On-Campus Residencies

Pepperdine Caruso School of Law is known for focusing on experiential learning, and our immersive residency courses provide students with the hands-on practice and personal connections to prepare for professional success.

Students will visit the Pepperdine campus twice during each program to apply what they are learning in class and network with faculty and fellow classmates. Each weekend residency is considered a 1-unit course and will be offered at various times throughout the year.

Residency Course Content

Students enrolled in the online master’s programs will examine case studies and engage in critical discussions, role playing, and mock trials to demonstrate how mediators, lawyers, and clients resolve controversies and solve legal problems. Students will also hear from legal experts, including judges, to get insight into daily legal interactions.

The two Master of Legal Studies residencies will focus on the following:

• Law, the Legal System, and Society: Investigates how law, public policy, social responsibility, and justice intersect
• Law in Practice: Explores ethics, problem solving, case evaluation, advocacy, and dispute resolution

The two Master of Dispute Resolution residencies will focus on the following:

• Dispute Resolution in Practice 1: Concentrates on negotiation and mediation
• Dispute Resolution in Practice 2: Emphasizes arbitration and arbitration advocacy

What You Can Expect from Residencies

Residencies bring students, faculty, and university leadership together over the course of a weekend to network and expand their learning beyond the classroom. Below are some of the benefits of these in-person experiences.

Visit Pepperdine’s Malibu Campus and LA

As part of the residencies, students will not only take classes on the Pepperdine University campus, which is located in Malibu, but they will also have opportunities to explore the cultural and professional landscape in downtown Los Angeles.

Become Part of the Pepperdine Community

At residencies, students are welcomed into the Pepperdine community and develop personal relationships with faculty and program leadership through a faculty luncheon and a reception at the dean’s house.

Participate in Hands-On Training

Throughout each three-day residency, students participate in critical discussions, simulations, panel discussions, and group projects. These activities allow students to apply their classroom knowledge in real-world settings.

Form Lifelong Connections with Peers

Students get to know their peers online in live classes each week, but when they finally meet in person at residencies, students often form instant connections with one another that develop into lifelong friendships.

Sample Program Agenda

Residency 1: Law, the Legal System, and Society (LAW-5202)

Please note, this agenda is tentative and subject to change. You will receive the final program agenda on campus at the time of check in for the event.

Friday

Saturday

Residency 2: Law in Practice (LAW-5201)

Please note, this agenda is tentative and subject to change. You will receive the final program agenda on campus at the time of check in for the event.

Friday

Saturday