Law

Even though it's against federal law to grow, sell or possess marijuana, 13 states have recently legalized medical use of the drug. Now California is contemplating taking the next step – legalizing marijuana outright – in the hope that taxing marijuana sales could help ease the state's latest budget crisis. Vanderbilt University Law School professor Robert Mikos, an expert on federalism issues, examined the conflict between state and federal drug laws in a new paper. Read More

Vanderbilt University Professor of Law and Political Science Carol Swain and Assistant Professor of Law Brian Fitzpatrick have both been appointed to the Tennessee Advisory Committee of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. This is Swain's second consecutive term on the committee. Read More

In this tough economy, the allure of buying lottery tickets seems like a pretty enticing way to erase financial problems. But new research from Vanderbilt Law School found that people who won between $50,000 and $150,000 did not solve their debt problems and only postponed bankruptcy. Read More

Will Judge Sonia Sotomayor become the next U.S. Supreme Court justice? Vanderbilt faculty Tracey George, Terry Mahoney and Brian Fitzpatrick provide expert insight and commentary. Read More

Chris Guthrie, a seven-year veteran of Vanderbilt University Law School and former associate dean for academic affairs, was named dean of the law school effective July 1, 2009. Read More

Empirical research from Vanderbilt professor of law and political science Tracey George shows how the United States court system, especially the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, could dramatically change under the Obama Administration. Read More

A time could soon come when genetic tests and neurological brain scans are introduced as evidence in criminal trials as readily as DNA evidence is today. Read More

Watch video of Assistant Professor of Law and Philosophy Nita Farahany talking about her book The Impact of Behavioral Sciences on Criminal Law. Read More

The topic of immigration reform in the United States will be discussed by the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, Mark Krikorian and conservative political analyst Bay Buchanan. The discussion will be held at noon on March 23 in the Hyatt room at Vanderbilt University Law School. The event is free and open to the public. Read More

Working in a global economy means a lot more than where a business builds or sends its products. Today, a business owner may operate a shipping business in Florida, have the business incorporated in Delaware, maintain the company's assets in an offshore bank account in the Cayman Islands and specify that any legal disputes be litigated in the United Kingdom. And this is all perfectly legal. Read More

Vanderbilt researcher examines the implications of businesses choosing their laws. Read More

Edward L. Rubin announced that he is stepping down from his position as dean of Vanderbilt University Law School effective June 30. Rubin said he will continue to teach and write as a member of the faculty. Read More

New research by Vanderbilt professor of law and economics Joni Hersch found that housework not only reduces the salaries of women, but also affects some men's wages. She also found that women's salaries are negatively impacted by housework regardless of profession. Read More

Marvin Krislov, the former general counsel at the University of Michigan during the landmark 2003 Supreme Court affirmative action cases will speak at Vanderbilt Law School. Read More

In a pioneering, interdisciplinary study combining law and neuroscience, researchers at Vanderbilt University peered inside people's minds to watch how the brain thinks about crime and punishment. Read More

At Vanderbilt University, college students – the group most targeted by the recording industry for prosecution for illegal downloading – are proposing solutions instead of complaining. Read More

New research by Vanderbilt Law School Assistant Professor Paige Marta Skiba found that payday loan applicants who received the quick cash after their first application were significantly more likely to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy than those whose initial application was denied. Read More

First-year students in the "Stealing in Music City" seminar at Vanderbilt University must devise a workable system for distributing music that delivers content for a reasonable price and allows songwriters, artists and other stakeholders to get paid. Read More

New Vanderbilt research finds that states can save a substantial amount of money if they use a shared system of both privately and publicly managed prisons. The savings don't come from the use of private prisons alone, but Read More

Watch video of a talk by Vanderbilt Law School professor and constitutional law expert Suzanna Sherry. Read More