Vanderbilt Law School

The PCG Lab will serve as a hub for innovative scholarship, resources, and student learning opportunities in the emerging field of private climate governance. Led by renowned Vanderbilt environmental law scholars, the Lab provides feasible solutions to private actors – ranging from individuals to corporations, financial institutions, religious organizations, and advocacy groups – that can effectively contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. Read More

Vanderbilt Law School has received a gift from the Anbridge Charitable Fund to endow the creation of The Gail Anderson Cañizares Innocence Clinic, which will support the exoneration of wrongfully convicted individuals in Tennessee while providing students with hands-on case experience. The clinic, which will function as a course available to 2L and 3L students, launches in the 2026 spring semester and will coordinate with the Tennessee Innocence Project to source cases. Read More

How do we create a more “person-centered” judicial system and when is fairness more valued than winning? Listen to the latest episode of Provost Cybele Raver’s ‘Quantum Potential’ podcast with law professor Lauren Sudeall, Lauren Sudeall, the David Daniels Allen Distinguished Professor of Law and Director, Vanderbilt Access to Justice Initiative. Read More

AdvancED spent it's first official year leveraging the collaborative potential of three university functions: online and lifelong learning, pedagogical support and educational technology. Look back at 2024's successes and milestones. Read More

From integrating literacy into music education to empowering teens to lead a more balanced digital life, seven innovative projects have been awarded funding through the fall 2024 cycle of the Community Engagement Collaboration Fund. Faculty and staff from 11 of Vanderbilt’s schools, departments and centers have joined forces with local nonprofits, schools and other community stakeholders to bring these initiatives to life.   Read More

Vanderbilt Law School has received a $10 million commitment from Sara J. Finley, JD’85, to advance Vanderbilt Law School’s leadership in the study of how law, regulation and policy impact equality, equity and opportunity for women. The gift will be used to establish a chair and to endow a program for research, education and advocacy relating to equal rights, equal opportunity and nondiscrimination. Read More

In today’s world, collaboration is essential in solving problems, bridging the gaps between science, engineering, medicine and the humanities. By prioritizing cross-disciplinary collaborations, Vanderbilt walks the walk—not only across departments—but across schools and cultures. Read More

A new paper by Vanderbilt criminal law expert Christopher Slobogin argues that, in numerous criminal settings, the voluntariness of an individual’s choice should no longer be relevant. Read More

James R. Sasser, BA’58, JD’61, was a three-term U.S. senator from Tennessee and ambassador to China. (Ann Rayner/Vanderbilt) James R. Sasser, BA’58, JD’61, a former three-term U.S. senator from Tennessee and ambassador to China, died Sept. 10 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He was a statesman who loved Tennessee… Read More

While practicing public interest law upon graduation has become more popular amongst law students, it still falls outside of the status quo. Assistant Dean and Martha Craig Daughtrey Director for Public Interest Beth Cruz, in partnership with the Career Services Office, held an informational panel for Vanderbilt Law students interested in practicing public interest law after graduation. The panel offered guidance on how to navigate an interest or passion for public interest law as a current or prospective law student.  Read More

After moving to Nashville to join the faculty at Vanderbilt Law School, James Blumstein was denied the right to vote because of Tennessee’s durational residency requirements and decided to sue. Blumstein successfully argued the case himself before the Supreme Court, effectively enfranchising around six percent more potential voters. On the 50th anniversary of the court’s decision, Vanderbilt Law School organized a celebration to commemorate Blumstein’s victory. Read More

Meet some of our new faculty members and learn about their fascinating research. Read More

What connects Vanderbilt to a crisp craft ale from one of Nashville’s premiere breweries? The vibrant vision and collaborative spirit of Vanderbilt alumna Bailey Spaulding. Read More

The Honorable Richard H. Dinkins, JD'77, who served on the Tennessee Court of Appeals from 2008 until his retirement in 2022, died October 1, 2023, in Nashville. He was 71. Read More

“Social Network as Work,” by Francesca Procaccini, sets a novel paradigm for regulating speech on social media by equating the use with labor. Read More

Thirteen outstanding faculty members from across the university have been selected for the 2024 cohort of Chancellor Faculty Fellows. This group is composed of highly accomplished, recently tenured faculty from a wide variety of disciplines and areas of expertise.    Read More

There is a burgeoning consensus among climate-minded policymakers and scholars that loosening zoning regulations to promote greater density while simultaneously tightening building efficiency standards can reduce emissions and address housing shortages that affect communities across the U.S. In a new paper, Christopher Serkin, Elisabeth H. & Granville S. Ridley Jr. Chair in Law at Vanderbilt Law School, argues that fewer restrictions may promote development activity, but there is no guarantee that it will result in greater density. Read More

Sean Seymore, Centennial Professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School, argues that federal courts have “abandoned their gatekeeping function” for protecting public health in patent cases. Read More

A paper co-authored by Brian Broughman, professor of law, proposes a new model for analyzing venture capitalist behavior. Read More