When Joseph Lim graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2022 and commissioned as a Military Intelligence Officer, he already had a clear vision: “The real world doesn’t operate in silos,” he said. “Business, law, and technology constantly overlap, and that’s especially the case in fields like national security and innovation.”
Lim’s insight led him to enroll in the Master of Science in Law (MSL) program—a decision that would not only complement his military career but also shape his future beyond it.
Lim was drawn to the MSL program because it offered the opportunity to gain legal fluency, understand the business context, and develop a strategic forward-thinking mindset. As a young officer stepping into leadership, he knew he needed to mature fast, and the MSL provided the kind of intellectual rigor, practical training, and network that allowed Lim to continue growing as a person and as a leader.
One of the most transformative aspects of the program was how it shifted his mindset. “I was in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) throughout college, and I knew I wanted to go on active duty,” Lim shared. “The ROTC laid out clear guidelines in terms of GPA, physical fitness, and extracurricular involvement, and I was very execution-oriented and focused on hitting the metrics. The MSL program taught me to take a step back, slow down, and question the ‘why’ behind decisions – not just to focus on how to execute.”
In his military role, Lim used tools he learned in the MSL to write and update standard operating procedures (SOPs), bridging complex legal language and military operations. “The MSL helped me frame the policies and directives in a way that allowed people to understand the ‘why’ behind them,” he said. “My having the ability to read and understand the doctrine quickly and translate it into something simple has facilitated communication across teams.”
Beyond the day-to-day operations, Lim has been focused on the future of military strategy and innovation. “One of the most urgent and complex trends in the military right now is the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence,” Lim explained.
AI is transforming how the military processes vast amounts of data to support real-time decision-making for commanders. “The challenge,” Lim noted, “is using these models responsibly and ensuring we uphold the legal and ethical standards that maintain accountability. When applied correctly, AI provides a strategic advantage and significantly enhances our capabilities across all domains: air, land, sea, space, cyberspace, and the information environment.”
Lim credits the MSL program’s coursework for broadening his perspective. He calls out one class, in particular: Data Science, Business, and Responsibility. “That class opened my eyes to the legal and regulatory challenges we face with AI. The U.S. needs to maintain loose enough regulations that we can continue to innovate and grow in this sector, but also be able to regulate the ethical issues at stake.”
He also emphasized how the program’s flexibility was essential to balancing his military commitments: “The MSL offered courses at a wide range of times, so I was able to make it work wherever I was in the world. I went overseas three times during the MSL, and each time I was able to balance my studies and my professional commitments.”
For those in the military considering the MSL program, Lim offers this advice. “Everyone’s going to take this uniform off one day, whether that’s four years in like myself, or twenty years down the road when they retire. We are all going to need to find something else—our next vocation, if you will,” Lim explained. “And I think the network and the education from the MSL is invaluable.”
Lim is currently in his final overseas deployment in the Indo-Pacific region—a capstone moment that will allow him to apply everything he’s learned: balancing legal constraints, operational urgency, and strategic communication. With the MSL program as a foundation, Lim is well-equipped to continue making an impact wherever his journey leads.
