What If You Want to Study Law, But Have No Intention of Becoming a Lawyer?

Published: 23 October 2026

Many people assume a Master of Laws (LLM) is only relevant if they intend to become a practising lawyer.

But what if you're already established in your career and have no plans to enter legal practice?

That was the case for Benjamin Mah, Managing Partner of SparksBM Investments. After more than 30 years working across cybersecurity, governance, investment, and technology, he chose to pursue a Master of Laws in International Business Law not to change professions, but to strengthen his understanding of the governance, legal, and regulatory issues increasingly shaping business decisions.

“For me, the LLM was not about changing identity into a lawyer. It was about becoming a more complete board member, investor and advisor.”

While Benjamin's career spans acquisition and mergers, investment and workforce transformation, and technology advisory, his reason for studying law is one that many working professionals may relate to.

Today, legal considerations influence far more than traditional legal roles. Business leaders negotiate contracts. Managers navigate compliance requirements. Technology professionals deal with data protection and cyber security obligations. Executives oversee governance and risk management. Even professionals with no formal legal training regularly encounter decisions with legal implications.

For Benjamin, the growing intersection between business and law was one of the key reasons he decided to deepen his knowledge through postgraduate legal studies.

Law Isn't Just For Lawyers Anymore

As organisations become increasingly interconnected and regulated, understanding the legal implications behind business decisions is becoming a professional advantage rather than a specialised skill.

This is particularly relevant in areas such as:

• Corporate governance
• Cybersecurity and data protection
• Cross-border business operations
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Risk management and compliance
• Technology and artificial intelligence

These were precisely the types of issues Benjamin encountered throughout his career.

A promising business opportunity can raise questions that technical or commercial experience alone may not resolve. Who owns the intellectual property associated with a product? Can customer contracts transfer after an acquisition? What obligations follow a data breach? Which regulations apply when a company operates across multiple jurisdictions?

The programme gave him a more structured way to examine these questions.

“Professional experience gives pattern recognition. Legal study gives architecture.”

Experience Gives Insight. Legal Study Gives Structure.

Benjamin has already seen countless business challenges throughout his career.

However, experience alone does not always explain why obligations arise, how rights are created, how risks are allocated, or why different jurisdictions may reach different legal conclusions.

Through the Master of Laws in International Business Law, he developed a deeper understanding of areas such as:

• Corporate governance
• Cross-border contracts
• Cybersecurity obligations
• Data protection and privacy
• Intellectual property protection
• Risk allocation in business transactions

This structured framework helped him connect legal principles with practical business realities.

Better Board Questions. Better Business Decisions.

For Benjamin, the value of legal studies was not theoretical.

It translated into practical improvements in how he approached leadership, investment and advisory work.

In technology investment and mergers and acquisitions, for example, companies can appear highly successful on the surface while carrying hidden risks underneath. These might include unclear ownership of source code, undocumented AI training data, problematic licensing arrangements, or undisclosed data incidents.

Understanding how rights and obligations are established allows these issues to be identified before they become costly problems.

“Legal studies helped me convert those issues into sharper due diligence, better board questions, and more practical advice.”

The programme also changed the types of questions he asks in leadership discussions.

Rather than focusing only on whether a new technology can be deployed, Benjamin believes leaders must also consider accountability, contractual obligations, data protection, governance frameworks, and stakeholder impact.

For leaders, understanding these considerations early can help avoid future disputes, regulatory challenges and business risks.

The Cost of Standing Still

Returning to study at this stage of his career was a deliberate decision.

“At senior leadership levels, the cost of being outdated is higher, not lower.”

As technology continues to evolve and regulatory expectations become more complex, leaders must continually update their knowledge and challenge existing assumptions.

For Benjamin, pursuing the programme was an investment in remaining effective and relevant in an increasingly fast-changing environment.

Rather than viewing education as something confined to the early stages of a career, he sees lifelong learning as an important leadership discipline.

Beyond the Legal Profession

A Law Degree is often associated with legal practitioners. However, the Master of Laws in International Business Law is highly relevant for professionals working in:

• Business leadership
• Compliance and governance
• Consulting and advisory roles
• Cross-border operation
• Investment and finance
• Technology and digital transformation

The programme provides a structured understanding of the legal principles that increasingly influence business strategy and decision-making.

Rather than focusing solely on legal theory, the programme explores practical areas such as contracts, governance, intellectual property, international business law, and risk, allowing professionals to apply their learning directly to real-world scenarios.

Sometimes the Goal Isn't a Career Change

Benjamin's journey serves as a reminder that postgraduate legal study is not only for aspiring lawyers.

For many professionals, legal knowledge can help strengthen judgement, improve decision-making, and provide a deeper understanding of the challenges they already encounter in their day-to-day work.

Through the Master of Laws in International Business Law, Benjamin gained insights that continue to support his work in advisory roles, leadership, and investment.

His story demonstrates that sometimes the value of education lies not in changing careers, but in becoming better at the one you already have.

If you are looking to strengthen your understanding of contracts, compliance, cross-border business issues, governance, and risk, the programme offers an opportunity to build legal fluency that complements your existing professional expertise.

Learn more about the programme here or speak to a programme consultant to find out whether it aligns with your professional goals.