Vanderbilt University Law School (also known as Vanderbilt Law School or VLS) is a

graduate school Postgraduate or graduate education refers to Academic degree, academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by higher education, post-secondary students who have earned an Undergraduate education, un ...

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

. Established in 1874, it is one of the oldest law schools in the

southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Vanderbilt Law School has consistently ranked among the top 20 law schools in the nation. It is ranked 5th on Above the Law's 2022 Top Law School Rankings and 16th in the 2022 edition of '' U.S. News & World Report''. Vanderbilt Law School is one of the most selective law schools in the United States and has a 14.25% acceptance rate. Vanderbilt Law enrolls approximately 640 students, with each entering

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

class consisting of approximately 175 students. The dean of the law school is Chris Guthrie, who began his third five-year appointment as dean on July 1, 2019. According to Vanderbilt Law School's 2020 ABA-required disclosures, 84.44% of the Class of 2020 obtained full-time, long-term,

bar examination A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associ ...

passage-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding solo practitioners.

History

Vanderbilt Law School was established in 1874, and was the first professional school to open (Vanderbilt University itself did not start its undergraduate classes until 1875). The law school's first class consisted of only seven students and eight professors, with a two-year course of study comprising the school's curriculum.

William V. Sullivan William Van Amberg Sullivan (December 18, 1857March 21, 1918) was a United States representative and United States Senate, Senator from Mississippi. Biography Born near Winona, Mississippi, he attended the common schools in Panola County, Missi ...

was the school's first graduate and would eventually represent Mississippi in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

William Frierson Cooper William Frierson Cooper (March 11, 1820 – May 7, 1909) was a lawyer, planter and politician. He was nominated to the Supreme Court of the Confederate States of America by President Jefferson Davis, but the court never sat because of the American ...

, who had been nominated by

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

to serve on the Supreme Court of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

, served as the first dean from 1874 to 1875. He was succeeded by Thomas H. Malone, a veteran of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, who served as dean from 1875 to 1904. Through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the law school remained small, never exceeding 70 students. The law school offered a two-year departmental program, and changed locations between downtown Nashville and the Vanderbilt campus. By 1941, it had expanded into the old chapel area of Kirkland Hall on the Vanderbilt campus, but faced very limited enrollment during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Classes were suspended in 1944. Vanderbilt Law School was revived with a $1 million endowment in 1947 and experienced significant growth through the 1960s. Facing overcrowding, in 1962, it moved out of Kirkland Hall and into a dedicated law school building on 21st Avenue South, where it is still located. Since then, VLS has undergone a series of renovations and expansion, notably including a $24 million upgrade under then-dean Kent D. Syverud completed in 2002. By 2000, VLS had established a Law & Business Program, new clinical programs, multiple law journals, and an LL.M. program for foreign lawyers. At this point, Vanderbilt had greatly solidified its regional prestige and was well on its way to aggressively developing a national reputation. In 2005, Edward L. Rubin was appointed to replace Syverud as dean of the law school. During Dean Rubin's tenure, Vanderbilt Law School significantly developed its Litigation & Dispute and Resolution Program (resulting from a $2.9 million endowment donation), established or formalized a number of academic programs, and increased its reputation in the field of

Law and Economics Law and economics, or economic analysis of law, is the application of microeconomic theory to the analysis of law, which emerged primarily from scholars of the Chicago school of economics. Economic concepts are used to explain the effects of laws ...

by establishing a Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics based within the law school and headed by noted economist W. Kip Viscusi; students earn both a J.D. and a Ph.D. through the program. Chris Guthrie succeeded Rubin as the law school's dean in July 2009. In addition to its Law and Business and Litigation and Dispute Resolution Programs, the law school now offers programs in

Intellectual Property Law Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...

; International Legal Studies; Energy, Environment and Land Use Law; Criminal Justice; Social Justice; and Law and Government. Vanderbilt University and the law school also offers a joint-degree law and neuroscience program in which students earn both a J.D. and Ph.D., and the school introduced a joint-degree J.D./M.S. in Finance in conjunction with Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management in fall 2014.

Culture

The total enrollment of students pursuing either a

(J.D) or LL.M. is approximately 640. The program usually enrolls no more than 175 students to the J.D. class, and approximately 50 students to the LL.M class each year. VLS has more than 45 student organizations, which support many lectures, presentations and social events throughout the year. Students are also encouraged to form new organizations tailored to their personal interests, which has most recently produced Law Students for Social Justice (LSSJ), a new organization within the Social Justice Program that aims to facilitate an increasing number of students interested in pursuing public interest careers or hearing from legal practitioners on various ways to implement social justice values into their practice.

Programs

Vanderbilt's upper-level concentration programs allow students to earn a certificate in Law & Business as well as concentrate their studies in such fields as international law, intellectual property law; litigation and dispute resolution; energy, environmental and land use law; criminal law and social justice. In 2005, the Cecil D. Branstetter Litigation & Dispute Resolution Program received a $2.9 million endowment through a cy pres settlement of a class action lawsuit. Vanderbilt also has programs that allow students to focus on intellectual property law; energy, environmental and land use law; international and comparative law; criminal justice; and social justice. In fall 2011, Vanderbilt University received a $4.85 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for the establishment of a national MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience. Vanderbilt's

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

Program in Law & Economics was the first program of its kind in the nation. The program, which is directed by economists W. Kip Viscusi and Joni Hersch, admitted its first class in fall 2007 and graduated its first student, Jennifer Bennett Shinall, in 2012. Shinall joined Vanderbilt's Law and Economics faculty in fall 2014. Vanderbilt Law School also offers a summer study program, Vanderbilt in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

, which is open to students from all accredited law schools and offers courses in comparative and international law. While classes in the program are held in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, the faculty include members of the Vanderbilt Law School faculty as well as faculty from the

Ca' Foscari University of Venice Ca' Foscari University of Venice ( it, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, simply Università Ca' Foscari) is a public university in Venice, Italy. Since its foundation in 1868, it has been housed in the Venetian Gothic palace of Ca' Foscari, from w ...

. Past courses included Transnational Litigation, Counter-Terrorism Law,

European Union Law European Union law is a system of rules operating within the member states of the European Union (EU). Since the founding of the European Coal and Steel Community following World War II, the EU has developed the aim to "promote peace, its valu ...

, and Comparative Environmental Regulation.

Post-graduation employment

According to Vanderbilt Law School's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 85.9% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, bar passage-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding solo-practitioners. Vanderbilt Law School ranked 12th out of the 201 ABA-approved law schools in terms of the percentage of 2013 graduates with non-school-funded, full-time, long-term, bar passage required jobs nine months after graduation. Vanderbilt Law School's

Law School Transparency Law School Transparency (LST) is a nonprofit consumer advocacy and education organization concerning the legal profession in the United States. LST was founded by Vanderbilt Law School graduates Kyle McEntee and Patrick Lynch. LST describes its ...

under-employment score is 6.3%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation. 94.2% of the Class of 2013 was employed in some capacity while 1% were pursuing graduate degrees and 3.9% were unemployed nine months graduation. Vanderbilt Law School is currently the 10th best law school for securing federal clerkships, with 10% of its recent graduates having secured such positions. In 2017 and in 2018, recent Vanderbilt Law graduates have clerked for Justices

Clarence Thomas Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to succeed Thurgood Marshall and has served since 199 ...

and

Sonia Sotomayor Sonia Maria Sotomayor (, ; born June 25, 1954) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since ...

of the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

, respectively.

Costs

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Vanderbilt Law for the 2020-21 academic year is $92,004. The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $270,165.

Publications

The ''

Vanderbilt Law Review The ''Vanderbilt Law Review'' is the flagship academic journal of Vanderbilt University Law School. The law review was founded in 1947 and is published six times per year. In 2018, it was ranked #11 among general-topic law review A law revie ...

'' is ranked 18th among general-topic law reviews, based upon the number of times its articles are cited. Other journals are the ''Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law'', founded in 1967, and the ''Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law'', founded as the ''Journal of Entertainment Law and Practice'' in 1998. The ''Environmental Law and Policy Annual Review'', a joint publication with the Environmental Law Institute, debuted in 2008. ''ELPAR'' is released each year as the August issue of the ''Environmental Law Reporter'', one of the most widely circulated environmental law publications in the country.

Notable alumni

Attorneys

* Lawrence Barcella (J.D. 1970), criminal defense lawyer,

Assistant United States Attorney An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal gove ...

for the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, lead counsel for the

House October Surprise Task Force The House October Surprise Task Force (formally ''Task Force of the Committee on Foreign Affairs to Investigate Certain Allegations Concerning the Holding of Americans as Hostages by Iran in 1980'') was a task force instituted by the United States ...

* Lucius E. Burch Jr. (J.D. 1936), American attorney, best known for his contributions to conservation and

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

, and attorney for

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

32 by 32; Our list of the finest literary works with a Memphis flavor
, ''Memphis Magazine'', December 2007. * Donald Q. Cochran (J.D. 1992),

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

for the

United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee The United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (in case citations, M.D. Tenn.) is the federal trial court for most of Middle Tennessee. Based at the Estes Kefauver Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Nashvill ...

Bobby Lee Cook Bobby Lee Cook (February 12, 1927 – February 19, 2021) was an American defense attorney from Summerville, Georgia, in Chattooga County.Curriden, Mark:Bobby Lee Cook, ABA Journal. March 2009. Accessed July 8, 2011. He had practiced law since ...

defense attorney A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various ...

, inspiration for the television series '' Matlock'' main character

Ben Matlock Benjamin Leighton Matlock is a fictional character from the television series, '' Matlock'', played by Andy Griffith. Matlock is a renowned, folksy yet cantankerous defense attorney who is worth every penny of his $100,000 fee. Known for visiting ...

, which starred

Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characte ...

as a Georgia attorney. *

Zachary T. Fardon Zachary Thomas Fardon (born 1966) served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. He began serving as the U.S. Attorney in Chicago on October 23, 2013, after President Obama signed his commission. He resigned on March ...

(J.D. 1992), United States Attorney for the

Northern District of Illinois The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (in case citations, N.D. Ill.) is the federal trial-level court with jurisdiction over the northern counties of Illinois. Appeals from the Northern District of Illinois a ...

, U.S. Attorney in Chicago, appointed by

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

* Margie Pitts Hames (J.D. 1961), American civil rights lawyer who argued the

abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...

case ''

Doe v. Bolton ''Doe v. Bolton'', 410 U.S. 179 (1973), was a decision of the Supreme Court of the United States overturning the abortion law of Georgia. The Supreme Court's decision was released on January 22, 1973, the same day as the decision in the better-kno ...

'' before the

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

John Jay Hooker John Jay Hooker, Jr. (August 24, 1930 – January 24, 2016) was an American attorney, entrepreneur, political gadfly and perennial candidate from Nashville, Tennessee, who was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Tennessee in 1970 and 1998 ...

(J.D. 1957), American lawyer,

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values th ...

, political gadfly, special assistant to

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...

Robert J. Kabel Robert (Bob) J. Kabel is an American lawyer. He is a Republican attorney, lobbyist, and former National Committeeman of the District of Columbia Republican Committee.D.C. Republican Committe"D.C. Republican Committee - About Us" In this capacity, ...

(J.D. 1972), attorney and lobbyist with Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, involved in developing the

Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act The Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (GLBA), also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, () is an act of the 106th United States Congress (1999–2001). It repealed part of the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933, removing barriers i ...

(1999) and the Dodd-Frank Act (2010) *

Charles M. La Follette Charles Marion La Follette (February 27, 1898 – June 27, 1974) was an American lawyer and politician. His great-grandfather was William Heilman, who was in the United States House of Representatives from Indiana. He served as a Republi ...

(J.D.), Deputy Chief of Counsel for the post-World War II

Nuremberg Trials The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies of World War II, Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II. Between 1939 and 1945 ...

(1947) * Emmett McAuliffe (J.D. 1983), American

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...

and

entertainment lawyer Entertainment law, also referred to as media law, is legal services provided to the entertainment industry. These services in entertainment law overlap with intellectual property law. Intellectual property has many moving parts that include tradema ...

* James F. Neal (J.D. 1957), trial lawyer, Watergate prosecutor who prosecuted Jimmy Hoffa and top officials of the

Nixon Administration Richard Nixon's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 37th president of the United States began with First inauguration of Richard Nixon, his first inauguration on January 20, 1969, and ended when he resigned on August 9, 1974 ...

, special investigator of the

Abscam Abscam (sometimes written ABSCAM) was an FBI sting operation in the late 1970s and early 1980s that led to the convictions of seven members of the United States Congress, among others, for bribery and corruption. The two-year investigation init ...

and Iran-contra scandals *

John Randolph Neal Jr. John Randolph Neal Jr. (September 17, 1876 – November 23, 1959) was an American attorney, law professor, politician, and activist, best known for his role as chief counsel during the 1925 Scopes Trial, and as an advocate for the establishm ...

(LL.B 1896), American attorney, best known for his role as chief counsel during the 1925 Scopes trial *

Neil Papiano Neil Papiano (November 25, 1933 – February 14, 2019) was an American lawyer, and managing partner of Iverson, Yoakum, Papiano & Hatch. He received Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Stanford University, the latter in 1957, and an ...

(LL.B 1961), American lawyer, and managing partner of Iverson, Yoakum, Papiano & Hatch *

Sam C. Pointer Jr. Sam Clyde Pointer Jr. (November 15, 1934 – March 15, 2008) was an attorney in Birmingham, Alabama and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama from 1970 to 2000. He was a noted fig ...

(A.B. 1955), attorney in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

and a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...

for Northern Alabama, noted figure in complex multidistrict

class-action A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The class action ...

litigation *

William Bradford Reynolds William Bradford Reynolds (June 21, 1942 – September 14, 2019) was an American attorney who served as the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division from 1981 to 1988. Reynolds was Senior Counsel in BakerBotts Anti ...

(LL.B 1967),

Assistant Attorney General Many of the divisions and offices of the United States Department of Justice are headed by an assistant attorney general. The president of the United States appoints individuals to the position of assistant attorney general with the advice and ...

in charge of the

US Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...

Civil Rights Division The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is the institution within the federal government responsible for enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, and national origin. T ...

(1981–1988) *

Ronald J. Rychlak Ronald J. Rychlak is an American lawyer, jurist, author and political commentator. He is a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law and is holder of the Jamie L. Whitten Chair in Law and Government. He is know ...

(J.D. 1983),

Order of the Coif The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. The name is a reference to the ancient English order of advocates, the serjeants-at-law, whose courtroom attire included a coif—a white lawn or silk skullcap, whi ...

, adviser of the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

, delegate of the Assembly of States Parties to the

International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals ...

Hans von Spakovsky Hans Anatol von Spakovsky (born March 11, 1959) is an American attorney and a former member of the Federal Election Commission (FEC). He is the manager of the Heritage Foundation's Election Law Reform Initiative and a senior legal fellow in Herit ...

(J.D. 1984), attorney, former member of the

Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...

(FEC), manager of the Heritage Foundation's Election Law Reform Initiative * Tom Tait (J.D. 1985),

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of Tait & Associates, Inc. and Tait Environmental Services, Inc. *

Jack Thompson Jack Thompson may refer to: Sports * Jack Thompson (footballer, born 1892) (1892–1969), English footballer who played for Sheffield United and Bristol City * Jack Thompson (1920s footballer), English footballer who played for Aston Villa and Brig ...

(J.D. 1976), Vanderbilt Law School, disbarred attorney and activist against

obscenity An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin ''obscēnus'', ''obscaenus'', "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Such loaded language can be use ...

and

violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or Power (social and p ...

in media and entertainment * Horace Henry White (LL.B 1887), American lawyer, authored legal volumes ''White's Notarial Guide'' and ''White's Analytical Index''. * Walton J. Wood, American attorney and

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...

who served as the first

public defender A public defender is a lawyer appointed to represent people who otherwise cannot reasonably afford to hire a lawyer to defend themselves in a trial. Several countries provide people with public defenders, including the UK, Hungary and Singapore, ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

history (1914–1921)

Jurists

* Tamara W. Ashford (J.D. 1994),

Article I Article One may refer to: Legal codes * Article One of the United States Constitution, pertaining to the powers of the United States Congress * Article One of the Constitution of India, pertaining to the federal nature of the republic Other us ...

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

of the

United States Tax Court The United States Tax Court (in case citations, T.C.) is a federal trial court of record established by Congress under Article I of the U.S. Constitution, section 8 of which provides (in part) that the Congress has the power to "constitute Trib ...

Jennings Bailey Thomas Jennings Bailey (June 6, 1867 – January 9, 1963) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Early life Born in Nashville, Tennessee. He was the son of Elizabeth Margaret Lusk a ...

(LL.B 1890),

of the

United States District Court for the District of Columbia The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a federal district court in the District of Columbia. It also occasionally handles (jointly with the United States District Court for the District of ...

* Jeffrey S. Bivins (J.D. 1986), Chief Justice of the

Supreme Court of Tennessee The Tennessee Supreme Court is the ultimate judicial tribunal of the state of Tennessee. Roger A. Page is the Chief Justice. Unlike other states, in which the state attorney general is directly elected or appointed by the governor or state leg ...

* Claria Horn Boom (J.D. 1994),

of the

United States District Court The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...

for Eastern and Western

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

* John P. Bourcier (J.D. 1953), former Justice of the

Rhode Island Supreme Court The Rhode Island Supreme Court is the court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices, all selected by the Governor of Rhode Island from candidates vetted by the Judicial No ...

Cornelia Clark Cornelia Anne Clark (September 15, 1950 – September 24, 2021)Supreme Court
''

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

of the

Tennessee Supreme Court The Tennessee Supreme Court is the ultimate judicial tribunal of the state of Tennessee. Roger A. Page is the Chief Justice. Unlike other states, in which the state attorney general is directly elected or appointed by the governor or state le ...

* Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. (J.D. 1981),

Chief Judge A chief judge (also known as presiding judge, president judge or principal judge) is the highest-ranking or most senior member of a lower court or circuit court with more than one judge. According to the Federal judiciary of the United States, th ...

of the

Martha Craig Daughtrey Martha Craig "Cissy"
Kathryn Reed Edge, Tennessee senior United States circuit judge of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * Eastern District of Kentucky * Western District of ...

* Frank Drowota (B.A. 1960, J.D. 1965), former Chief Justice of the

* Eric Eisnaugle (J.D. 2003), Judge of the

Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal The Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. History The Fifth District Court of Appeal was created by the 1979 session of the Florida Legislature. The Fifth District handles cases from the following coun ...

Oscar Richard Hundley Oscar Richard Hundley (October 30, 1855 – December 22, 1921) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Education and career Born in Limestone County, Alabama, Hundley receiv ...

(LL.B 1877), Judge of the

United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (in case citations, N.D. Ala.) is a federal court in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims again ...

* Edwin Hunt, appellate advocate,

, U.S. checkers champion (1934) * William Joseph Haynes Jr. (J.D. 1973), former

of the

Thomas Aquinas Higgins Thomas Aquinas Higgins (August 15, 1932 – September 11, 2018) was an American jurist who was United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Education and career He was born in Nashville, ...

(LL.B 1957),

of the

* John W. Holland (LL.B 1906), former

of the

United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (in case citations, S.D. Fla. or S.D. Fl.) is the federal United States district court with territorial jurisdiction over the southern part of the state of Florida.. Appeals ...

Jeremy Kernodle Jeremy Daniel Kernodle (born 1976) is a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Biography Kernodle earned his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Business ...

(J.D. 2001),

of the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (in case citations, E.D. Tex.) is a federal court in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Fifth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. ...

* William C. Koch Jr. (J.D. 1972), former Justice of the

* W. H. Kornegay (LL.B 1890), Oklahoma Supreme Court justice (1931–1932), delegate to Oklahoma Constitutional Convention * James C. Mahan (J.D. 1973), senior

of the

United States District Court for the District of Nevada United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

Gilbert S. Merritt Jr. Gilbert Stroud Merritt Jr. (January 17, 1936 – January 17, 2022) was an American lawyer and jurist. He served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 1977 to 2022. Early life Merritt ...

(LL.B 1960),

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and

, senior

United States circuit judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...

of the

* Jon Phipps McCalla (J.D. 1974), senior

of the

United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee The United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee (in case citations, W.D. Tenn.) is the federal district court covering the western part of the state of Tennessee. Appeals from the Western District of Tennessee are taken to ...

* Leon Clarence McCord (Law, 1900), senior

of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * Eastern District of Louisiana * M ...

* Travis Randall McDonough (J.D. 1997),

of the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee (in case citations, E.D. Tenn.) is the federal court in the Sixth Circuit whose jurisdiction covers most of East Tennessee and a portion of Middle Tennessee. The court has ju ...

* Benjamin K. Miller (J.D. 1961), former Chief Justice of the

Illinois Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the State of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the five ap ...

Brian Stacy Miller Brian Stacy Miller (born January 24, 1967) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Biography Early life and education Born in Pine Bluff Arkansas, Miller grew up in Helena ...

(J.D. 1995), Chief United States district judge of the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas (in case citations, E.D. Ark.) is a federal court in the Eighth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appeal ...

* John Musmanno (J.D. 1966), senior judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court * John Trice Nixon (LL.B 1960), senior

of the

* Tom Parker (J.D.), Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court * Tommy Parker (J.D. 1989),

of the

* Marlin T. Phelps (J.D.), former Chief Justice of the

Supreme Court of Arizona The Arizona Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the U.S. state of Arizona. Sitting in the Supreme Court building in downtown Phoenix, the court consists of a chief justice, a vice chief justice, and five associate justices. Each justice ...

* Thomas W. Phillips (J.D. 1969), senior

of the

* Jonathan Pittman (J.D. 1990), Associate Judge of the

Superior Court of the District of Columbia The Superior Court of the District of Columbia, commonly referred to as DC Superior Court, is the trial court for the District of Columbia, in the United States. It hears cases involving criminal and civil law, as well as family court, landlor ...

* Kevin H. Sharp (J.D. 1993),

of the

* Sarah Hicks Stewart (J.D. 1992), Associate Justice of the

Supreme Court of Alabama The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six-year terms. The Supreme Court is hous ...

* Jane Branstetter Stranch (J.D. 1978),

of the

Aleta Arthur Trauger Aleta Arthur Trauger (born December 9, 1945) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Education and career Born in Denver, Colorado, Trauger received a Bachelor of Arts degree f ...

(M.A. 1972),

of the

* Thomas A. Varlan (J.D. 1981), Chief United States district judge of the

Roger Vinson Clyde Roger Vinson (born February 19, 1940) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Until May 3, 2013, he was also a member of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surve ...

(J.D. 1971), senior

of the

United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida (in case citations, N.D. Fla.) is a federal court in the Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appea ...

, former member of the

United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court The United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), also called the FISA Court, is a U.S. federal court established under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to oversee requests for surveillance warrants a ...

. *

Samuel Cole Williams Samuel Cole Williams (January 15, 1864 – December 14, 1947) was an American jurist, historian, educator, and businessman. He was born and raised in the state of Tennessee, where he primarily had his career in Johnson City in East Tennessee. ...

(LL.B 1884), noted 19th and 20th century

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

, educator, and businessman * Billy Roy Wilson (J.D. 1965),

senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

of the

Thomas A. Wiseman Jr. Thomas Anderton Wiseman Jr. (November 3, 1930 – March 18, 2020) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee from 1978 to 1995. Education and career B ...

(J.D. 1954), senior judge of the

Staci Michelle Yandle Staci Michelle Yandle (born July 27, 1961) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Biography Yandle received a Bachelor of Science degree in political science in 1983 from th ...

(J.D. 1987),

of the

United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois The United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (in case citations, S.D. Ill.) is a United States district court, federal district court covering approximately the southern third of the state of Illinois. Appeals from the ...

Harry W. Wellford Harry Walker Wellford (August 6, 1924 – April 17, 2021) was a Senior status, senior United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and a United States district judge of the U ...

(LL.B 1950),

of the

Government

U.S. vice presidents

John Nance Garner John Nance Garner III (November 22, 1868 – November 7, 1967), known among his contemporaries as "Cactus Jack", was an American History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician and lawyer from History of Texas, Texas who ...

(Law, 1886), 32nd

vice president of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

and 39th

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the U. ...

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...

, (Law, 1974-1976), 45th

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, and 2000 Democratic Party presidential nominee.

Members of the Cabinet and federal agencies

Bill Corr William V. Corr (born July 21, 1948) is an American attorney and former government official. He served as Chief of Staff for the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the administration of President Bill Clinton and as Deputy Secretary of the ...

(J.D.), Chief of Staff for the

Secretary of Health and Human Services The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...

, Deputy Secretary of the HHS *

James Danly James Danly is an American attorney serving as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He was nominated by President Donald Trump in 2019 and took office on March 31, 2020. He formerly served as the agency's general counsel. On Nove ...

(J.D. 2013), Commissioner of the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the United States federal agency that regulates the transmission and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas in interstate commerce and regulates the transportation of oil by pipeline in ...

Phyllis Fong Phyllis Fong is an American attorney serving as the inspector general of the United States Department of Agriculture. Fong was nominated to the position in 2002 by President George W. Bush. Early life and education Fong was born in Philadelphia ...

(J.D. 1978), Inspector General of the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

Vince Foster Vincent Walker Foster Jr. (January 15, 1945 – July 20, 1993) was an American attorney who served as deputy White House counsel during the first six months of the Clinton administration. Foster had been a partner at Rose Law Firm in Littl ...

, former Deputy White House Chief of Staff *

J. Christopher Giancarlo J. Christopher Giancarlo (born May 12, 1959) is an American attorney and former business executive who served as 13th chairman of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Giancarlo was sworn in as a CFTC commissioner on Ju ...

(J.D. 1984), former Chairman of the United States

Commodity Futures Trading Commission The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is an independent agency of the US government created in 1974 that regulates the U.S. derivatives markets, which includes futures, swaps, and certain kinds of options. The Commodity Exchange Ac ...

(CFTC) * E. William Henry (J.D. 1957),

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

Chairman (1963–1966) * Robert L. King (J.D. 1971), Assistant Secretary of Education, serving as head of the

Office of Postsecondary Education An office is a space where an Organization, organization's employees perform Business administration, administrative Work (human activity), work in order to support and realize objects and Goals, plans, action theory, goals of the organizati ...

* Paul C. Ney Jr. (JD, MBA 1984),

General Counsel of the Department of Defense The General Counsel of the Department of Defense is the general counsel, chief legal officer of the United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense (DoD), advising both the United States Secretary of Defense, Secretary and United States ...

of the United States * Stephen D. Potts (LL.B 1954), 4th Director of the

United States Office of Government Ethics The United States Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is an independent agency within the executive branch of the U.S. Federal Government which is responsible for directing executive branch policies relating to the prevention of conflicts of interes ...

(J.D. 1984),

commissioner * Gordon O. Tanner (J.D. 1973),

General Counsel of the Air Force The General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force (acronym SAF/GC) is the chief legal officer of the U.S. Department of the Air Force. By U.S. law, the General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force is appointed from civilian life by th ...

U.S. governors

Greg Abbott Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 50th Tex ...

(J.D. 1984), 48th

governor of Texas The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...

Theodore Bilbo Theodore Gilmore Bilbo (October 13, 1877 – August 21, 1947) was an American politician who twice served as governor of Mississippi (1916–1920, 1928–1932) and later was elected a U.S. Senator (1935–1947). A lifelong Democrat, he was a fi ...

(Law, 1900), 39th and 43rd

governor of Mississippi A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

(1916-1920; 1928-1932) *

Frank G. Clement Frank Goad Clement (June 2, 1920 – November 4, 1969) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 41st Governor of Tennessee from 1953 to 1959 and from 1963 to 1967. Inaugurated for the first time at age 32, he was the state's younge ...

(LL.B 1942), 41st

governor of Tennessee The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. The current governor is Bill Lee, a ...

(1963–1967) *

Lee Cruce Lee Cruce (July 8, 1863 – January 16, 1933) was an American lawyer, banker and the second governor of Oklahoma. Losing to Charles N. Haskell in the 1907 Democratic primary election to serve as the first governor of Oklahoma, Cruce successful ...

(Law, 1885), 2nd

governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gove ...

(1911–1915) * Jeff Davis (Law, 1882), 20th

governor of Arkansas A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

(1901–1907) * Joseph W. Folk (LL.B 1890), 31st

governor of Missouri A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...

(1905–1909) *

Hill McAlister Harry Hill McAlister (July 15, 1875 – October 30, 1959) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 37th governor of Tennessee from 1933 to 1937. He also served as Nashville's city attorney in the early 1900s, and as Tennessee's st ...

(LL.B 1897), 34th

(1933–1937) *

Malcolm R. Patterson Malcolm Rice Patterson (June 7, 1861 – March 8, 1935) was an American politician and jurist. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1901 to 1906, and as the 30th governor of Tennessee from 1907 to 1911. He later served as a circu ...

(Law, 1882), 30th

(1907–1911)

U.S. senators

(Law, 1900),

United States senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

from

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

(1935–1947) * Jeff Davis (LL.B 1881),

from

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

(1907–1913) * Duncan U. Fletcher (LL.B 1880),

from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

(1909–1936) *

Bill Hagerty William Francis Hagerty IV (born August 14, 1959) is an American politician, businessman, and former diplomat serving as the junior United States senator from Tennessee since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 30th U.S. am ...

(B.A. 1981, J.D. 1984) –

from

(2021– ) *

Jim Sasser James Ralph Sasser (born September 30, 1936) is an American politician, diplomat, and attorney. A Democrat, Sasser served three terms as a United States senator from Tennessee from 1977 to 1995, and was Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. ...

(LL.B 1961),

from

(1977–1995) *

(LL.B 1875),

from

(1898–1901) *

Fred Dalton Thompson Freddie Dalton Thompson (August 19, 1942 – November 1, 2015) was an American politician, attorney, lobbyist, columnist, actor, and radio personality. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from Tennessee f ...

(J.D. 1967),

from

(1994–2003)

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

* William Vollie Alexander, Jr. (J.D. 1960),

from

(1969–1993) *

John L. Burnett John Lawson Burnett (January 20, 1854 – May 13, 1919) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Alabama. Life Born in Cedar Bluff, Alabama, Burnett attended the common schools of the county, Wesleyan Institute, C ...

(Law 1876),

from

(1899–1919) *

Jo Byrns Joseph Wellington "Jo" Byrns Sr. (July 20, 1869 – June 4, 1936) was a U.S. politician. He served as a 14-term Democratic congressman from Tennessee, and as the 41st speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Early life Byrns wa ...

(LL.B 1882), 41st

* Joseph W. Byrns Jr. (J.D. 1928),

from

(1938–1941) * William Wirt Hastings (J.D. 1889),

from

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

(1915–1921) * Henderson M. Jacoway (J.D. 1898),

from

(1911–1923) * Joseph T. Johnson (LL.B 1883),

from

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

(1901–1915) *

Ric Keller Richard Anthony "Ric" Keller (born September 5, 1964) is an American politician, author, and lawyer who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 8th congressional district from 2001 to 2009. His district included much of the Central Flori ...

(J.D. 1992),

from

(2001–2009) *

(J.D.),

from

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

(1943–1947) *

Leonard Lance Leonard John Lance (born June 25, 1952) is an American politician and attorney who served as the U.S. representative for , from 2009 to 2019. He ran for re-election in 2018, but was defeated by Democrat Tom Malinowski. He is a member of the ...

(J.D. 1977),

from

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

(2009- ) * Fritz G. Lanham (Law, 1897–98),

from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

(1919–1947) * Oscar Lovette (J.D. 1896),

from

(1931–1933) *

Luke Messer Allen Lucas Messer (born February 27, 1969) is an American politician and lobbyist who represented Indiana's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party. Born ...

(J.D. 1994),

from

(2013- ) *

(Law, 1882),

from

(1901–1906) * Ben Quayle (J.D. 2002),

from

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

(2011–2013) *

Frazier Reams Henry Frazier Reams Sr. (January 15, 1897 – September 15, 1971) was an American politician of the United States Democratic Party from Toledo, Ohio. Reams served as a U.S. Congressman from Ohio from 1951 to 1955. Life and career Reams was bo ...

(J.D. 1922),

from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

(1951–1955) * Charles C. Reid (J.D. 1887),

from

(1901–1911) * John Rose (J.D. 1993),

from

(2019- ) * Joseph E. Washington (LL.B 1874),

from

(1887–1897)

U.S. ambassadors and diplomats

* Alvin P. Adams Jr. (J.D.), former American diplomat,

United States ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the country's diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

, and

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

* Thomas C. Ferguson (J.D. 1959), former

United States ambassador to Brunei The United States ambassador to Brunei is the official representative of the president of the United States and the American government to the monarch and government of Brunei. The position is held by Caryn McClelland, who presented her credentia ...

* William Hagerty (J.D. 1984), 30th

United States ambassador to Japan The is the ambassador from the United States of America to Japan. History Since the opening of Japan by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, in 1854, the U.S. has maintained diplomatic relations with Japan, except for the ten-year period between the at ...

(J.D. 1961),

United States ambassador to China The United States Ambassador to China is the chief American diplomat to People's Republic of China (PRC). The United States has sent diplomatic representatives to China since 1844, when Caleb Cushing, as commissioner, negotiated the Treaty of W ...

under the

Clinton administration Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following a decisive election victory over Re ...

Other U.S. state officials

Bruce Bennett Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who prior to his screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and in both intercol ...

(J.D. 1949), 38th

Arkansas attorney general The Attorney General of Arkansas, usually known simply as the Attorney General (AG), is one of Arkansas's seven constitutional officers. The officeholder serves as the state's top law enforcement officer and consumer advocate. Since January 13 ...

Lance Cargill Lance Cargill (born September 13, 1971) is an American lawyer and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Cargill served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from January 2, 2007, to January 28, 2008. He resigned ...

(J.D. 1996),

and former

speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The speaker exercises administrative and procedural functions, but remains a ...

Riley Darnell Riley Carlisle Darnell (May 13, 1940 – October 2, 2020) was an American politician and lawyer who served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 67th district, Tennessee Senate from the 22nd district, Majority Leader of the Tenne ...

(J.D. 1965),

Tennessee secretary of state The Tennessee Secretary of State is an office created by the Tennessee State Constitution. The Secretary of State is responsible for many of the administrative aspects of the operation of state government of Tennessee. The current Secretary of ...

* Neria Douglass (J.D. 1977), 50th

Maine State Treasurer The Maine State Treasurer is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of Maine. The office is authorized by Article V, Part Third of the Maine Constitution. The Treasurer is chosen by the Maine Legislature in joint session for a two-year term; ...

Steve Freudenthal Steven F. Freudenthal (born June 8, 1949) is a Democratic politician who served as the 28th Attorney General of Wyoming from 1981 until 1983. Career After graduating from Vanderbilt University, Freudenthal served as an Assistant Attorney Genera ...

(J.D. 1975), 28th

attorney general of Wyoming Wyoming Attorney General is the title of the senior legal officer of the State of Wyoming. The attorney general is appointed by the Governor. The 38th and current attorney general is Bridget Hill. Attorneys general of Wyoming References Exte ...

Bill Gibbons Bill Gibbons is the Executive Director at The Public Safety Institute at the University of Memphis. Gibbons was previously Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security until 2016. He was appointed to the post by the G ...

(J.D.), Memphis district attorney * Douglas Henry (J.D. 1951), member of the

Tennessee Senate The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the U.S. state of Tennessee's state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly. The Tennessee Senate has the power to pass resolutions concerning essentially any issue rega ...

representing the 21st district, activist *

Roy Herron Roy Herron (born September 30, 1953) is an American politician, attorney and author. He is the former Chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party. He was the Tennessee State Senator for the 24th district for 16 years and for 10 years before tha ...

(J.D. 1980), former chairman of the

Tennessee Democratic Party The Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in Tennessee. The party was founded in 1826 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The Tennessee Democratic Party began alongside President Andrew Jack ...

* Robert L. King (J.D.), former

Monroe County, New York Monroe County is a county in the Finger Lakes region of the State of New York. The county is along Lake Ontario's southern shore. At the 2020 census, Monroe County's population was 759,443, an increase since the 2010 census. Its county seat an ...

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

, former chancellor of the

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...

William Harding Mayes William Harding Mayes (May 20, 1861 – June 26, 1939) was Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. state of Texas (1913–1914), a newspaperman who published the '' Brownwood Bulletin'' and founder of the University of Texas journalism school. Early l ...

(LL.B 1881),

lieutenant governor of Texas The lieutenant governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and control ...

* J. Washington Moore (LL.B 1891), Eminent Supreme Archon of

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon (), commonly known as SAE, is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is t ...

, 1891-1894; Tennessee state representative; Nashville city attorney * Edward T. Seay (LL.B 1891), speaker of the

* Jody Wagner (J.D. 1980), 12th

Virginia Secretary of Finance The Secretary of Finance is a member of the Virginia Governor's Cabinet. The office is currently vacant. List of Secretaries of Finance Secretary of Finance (July 1, 1972–July 1, 1976) * Walter Craigie (1972–1973) * William H. Forst (1973– ...

* Justin P. Wilson (J.D. 1970),

, Tennessee state comptroller of the treasury

Other

* James M. Anderson (J.D. 1966), former president and

of the

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) is an academic pediatric acute care children's hospital located in the Pill Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The hospital has 652 pediatric beds and is affiliated with the University of ...

* Paul S. Atkins (J.D. 1983), CEO of Patomak Global Partners LLC *

Thomas W. Beasley Thomas W. Beasley (a.k.a. Tom Beasley) (born 1943) is an American lawyer, political activist and businessman based in Tennessee. He served as the chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party. In 1983 he was a co-founder of the Corrections Corporat ...

(J.D. 1973), co-founder of

CoreCivic CoreCivic, formerly the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), is a company that owns and manages private prisons and detention centers and operates others on a concession basis. Co-founded in 1983 in Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas W. Beasle ...

* James W. Bradford (J.D. 1974), former

AFG Industries , formerly Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.'(旭硝子株式会社), is a Japanese global glass manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. It is the largest glass company in the world and one of the core Mitsubishi companies. The company is listed on t ...

* Henry L. Brandon (J.D.), United States naval aviator, Corsair Fighter-Bomber Squadron VBF-82 * Thomas L. Cummings Sr. (J.D. 1915), 61st

Mayor of Nashville The Mayor of Nashville is the chief executive of Nashville Tennessee's government. The current mayor is John Cooper, a member of the Democratic party. Each mayor serves a term of four years, with a limit of two terms, unless this is interrupte ...

* Mark Dalton (J.D. 1975), attorney, CEO of the

Tudor Investment Corporation Tudor Investment Corporation is an American investment firm based in Stamford, Connecticut. The firm invests in both Public equities, public and Private equity, private markets globally. Background In 1980, Paul Tudor Jones founded the Tudor ...

; chairman of the board of trustees at Vanderbilt * Mark L. Feidler (J.D. 1981), chairman of

Equifax Equifax Inc. is an American multinational consumer credit reporting agency headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and is one of the three largest consumer credit reporting agencies, along with Experian and TransUnion (together known as the "Big Thr ...

Mitch Glazier Mitch Glazier (born 1966) is an American lawyer and lobbyist. He is the Chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Education and career Glazier received a B.S. in social policy from Northwestern University in 1987 a ...

(J.D. 1991), chairman and CEO of the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

Justin Ishbia Justin R. Ishbia (born 1976/1977) is an American billionaire businessman and private equity investor, being a founding partner of Shore Capital Partners. He is a part majority owner of the Phoenix Suns of the NBA and Phoenix Mercury of the WN ...

(J.D. 2004), businessman and philanthropist; Founding Partner, Shore Capital Partners, sits on Vanderbilt University Board of Trust. *

Pauline LaFon Gore Pauline LaFon Gore ( LaFon; October 6, 1912 – December 15, 2004) was the mother of former United States Vice President Albert Arnold Gore Jr. and the wife of former United States Senator Albert A. Gore. She is credited with playing a signifi ...

(LL.B. 1936), mother of former

vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

, political campaigner * Dorsey B. Hardeman (LL.B), former executive director and commissioner of the Texas Water Commission *

Robert Selph Henry Colonel Robert Selph Henry (October 20, 1889 – August 19, 1970) was an American lawyer, railroad executive and historian. He was an executive of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway from 1921 to 1934, and the vice president of the A ...

(LL.B 1910), vice president of the

Association of American Railroads The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is an industry trade group representing primarily the major freight Rail transport, railroads of North America (Canada, Mexico and the United States). Amtrak and some regional Commuter rail in North Am ...

(1934–1958) *

(J.D. 1957), political figure * Steven Machat (J.D. 1977), entertainment mogul *

Jackson W. Moore Jackson W. Moore is an American attorney and a former executive chairman of Union Planters Bank and Regions Financial Corporation. Early life Jackson W. Moore was born in Birmingham, Alabama on November 2, 1948. He grew up in Clanton, Alabama an ...

(J.D. 1973), former executive chairman of

Union Planters Bank Union Planters Bank was a United States financial institution and multi-state bank holding corporation headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee prior to being acquired by Regions Financial Corporation. With over $34 billion in assets, Union Planters B ...

and Regions Financial Corporation *

Mike McWherter Michael Ray McWherter is an American lawyer, businessman and politician from the state of Tennessee. He was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Tennessee in 2010. Early life, education and career The son of former Tennessee governor Ned McW ...

(J.D. 1981), chairman of the board of First State Bank *

Yoo Myung-hee Yoo Myung-hee (, born 5 June 1967) was the Minister for Trade of South Korea. She was the first woman to hold the position. Over the past 25 years, she worked in various government agencies since she passed the Korean state civil servant exam i ...

(J.D. 2002), minister for trade of

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

* K.C. Potter (J.D. 1964), academic administrator and LGBT rights activist * Bill Purcell (J.D. 1979), 67th

mayor of Nashville The Mayor of Nashville is the chief executive of Nashville Tennessee's government. The current mayor is John Cooper, a member of the Democratic party. Each mayor serves a term of four years, with a limit of two terms, unless this is interrupte ...

* Maritza Sáenz Ryan (J.D. 1988),

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

, first female and hispanic head of the Department of Law at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

Clay Travis Richard Clay Travis (born April 6, 1979) is an American writer, lawyer, radio host and television analyst. As a sports journalist, Travis founded ''OutKick''. As a political commentator, he and Buck Sexton host ''The Clay Travis and Buck Sexto ...

(J.D. 2004),

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

sports

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

, writer, television analyst, and the morning radio show host for nationwide

Fox Sports Radio Fox Sports Radio is an American sports radio network. Based in Los Angeles, California, the network is operated and managed by Premiere Networks in a content partnership with Fox Corporation's Fox Sports division and iHeartMedia, parent company ...

* Darrin Williams (J.D. 1993), former politician, CEO of

Southern Bancorp Southern Bancorp is a community development financial institution headquartered in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. It was founded in 1986 as Southern Development Bancorporation, and is often referred to simply as "Southern". With 43 locations, the orga ...

Inc.

Notable faculty

Current

* Lauren Benton,

known for works on the history of empires, Nelson O. Tyrone, Jr. Professor of History and Professor of Law *

James Blumstein James F. Blumstein is an American legal and health scholar. He is a professor at Vanderbilt University and is cited by the university as "among the nation’s most prominent scholars of health law, law and medicine, and voting rights." He has worked ...

, University Professor of Constitutional Law and Health Law and Policy *

Lisa Schultz Bressman Lisa Schultz Bressman is an American academic and lawyer working as the associate dean and David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair in Law at the Vanderbilt University Law School. She specializes in administrative law and constitutional theory. ...

, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair of Law, Professor of

administrative law Administrative law is the division of law that governs the activities of government agency, executive branch agencies of Forms of government, government. Administrative law concerns executive branch rule making (executive branch rules are gener ...

* Ellen Wright Clayton, Professor of Law, leader in the field of law and genomics, 2013 David Rall Medal winner *

Brian T. Fitzpatrick Brian Timothy Fitzpatrick (born May 9, 1975) is an American academic and lawyer. Fitzpatrick is known for his unorthodox advocacy of class action lawsuits from a conservative point of view, and is the author of a book on the subject, ''The Conser ...

, Professor of Law, Complex Litigation, Civil Procedure, Visiting Professor at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

* Chris Guthrie, Dean, John Wade-Kent Syverud Professor of Law, expert on behavioral law and economics, dispute resolution, negotiation * Kent A. Jordan,

of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts: * District of Delaware * District of New Jersey * Ea ...

* Jim Rossi, Associate Dean for Research, Judge D. L. Lansden Chair in Law, scholar of Energy Law and

Administrative Law Administrative law is the division of law that governs the activities of government agency, executive branch agencies of Forms of government, government. Administrative law concerns executive branch rule making (executive branch rules are gener ...

* J. B. Ruhl, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair in Law, among the most cited U.S. academics in environmental law * Paige Skiba, Professor of Law and Economics, and a leading scholar in the regulation of high-interest consumer loan industries *

Suzanna Sherry Suzanna Sherry is an American legal scholar in the area of constitutional law with particular emphasis in the subject of federal courts. She is the Herman O. Loewenstein Chair Emerita at the Vanderbilt University Law School. Education Sherry e ...

, author of numerous books on constitutional interpretive theory and casebooks on Civil Procedure and Federal Jurisdiction *

Ganesh Sitaraman Ganesh Sitaraman is an American legal scholar. He is a professor of law at Vanderbilt University, where he has also been a Chancellor Faculty Fellow and the director of the Program in Law and Government. He studies constitutional and foreign re ...

, Professor of Law, Director, Program in Law and Government,

Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a ...

adviser,

Center for American Progress The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy research and advocacy organization which presents a liberal viewpoint on economic and social issues. It has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The president and chief executive officer ...

senior Fellow * W. Kip Viscusi, University Distinguished Professor of Law, Economics, and Management and the Co-Director of the Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics

Former

* Earl C. Arnold, author of ''Outlines of Suretyship and Guardianship'', former Dean (1930–1945) * Robert Barsky, Professor of Law, scholar of immigration and refugee law * Rebecca Latham Brown,

constitutional law Constitutional law is a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a State (polity), state, namely, the executive (government), executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary; as well as th ...

theorist, former Allen Chair in Law *

Terry Calvani Terry Calvani (born January 29, 1947) is a lawyer, former government official and university professor. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, he served one term as Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. He was also a Member (now "Com ...

anti-trust law Competition law is the field of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies. Competition law is implemented through public and private enforcement. It is also known as antitrust l ...

scholar, former Commissioner of the U.S.

Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. The FTC shares jurisdiction ov ...

Jonathan Charney Jonathan I. Charney (1943 – September 7, 2002) was an American academic, author, lawyer and the Lee S. and Charles A. Spier Professor at Vanderbilt University School of Law in Nashville, Tennessee. He was also co-editor-in-chief of the American ...

, former Lee S. and Charles A. Spier Professor, co-editor-in-chief of the

American Journal of International Law ''The American Journal of International Law'' is an English-language scholarly journal focusing on international law and international relations. It is published quarterly since 1907 by the American Society of International Law (ASIL). The ''Jo ...

, nominated to serve on the Confederate Supreme Court by Jefferson Davis; first Dean from 1874 to 1875 * Anne Coughlin, expert in criminal law, criminal procedure, feminist jurisprudence and law and humanities *

Jacob M. Dickinson Jacob McGavock Dickinson (January 30, 1851 – December 13, 1928) was United States Secretary of War under President William Howard Taft from 1909 to 1911. He was succeeded by Henry L. Stimson. He was an attorney, politician, and businessman ...

, Professor of Law (1897–99),

United States Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the President of the United States, U.S. president's United States Cabinet, Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's Presidency of George Washington, administration. A similar position, called either "Se ...

(1909–1911) * James W. Ely Jr., Milton R. Underwood Professor of Law Emeritus and Professor of History Emeritus, recipient of the Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize * Barry E. Friedman, authority on constitutional law, policing, criminal procedure, and federal courts, working at the intersections of law, politics and history * Jefferson B. Fordham, former Professor of Law, 9th Dean of the

University of Pennsylvania Law School The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (also known as Penn Law or Penn Carey Law) is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is among the most selective and olde ...

* William Ray Forrester, former Dean, Constitutional Law scholar * Joel Gerber, former Chief

of the

Horace Harmon Lurton Horace Harmon Lurton (February 26, 1844 – July 12, 1914) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and previously was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and of t ...

(1844–1914),

Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1 ...

, Dean from 1905 until 1909 *

, 44th

, Professor of Law from 1897 to 1899 while he was an attorney for the

Louisville and Nashville Railroad The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of the ...

* Harold G. Maier, expert in

Private International Law Conflict of laws (also called private international law) is the set of rules or laws a jurisdiction applies to a case, transaction, or other occurrence that has connections to more than one jurisdiction. This body of law deals with three broad t ...

, International Civil Litigation (retired in 2006) * Thomas H. Malone (1834–1906), Confederate veteran, judge, Dean of the Vanderbilt University Law School for two decades *

James Clark McReynolds James Clark McReynolds (February 3, 1862 – August 24, 1946) was an American lawyer and judge from Tennessee who served as United States Attorney General under President Woodrow Wilson and as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Unite ...

(1862–1946),

, served on the faculty before becoming part of President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

's Justice Department *

Vijay Padmanabhan Vijay Padmanabhan is a law Professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, who was formerly a senior lawyer for the United States Department of State. Padmanabhan's duties at the State Department included negotiating fo ...

, former attorney-adviser for the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

Lyman Ray Patterson Lyman Ray Patterson (18 February 1929 – 5 November 2003) was an American law professor and an influential copyright scholar and historian. Biography Patterson was born in Macon, Georgia. He graduated from Mercer University, and obtained a ...

, influential copyright scholar and

, served as an assistant

while teaching at Vanderbilt *

Robert K. Rasmussen Robert K. Rasmussen is an American legal scholar who is currently the J. Thomas McCarthy Trustee Chair in Law and Political Science at the USC Gould School of Law, where he served as Dean from 2007 to 2015. He is a prominent scholar of bankruptcy ...

, expert in bankruptcy and corporate reorganization, former Dean of the

USC Gould School of Law The USC Gould School of Law, located in Los Angeles, California, is the law school of the University of Southern California. The oldest law school in the Southwestern United States, USC Law traces its beginnings to 1896 and became affiliated w ...

* Larry Soderquist, Professor of Law (1981–2005), director at Corporate and Securities Law Institute * Kent Syverud, former Garner Anthony Professor of Law, expert on complex litigation,

insurance law Insurance law is the practice of law surrounding insurance, including insurance policies and claims. It can be broadly broken into three categories - regulation of the business of insurance; regulation of the content of insurance policies, especial ...

, and

civil procedure Civil procedure is the body of law that sets out the rules and standards that courts follow when adjudicating civil lawsuits (as opposed to procedures in criminal law matters). These rules govern how a lawsuit or case may be commenced; what ki ...

* Christopher Yoo, professor (1999–2007), former director of Vanderbilt's Technology and Entertainment Law Program, among the most frequently cited scholars of technology law, media law and copyright

References

External links

Vanderbilt University Law School homepage
{{authority control Vanderbilt University Law schools in Tennessee Educational institutions established in 1874 1874 establishments in Tennessee