What is compliance & ethics? As a law student, it is impossible to know every legal career path, and compliance and ethics is one path that may seem particularly abstract. As one NYU law professor explains, “The compliance function consists of efforts organizations undertake to ensure that employees and others associated with the firm do not violate applicable rules, regulations or norms. It is a form of internalized law enforcement which, if it functions effectively, can substitute for much (although not all) of the enforcement activities provided by the state.” [1] Put simply, employees in a compliance and ethics role at different organizations work to ensure that their organization and its constituents comply with the applicable laws and regulations. This may entail establishing and enforcing corporate policies to address federal and state laws, holding compliance training sessions for employees at all levels within the organization, and creating an infrastructure for anonymous reporting of violations. Although such a process may resemble what in-house attorneys do, companies are increasingly compartmentalizing the compliance and ethics function into its …