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Dear alumni and friends:

We have launched into one of the busiest fall semesters I can remember. Students are always surprised—and delighted—to discover how many academic talks, lectures, and panel discussions are available to them each week, including several endowed lecture series and speakers and panel discussions organized by academic programs and student organizations. Add to these a host of career talks scheduled by Career Services featuring attorneys who do every kind of legal work imaginable, from judging to government service to public advocacy to work in every area of private practice, and students and faculty often find ourselves choosing which of two terrific talks to attend over lunch.

September’s highlights included a day-long symposium honoring the late Vice Chancellor David Williams that featured panels on equity in education, the future of college athletics, and the stories of former students who benefited from David’s mentoring. Among many distingished panelists were Law graduates Samar Ali’06 (BA’03), Kam Cox '17, University Trustee Adolpho Birch III '91, and David’s daughter Samantha Williams ’17. Judge Waverly Crenshaw '81 (BA'78) delivered an inspiring keynote address. We also announced the creation of the David Williams II Scholarship at the Law School. We are deeply grateful to the Williams family for allowing us to honor David's legacy through the symposium and this new scholarship.

As part of our Dean's Lecture Series, we hosted the Florrie Wilkes Sanders Lecture featuring Melissa Murray of NYU Law, a nationally recognized expert on reproductive rights. Our lecture series, symposia, and career talks greatly enrich the VLS experience for students and faculty, and I urge you to contact us anytime you plan to be in Nashville and join us for any events you can attend.

I'm also pleased and proud to announce that Beth Cruz '10 has joined the Law School staff as our new Assistant Dean and Martha Craig Daughtrey Director for Public Interest. Beth comes to us from the Nashville Public Defender's Office, where she led the Education Rights Project, which focused on disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline. She will mentor students seeking careers in government and public service and oversee our robust pro bono program, and I look forward to working with her.

Chris Slobogin, who holds the Milton R. Underwood Chair in Law, was recognized this fall with Vanderbilt's prestigious 2023 Earl Sutherland Prize, the university's pre-eminent recognition for career scholarship achievements. Chris's scholarship has shaped the national debate about mental health and the courts, policing, governmental search and surveillance, race in criminal justice, and mass incarceration, and this honor is well-deserved.

Vanderbilt hosted a wonderful Dare to Grow campaign event at the Shed in Manhattan's Hudson Yards on Sept. 13. More than 300 New York-area alumni, parents, and donors joined us. Willie Geist BA'97 was our emcee, and Kito Huggins'99 (BS'96), pictured below, gave a terrific close to this fun and informative evening. It was exciting to hear more about Vanderbilt's vision for the future and our trailblazing Dare to Grow campaign. An invitation went out last week inviting members of our Houston alumni community to join us at our next Dare to Grow event on Oct. 30 at The Menil Collection. If you want to attend, you may learn more about the event and RSVP here.

We also look forward to welcoming many of you back to campus for Reunion Nov. 3 and 4. Everyone is invited "Back to the Classroom" for an hour with Climate Change Network Director Mike Vandenbergh before our All-Class Reception Friday evening. I hope to see many of you at events throughout the weekend and look forward to presenting a "Snapshot of VLS" Saturday morning, followed by another interesting "Back to the Classroom" session with antitrust expert and Associate Dean for Research Rebecca Allensworth. The weekend will conclude with our traditional Saturday night class parties, where you can reconnect with classmates and friends. If you haven't already registered to join us for this enjoyable weekend, you can do that here!

As always, I'm grateful for your commitment to VLS and support of our Law School.

Sincerely yours,

Chris Guthrie
Dean and John Wade-Kent Syverud Professor of Law

Save the Date & Join Us at Our Future Campaign Events!

Houston, Oct. 30, 2023 – Houston, The Menil Collection, 6:30 -9 p.m.
Miami, Jan. 30, 2024 – Perez Art Museum, 6:30-9 p.m.
Dallas, March 4, 2024 – Perot Museum of Nature & Science, 6:30-9 p.m.
Atlanta, Los Angeles, & San Francisco – TBD

"Dobbs v. Democracy": Reproductive Rights Scholar Melissa Muray delivers Sanders Lecture

Murray's Sept. 15 lecture addressed the implications of the Surpeme Court decision in Dobbs allowing states to restrict access to abortion. Murray delivered the Sanders Lecture as part of the Dean's Lecture Series organized by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community. Read more.

Nick Nugent '08 Joins University of Tennessee Law Faculty

Nugent's scholarship focuses on technology law, internet governance and telecommunications. He joined the UT Law faculty from the University of Virginia, where he was Program Director of the Karsh Center for Law and Democracy.

Policy Brief Co-Authored by Morgan Ricks Warns Major Banking Overhaul Is Still Needed

Ricks and Lev Menand released the brief on the fifteenth anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers through the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator. They propose reforms that would treat banks like public utilities. Read more.

Airlines Are Just Banks Now: Column by Ganesh Sitaraman in The Atlantic

Here's how the system works: Airlines create points out of nothing and sell them for real money to banks with co-branded credit cards. For the airlines, this is a great deal. Read more.

Stanton First Amendment Clinic Joins with Other Advocates to File Amicus Brief in Singleton v. Taylor

The case will be argued before the Eleventh Circuit Appeals Court. "The resolution of this case willd etermine whether the right to solicit charitable contributions for oneself is protected by the First Amendment," said Stanton Foundation Clinic Director Jennifer Safstrom. Read more.

https://law.vanderbilt.edu/news/the-federal-courts-and-puerto-rico-a-catalyst-of-institutional-and-social-change-a-talk-by-judge-gustavo-gelpi-of-the-first-circuit-court-of-appeals/

Judge Gustavo Gelpi of First Circuit discusses "The Federal Courts and Puerto Rico"

In a candid talk sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community, Judge Gelpi discussed his work as a prosecutor, federal defender, magistrict judge and district court judge in Puerto Rico informs his perspective as an appellate judge on the First Circuit Court of Appeals based in Boston. Read more.

Mark Your Calendars for Reunion Weekend Nov. 3-4!

Questions? Call us at 615.322.2606 or email us at:
Reunion.vuls@vanderbilt.edu.