Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature

What Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature does

Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature (TISL) is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) educational corporation founded in 1966 by Dr. Douglas Carlisle, a political science professor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, to provide Tennessee college students with hands-on experience in state government processes. Headquartered in Nashville, TISL operates an annual General Assembly each November at the Tennessee State Capitol, where student delegates from Tennessee colleges and universities participate in simulated legislative sessions, draft and debate bills in seven standing committees, and engage in lobbying and media programs. The organization has conducted approximately 57 General Assemblies since its founding and incorporates as the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature Foundation.

TISL's core product surface comprises four interconnected programs: the Legislative Program (Senate and House of Representatives with 99 House members apportioned by enrollment), the AMC3 (Appellate Moot Court Collegiate Challenge) — described as the only undergraduate appellate moot court program arguing cases in actual courtrooms including the Tennessee Supreme Court Building — the Lobbying Program, and the TISL Media Program (producing the TISL Times newsletter and broadcast coverage). Supporting infrastructure includes bill writing curricula, parliamentary procedure training, official governing documents, and web-based delegate registration via ODITech. Strategic partnerships with the Tennessee Bar Association and Lincoln Memorial University Duncan College of Law provide professional legal credibility for the AMC3 program.

The organization is monetized through college participation fees (scaled by institution size, covering 4-16 delegates per school), tax-deductible donations via Donorbox, and limited merchandise revenue including $75-80 parking passes. Notable alumni include a U.S. District Judge, the Tennessee Secretary of State, and multiple state legislators. TISL serves a structurally bounded customer base of accredited Tennessee higher education institutions and is governed by a student-led Executive Council elected annually at the General Assembly, with formal corporate oversight from a Board of Directors established in 2006.

Name

Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature

Legal name

Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature Foundation

Website

https://tislonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit that runs an annual General Assembly at the Tennessee State Capitol, where college students from Tennessee institutions simulate legislative, judicial, lobbying, and media processes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education Services

NAICS

Legislative Bodies (92112), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

State Legislature/Regional Assembly Administration (BPAIABAB)

Keywords

• Civic education programs
• Legislative simulation
• Collegiate moot court
• Student government training
• Government leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. College Participation Fees: Each college pays a fee to participate in the General Assembly, with the number of included delegates (4-16) depending on the size of the institution. This forms the core revenue stream for the organization.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted through Donorbox platform. TISL is a 501(c)(3) educational corporation, allowing donors to claim charitable deductions.
3. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates a shop selling merchandise including parking passes for the General Assembly event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature (TISL) is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) educational corporation that operates an annual simulated legislative program for Tennessee college students. Each November, TISL convenes a General Assembly at the Tennessee State Capitol where student delegates serve as legislators in a Senate and House of Representatives, draft and debate bills, lobby, produce media, and compete in appellate moot court. The organization is funded primarily through per-institution participation fees, donations, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

TISL is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) educational organization that operates a multi-component civic education platform. The core offering consists of four interconnected programs: the Legislative Program (Senate and House of Representatives where students draft and debate bills), AMC3 (Appellate Moot Court Collegiate Challenge for legal oral advocacy), the Lobbying Program (where students influence legislation), and the Media Program (producing TISL Times and broadcasts). Supporting these are Standing Committees, bill writing resources, parliamentary procedure training, and official governing documents (Constitution and Legal Code). TISL also offers merchandise such as parking passes through its online shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AMC3 (Appellate Moot Court Collegiate Challenge): A program where Tennessee undergraduates argue appellate cases before the Tennessee Intercollegiate Supreme Court
• TISL Lobbying Program
• TISL Media Program

Products and services

• Legislative Program The core program where Tennessee college students act as legislators in TISL's Senate and House of Representatives, drafting bills, serving on standing committees, and participating in floor debates and legislative sessions.
• AMC3 (Appellate Moot Court Collegiate Challenge) A court simulation program where undergraduate teams research and argue appellate cases before the Tennessee Intercollegiate Supreme Court, including written briefs and oral arguments across preliminary, semifinal, and championship rounds held in actual courtrooms.
• Lobbying Program Program where Tennessee college students form lobbying firms representing clients to influence legislation through direct engagement with legislators, committee testimony, and strategic advocacy activities during the General Assembly.
• Media Program Program where student journalists produce the TISL Times newsletter, broadcast videos, and manage social media accounts to document and disseminate information about General Assembly proceedings.
• Standing Committees Program Seven standing committees (Commerce, Education, General Welfare, Higher Education, Judiciary, State and Local Government, and Transportation) where student-drafted bills are reviewed, debated, and voted on before reaching the Senate and House floors.
• General Assembly Parking Passes Four-day parking passes at Public Square Garage in Nashville for General Assembly attendees, available as standard ($75) and daily exit ($80) options.

Quantifiable outcome

• TISL has produced multiple state senators, representatives, constitutional officers, and a U.S. District Judge
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tennessee Bar AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1881The Tennessee Bar Association, founded in 1881, is a strategic partner for the AMC3 program. TBA is dedicated to enhancing fellowship among members of the state's legal community, assisting in professional development and building a positive image for the profession. TBA supports AMC3 by providing legal professionals who serve as the Jury of View to score participants and determine finalists.
• Lincoln Memorial University Duncan College of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLincoln Memorial University's Duncan College of Law in Knoxville is a project partner for AMC3. The law school, located in a beautifully restored building from the 1840s, features state-of-the-art technology and high passage rates on the Tennessee bar exam. LMU Duncan College of Law supports AMC3 with legal expertise and professional involvement.
• Lipscomb UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLipscomb University, through its Master of Arts in Public Administration program, sponsors TISL and provides support for the organization.
• Tennessee Secretary of StatecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Tennessee Secretary of State serves as a sponsor of TISL and provides official support for the organization, connecting it to state government operations.
• Middle Tennessee State UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMTSU sponsors TISL as a participating institution and educational partner supporting civic education for Tennessee students.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon provides sponsorship support to TISL.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• North Carolina Student Legislature: Founded in 1937 at Wake Forest University, the NCSL is the original model for TISL and operates a directly comparable intercollegiate state legislature simulation for North Carolina college students with parallel legislative, judicial, and lobbying programs.
• California Model State Legislature: An intercollegiate state legislature simulation for California college students modeled on similar principles to TISL, providing comparable legislative, lobbying, and judicial programming in a different state with similar focus on hands-on civic education.
• YMCA Youth and Government: A national civic engagement program operating through local YMCAs that simulates state government for high school students across multiple states. Directly comparable in mission and structure to TISL, though it serves a younger demographic and operates at broader geographic scale.
• South Carolina Student Legislature: Founded in 1956, this is the other direct predecessor model for TISL, operating a similar intercollegiate state legislature simulation for South Carolina college students with comparable structure, programs, and target market.
• American Legion Boys State: A civic education program operated by the American Legion that simulates state government for high school students with legislative sessions, court proceedings, and executive activities. Directly comparable in mission to TISL, though serving a younger demographic and operating nationally across all US states.

Broad incumbents

• National Student Leadership Conference: A commercial civic and leadership education program serving high school students with multiple government and leadership tracks. Less directly comparable to TISL as it operates on a paid commercial model and serves a younger demographic with broader programming scope.
• Close Up Foundation: A civic education nonprofit that brings students to Washington D.C. to engage with government processes. Operates at a national scale with broader programming than TISL's Tennessee-specific focus, primarily serving middle and high school students.

Emerging players

• Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY): A leadership development organization offering state-level leadership seminars for high school students. Adjacent to TISL in mission of developing civic leadership among young people, but operates through seminars rather than a simulated legislature model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/tisltweets
• Facebookfacebook.com/TISLonline
• Instagraminstagram.com/tislonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tennessee-intercollegiate-state-legislature-tisl-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature