succeed in whatever career they choose.”
Additional details, including the final agenda and speaker lineup, are expected to be released in February. Registration and event information are available on the conference website.
