For Educators

CISR is creating a multi-disciplinary curriculum on industry self-regulation to enable graduate programs in law, business, and public policy to incorporate this growing field into their existing coursework.

 

The Need

 

CISR believes that the power of independent, accountable industry self-regulation, a form of what is often referred to as soft law, is the most under-utilized tool for solving complex modern business challenges.  

 

Though the mechanism of industry self-regulation has long been in the background as a complement to the tools of traditional, more formal regulation, none of the ABA-approved law schools in the United States at present offers a full course (or other form of curriculum) in industry self-regulation.

 

 

While traditional regulation has been extensively taught, self-regulation has essentially been ignored. CISR seeks to remedy that deficiency and help address emerging areas that are too complex for traditional regulation to effectively govern.
Gary Marchant, J.D., Ph.D., Regents Professor and Faculty Director, Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Center for Law, Science & Innovation
Soft law bridges a company’s compliance efforts with government regulations, promoting transparency and accountability. This new coursework in law schools will prepare future leaders to navigate the complex terrain of compliance and innovation.
Eric D. Reicin, President and CEO, Center for Industry Self-Regulation
Business is constrained by regulation, markets, contracts and industry self-regulation – the subject of the least scholarly attention. I am excited to work with CISR to change this and create a dynamic new curriculum in this growing field.
Jeremy Kidd, Professor of Law, Drake University Law School
The impact of ethical business leadership in an accountable framework in building public trust cannot be overstated. We applaud the Templeton Foundation's recognition of the potential contribution of industry self-regulation within a free market economy.
Justin Connor, Executive Director, The Center for Industry Self-Regulation
While traditional regulation has been extensively taught, self-regulation has essentially been ignored. CISR seeks to remedy that deficiency and help address emerging areas that are too complex for traditional regulation to effectively govern.
Gary Marchant, J.D., Ph.D., Regents Professor and Faculty Director, Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Center for Law, Science & Innovation
Soft law bridges a company’s compliance efforts with government regulations, promoting transparency and accountability. This new coursework in law schools will prepare future leaders to navigate the complex terrain of compliance and innovation.
Eric D. Reicin, President and CEO, Center for Industry Self-Regulation
Business is constrained by regulation, markets, contracts and industry self-regulation – the subject of the least scholarly attention. I am excited to work with CISR to change this and create a dynamic new curriculum in this growing field.
Jeremy Kidd, Professor of Law, Drake University Law School
The impact of ethical business leadership in an accountable framework in building public trust cannot be overstated. We applaud the Templeton Foundation's recognition of the potential contribution of industry self-regulation within a free market economy.
Justin Connor, Executive Director, The Center for Industry Self-Regulation

 

 

 

 

Curriculum Development

CISR is currently developing a series of modules on industry self-regulation for graduate programs. This curriculum will explore the conditions that allow self-regulation to flourish, identify where it has and has not worked, and examine new potential use cases.  

 

The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University’s Center for Law, Science and Innovation will be the first law school in the nation to pilot this curriculum in 2025. 

 

The curriculum will cover:  

  • The various types of industry self-regulation, such as co-regulatory models. 
  • The conditions under which self-regulation can work and how it compares to and differs from corporate compliance efforts and formal government regulation. 
  • Case studies of various self-regulatory programs across industries. 
  • The interaction of self-regulatory programs with the government as a backstop regulator. 

 

 

Eleven graduate programs in law, business, and public policy from across the United States will participate in the review and evaluation of the curriculum, adapting it as necessary.

 

This project was made possible through the support of Grant 63310 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

 

 

 

 

 

Our Partners

 

Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor School of Law Center for Law, Science, and Innovation


 

 

 

 

Join Our Efforts

To learn more about this work in progress or how to potentially incorporate these new resources into your curriculum, reach out to our team to set up a meeting and learn more.