This is the second in a three-part series exploring how to strengthen the pipeline between law schools and the compliance and ethics profession. My first column offered advice directly to law students interested in compliance careers, outlining practical steps to prepare for this field. This column turns to law schools, proposing concrete ways to support students interested in compliance and ethics roles. The final column will address the compliance and ethics profession, suggesting strategies for engaging law students and recruiting new graduates.
Law schools find themselves at a critical juncture. Many students no longer want the traditional path from law school to BigLaw, and instead, seek careers that blend legal expertise with business acumen, preventive risk management, and organizational leadership. Compliance and ethics roles offer exactly this combination. Additionally, compliance work increasingly involves substantial international practice opportunities, as multinational corporations need professionals who can navigate cross-border regulatory frameworks, coordinate global investigations, and implement ethics programs across diverse jurisdictions. Yet, many law schools have been slow to recognize and support this career path. The following recommendations can help law schools better serve students interested in compliance and ethics, strengthening their overall career services offerings.
Create a Compliance Concentration for JD Students
Law schools can establish a formal compliance concentration or certificate for JD students who complete a designated suite of courses. Many law schools already have such programs in tax, intellectual property, or health law, and so the infrastructure exists for creating and approving a similar track for compliance and ethics. A meaningful certificate, however, must not simply repackage existing courses, but should integrate substantive law courses with practical skills training, business fundamentals, and experiential learning opportunities. Students need exposure to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations and Department of Justice Guidance, internal investigation techniques, corporate governance structures, and the practical realities of implementing compliance and ethics programs in complex organizations.
Expand the JD Course Offerings
An interdisciplinary certificate in compliance and ethics may require law schools to develop new courses that bridge legal doctrine and business operations. For example, new courses might include “Compliance Program Design and Implementation,” “Corporate Culture and Ethics,” “Data Analytics for Legal Professionals,” or “Global Anti-Corruption Compliance.” These courses should incorporate case studies of actual compliance failures and successes, guest speakers from the field, and practical exercises in risk assessment and program design.
Because compliance and ethics professionals must speak the language of business, law schools should partner with their business schools on courses in organizational behavior, corporate finance, and data analytics. One way to do this is through joint degree programs, like a JD/MBA or JD/MS in Compliance, which result in an academic credential that provides a competitive advantage. Even without formal dual degrees, cross-registration opportunities can help students develop the business literacy essential for compliance success.
In addition, modern compliance relies heavily on technology. Law schools can expose students to compliance software platforms, data analytics tools, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence in compliance monitoring. This might require new courses, software licenses, and partnerships with technology vendors. Students who graduate with both legal knowledge and technical skills will have a significant marketplace advantage.
Include Compliance Professionals
A robust compliance and ethics curriculum should include instructors with valuable practice experience. Law schools should actively recruit adjunct faculty from corporate compliance departments, consulting firms, and government enforcement agencies. These practitioners bring real-world credibility and current industry knowledge that purely academic faculty cannot provide. Full-time faculty should also be encouraged to partner with compliance and ethics professionals in their courses.
Beyond the classroom, structured mentorship programs can connect students with experienced compliance professionals who can provide invaluable career guidance. Law schools can facilitate these relationships through formal matching processes, regular programming, and clear expectations for both mentors and mentees. Alumni working in compliance often welcome opportunities to give back to their schools in this way.
Establish Compliance Externship Programs
Because nothing substitutes for hands-on experience, law schools should develop externship programs that place students in corporate compliance departments, healthcare compliance offices, banking and financial services compliance teams, and government enforcement agencies. These placements typically last a full semester and include structured learning objectives, regular supervision, and opportunities to work on substantive compliance projects. As I mentioned in my column for students, many universities have compliance offices in areas like athletics, research, and Title IX, providing low-hanging fruit to start an externship program.
Develop Graduate-Level Compliance Programming
Law schools can develop specialized graduate programs in compliance and ethics, available to both practicing lawyers and working professionals. One route would be a master’s degree, with an LL.M. track for attorneys and a master’s of legal studies track for non-lawyers. Such programs typically require 10 courses over one year of full-time study, or two years of part-time study. A graduate certificate is often less intense, typically consisting of 4 or 5 courses that can be completed at one’s own pace. Regardless of the format, these programs should cover core competencies like risk assessment, program implementation, investigations, and ethical leadership. The master’s or graduate certificate would provide a tangible credential that distinguishes graduates in the job market while generating revenue for the school through executive education offerings.
Offer Continuing Legal Education for Compliance Professionals
Separate from formal degree and certificate programs, law schools can serve current compliance professionals through targeted CLE programs. Topics might include emerging regulatory requirements, advanced investigation techniques, or leadership skills for compliance officers. These programs can generate revenue while building relationships with potential employers of recent graduates.
Law schools can also work with the Society for Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) and Health Care Compliance Association to assist students in obtaining a compliance and ethics certification. Certified compliance and ethics professionals are required to obtain annual continuing professional education, and law schools can create programs to meet this need.
Foster Student Organizations Focused on Compliance
Student-led organizations dedicated to compliance and ethics can create community and networking opportunities. As with other student organizations, a compliance and ethics student group would be entitled to funding, a faculty advisor, and use of the law school’s facilities for events. An organization could promote connections to the local compliance community by hosting a speaker series, organizing site visits to corporate compliance departments, and facilitating mentorship programs.
Build Relationships with the Compliance Community
Law schools could cultivate systematic relationships with compliance and ethics professionals and their organizations. This includes institutional memberships in the SCCE, participation in regional compliance and ethics roundtables and forums, and regular engagement with chief compliance and ethics officers at local and regional organizations. These relationships can create pipelines for speakers, mentors, externships, and, ultimately, job placements.
Conclusion
Driven by escalating regulatory complexity across multiple industries, the compliance profession offers meaningful work, competitive compensation, and diverse opportunities. This presents law schools with a challenge and an opportunity. Building robust compliance programming requires planning, faculty buy-in, and sustained investment rather than token course offerings. But institutions that make this commitment can equip their graduates for fulfilling careers in a high-demand field.
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