Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature

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The Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature (TISL) is a yearly, student-run simulation of Tennessee state government. College students from across Tennessee come together for a four-day session in Nashville, usually in November, to learn about how state government works and to share their views on state issues.

In TISL, there is a Senate and a House of Representatives. Students draft and debate bills entirely created by their peers. The top legal minds also participate in the Supreme Court portion through the Appellate Moot Court Collegiate Challenge (AMC3). Students can choose to work as lobbyists or as members of the media as well. Each General Assembly, an Executive Council of ten elected officers runs the organization for the next year. From the ten bills that pass in both chambers, the Executive Council designates some as Priority Legislation to present to the Tennessee General Assembly. Many TISL bills have later become state law.

TISL began in 1966, inspired by a combination of student activism in the 1960s and growing interest in state government. Dr. Douglas Carlisle, a political science professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, helped bring the idea to Tennessee after seeing similar programs elsewhere. The period’s political climate—civil rights laws, voting rights laws, Vietnam War protests, and new moves toward redistricting—fueled students to participate in government. The first organizational meetings happened at Vanderbilt University, and the first General Assembly met in the fall at the State Capitol. Since then, TISL has met in the Capitol most years, though construction or other events have occasionally moved sessions to the War Memorial Building or Legislative Plaza.

In 1976, the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature Foundation was formed to support the program and later earned 501(c)(3) status. The conference has grown over the years; in 2014 it set a record by hosting 43 colleges and universities—the largest attendance ever for the event.

The Executive Council guides TISL through the year and prepares for the next General Assembly. The council’s officers act as ambassadors to campuses, university administrators, and state officials. The council’s members include a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, the two Speakers (of the House and Senate), two Speakers Pro Tempore, the Attorney General, a Lobbying Director, a Communications Director, and the Chief Justice of the Tennessee Intercollegiate Supreme Court. Additional staff and clerks support the process, helping with bills, records, and the AMC3 program. A Governor works with a Chief of Staff and Cabinet to advise on bills and coordinate with lawmakers. Many former TISL participants have gone on to public service in Tennessee and beyond.