The University of Colorado Law School will build on its newly established, one-year, 28-credit Master of Studies in Law (MSL) degree by offering a specialty track in ethics and compliance starting in August 2016. The MSL program, which launched in August 2015, enables students who hold at least an undergraduate degree to obtain legal training short of a full Juris Doctor.
"Ethics and compliance is one of the fastest-growing employment fields in the U.S. economy,” said Dean Phil Weiser. "As large corporations and nonprofit organizations become subject to more regulations, and we hear of more scandals of large firms allegedly breaking significant laws, more companies have created compliance and ethics units to ensure that they develop and preserve ethical cultures and avoid the adverse consequences that come from misdeeds.”
The new degree track will train students to become ethics and compliance professionals, also called compliance and ethics officers, who commonly work within large for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, as well as for federal and state regulators as examiners. Courses include an overview of the American legal system, legal research, writing, and analysis, and multiple substantive courses in specialized concentrations, such as privacy/cybersecurity, financial services, and healthcare.
Colorado Law created the MSL program to prepare students and professionals interested in legal-related fields but not becoming practicing lawyers. The school currently offers a specialty degree track in Patent Law, which trains prospective patent agents. Colorado Law may offer additional degree tracks in other areas in future years.
“Ethics and compliance is an emerging profession and our MSL graduates will help shape it,” said Erik Gerding, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of law. “To do so, we will help equip students with the necessary intellectual tools. At Colorado Law, MSL students will not only develop substantive knowledge, but also the problem solving skills and values necessary to drive change within organizations.”
“As an ethics and compliance professional, I applaud Colorado Law for creating a program that will provide students with the tools necessary to make an immediate impact on ethics and compliance programs for a number of companies,” said Bill Brierly, chief ethics and compliance officer at CH2M, a Colorado-based, global engineering and project delivery firm. “Career opportunities in ethics and compliance are growing at a fast pace, and companies like CH2M will definitely view MSL graduates as highly qualified candidates to fill open positions.”
For more information, please contact Alan Schieve, assistant director of admissions, at 303-492-2552 or alan.schieve@colorado.edu. Additional information is also available at www.colorado.edu/law/msl.