Pepperdine Caruso School of Law online programs seek students with diverse backgrounds, professional experiences, and career goals. While every student brings something different to the table, our community is united in its commitment to service and purposeful leadership in the legal space. Get to know our students and find out how their master’s programs are helping them advance in their careers.
Across our three online programs, the Pepperdine Law student community is:
74%
Female
11%
Military
23%
Black
19%
Hispanic
Our students range in age from 20 years old to 72.
Data represents an average of all three programs’ enrolled students between 2017 and 2020. Data was calculated January 2021.
Rachel Siles
Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
With a background in the Marine Corps and the cybersecurity industry, and currently working as a tech professional for the U.S. court system, Rachel Siles values expanding her horizons professionally and personally, which led her to the MLS program. She’s enjoyed learning about all aspects of the law through Pepperdine’s program—so much so that she plans to pursue her PhD.
Learn how Rachel is applying the MLS to her current work and future goals.
Mark Rapanut
Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
Mark Rapanut is driven by an insatiable curiosity in loosely and newly regulated markets. He’s worked in compliance positions everywhere from health care companies to Uber to the burgeoning cannabis industry. Now, he’s seeking out even more pathways for his career, equipped with the expansive legal knowledge he’s gained in the MLS program.
See how an MLS has opened doors to even more industries for Mark.
Karen Ware
Master of Laws (LLM) in Dispute Resolution
After years of working as an in-house lawyer for large corporations, Karen Ware felt there was still more to learn—especially in the areas of mediation and arbitration. She believes that changes within intellectual property law demand new skills, a forward-thinking perspective, and ethical approaches, and hopes to apply these to her career.
Discover what Karen values about her Pepperdine classmates and community.
Randi Byrns
Dual Degree in Master of Dispute Resolution (MDR) and Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
Randi Byrns is a paralegal from Indianapolis who developed an interest in mediation as she progressed further in her career. While she admits pursuing two degrees is challenging, she feels supported by the Pepperdine community—and has seen her new skills pay off in her day-to-day work.
Read more about Randi’s takeaways from the dual degree path.
MLS
Dual Degree in MDR and MLS
Dual Degree in MDR and MLS
Dual Degree in MDR and MLS
