Faculty News Archive
2011
Terry Maroney appointed to faculty of Vanderbilt’s Center for Medicine, Health and Society
Release Date: Dec 01, 2011
Maroney's work focuses on the role of emotion in law.
Ingrid Wuerth appointed to State Department Advisory Committee on International Law
Release Date: Nov 15, 2011
Wuerth directs Vanderbilt's International Legal Studies Program.
Joni Hersch finds workers receive higher pay for risk of sexual harrassment on the job
Release Date: Nov 17, 2011
Hersch's findings published in the May 2011 American Economic Review.
Chris Slobogin's book, co-authored with Mark Fondacaro, offers "A Plea for Preventive Justice" for juveniles
Release Date: Oct 24, 2011
"Juveniles at Risk: A Plea for Preventive Justice" published by Oxford University Press.
Landmark law and neuroscience network expands at Vanderbilt
Release Date: Aug 24, 2011
Owen Jones leads $4.85 million grant for new Research Network on Law and Neuroscience.
Daniel Sharfstein awarded Alphonse Fletcher Sr. Fellowship by Fletcher Foundation
Release Date: Jul 06, 2011
Sharfstein will chronicle Southern lawyers who argued against integration in the courts in the decade following the Brown v. Board of Education decision.
Carol Swain's new book, "Be the People," released by Thomas Nelson Inc.
Release Date: Jun 30, 2011
Law and political science professor Carol Swain combines research, opinions and scripture in a conservative analysis of current controversial issues.
Ganesh Sitaraman joins Vanderbilt's law faculty as an assistant professor
Release Date: Jun 28, 2011
Professor Sitaraman was previously the Public Law Fellow and a lecturer at Harvard Law School.
Rebecca Haw joins Vanderbilt’s law faculty as assistant professor after Climenko Fellowship
Release Date: Jun 24, 2011
Haw studies antitrust law and will teach Antitrust Law and a seminar on the use of experts in legal decision-making at Vanderbilt.
Yesha Yadav joins Vanderbilt’s law faculty as assistant professor of law
Release Date: Jun 24, 2011
Professor Yadav enters legal academy after serving in the Legal Vice-Presidency of the World Bank.
Richard Nagareda's analysis of class commonality influences Wal-Mart v. Dukes decision
Release Date: Jun 22, 2011
Nagareda's 2009 article, "Class Certification in the Age of Aggregate Proof," cited extensively in majority opinion and dissent.
Article coauthored by J.B. Ruhl selected among top five environmental articles of 2010
Release Date: Jun 19, 2011
Environmental experts address strategies for creating networks to deal with complex environmental issues
Vijay Padmanabhan joins Vanderbilt's law faculty as assistant professor
Release Date: Jun 16, 2011
Professor Padmanabhan will be affiliated with Vanderbilt’s International Legal Studies and Criminal Justice programs.
James F. Blumstein files amicus brief in Florida v. USDHHS
Release Date: May 31, 2011
Blumstein concludes that expanded Medicaid mandate in the Affordable Care Act is "unenforceable."
Ellen Wright Clayton to chair new IOM Standing Committee on Family Planning
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Clayton will head new committee convened by the Institute of Medicine for the DHHS Office of Family Planning.
Sean Seymore to be MIT's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Associate Professor in Spring 2012
Release Date: May 09, 2011
Professor Seymore will visit the Program in Science, Technology and Society.
Nancy King and colleague Joseph Hoffman propose reforms in use of habeas law in new book
Release Date: Mar 29, 2011
Habeas for the 21st Century: Uses, Abuses, and the Future of the Great Writ released by the University of Chicago Press.
Michael Vandenbergh and coauthors advocate private carbon labeling for products in inaugural issue of Nature Climate Change
Release Date: Mar 28, 2011
Research team believes private carbon labeling will have a positive influence on consumer and business behavior.
Christopher Slobogin offers an alternative approach to dealing with juvenile crime in new book released by Oxford University Press
Release Date: Mar 16, 2011
New book examines the shortcomings of the culpability linchpin and adult-type procedures placed on juvenile offenders.
Brian Fitzpatrick receives the Federalist Society's 2011 Bator Award
Release Date: Mar 07, 2011
The Bator Award recognizes a young academic – under the age of forty – who has demonstrated excellence in legal scholarship, a commitment to teaching, a concern for students, and who has made a significant public impact.
Carol Swain testifies before House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement March 2
Release Date: Mar 02, 2011
Swain's current scholarship addresses impact of immigration.
Daniel Sharfstein chronicles the transition of race identity among three families in new book
Release Date: Feb 17, 2011
"The Invisible Line: Three American Families and the Secret Journey from Black to White" released by Penguin Press.
Nita Farahany is a contributor to the Law and Biosciences Daily Digest, an online publication that provides relevant summaries of legal opinions (civil and criminal) in which cognitive neuroscience or behavioral genetics evidence has been introduced. Read her post from February 10, 2011.
Michael Newton, who specializes in accountability and conduct of hostilities issues, will deliver the keynote address, "Of Law and Legitimacy: Developing Dynamics of 21st Century Conflicts," at Loyola University Chicago School of Law's International Law Review Symposium 2011, "The Laws of War: International Conflict and the Global War on Terror," on February 25.
Sean Seymore receives secondary faculty appointment in Vanderbilt’s Department of Chemistry
Release Date: Jan 21, 2011
Seymore’s appointment as Associate Professor of Chemistry effective January 1, 2011.
Delaware Supreme Court Justice Randy J. Holland, Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt. receives Opperman Award for Judicial Excellence
Release Date: Jan 20, 2011
Justice Holland is the seventh recipient honored with the American Judicature Society's Opperman Award.
2010
First report issued by Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
Release Date: Dec 16, 2010
Nita Farahany serves on commission; her research focuses on legal, philosophical and social issues arising from biosciences.
James Blumstein addresses constitutional challenges to health reform
Release Date: Dec 08, 2010
Presentation at American Enterprise Institute addresses the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's expanded Medicaid mandate.
Alex Hurder elected to Council of ABA's Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities
Release Date: Dec 08, 2010
Professor Hurder will serve a three-year term on the Council.
Joni Hersch elected vice president of Southern Economic Association
Release Date: Nov 15, 2010
Hersch will serve a two-year term as a vice president of SEA.
Value of life study shows Mexican immigrants fare far worse than other immigrants and U.S. natives
Release Date: Oct 27, 2010
Study by W. Kip Viscusi and Joni Hersch of Vanderbilt's Law & Economics Program finds Mexican immigrants work in higher risk jobs with low wages.
Professor Richard Nagareda's obituary - October 9, 2010 - Vanderbilt Law School is saddened to announce the death of Richard Nagareda, who was the David Daniels Allen Professor of Law and director of the Cecil D. Branstetter Litigation and Dispute Resolution Program. Richard was a preeminent civil litigation scholar and author of Mass Torts in a World of Settlement.
Ellen Clayton receives 2010 William G. Bartholeme Award from American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Bioethics
Release Date: Oct 06, 2010
Award recognizes Clayton's significant contributions to the field of bioethics.
Lisa Bressman appointed to Administrative Conference of the United States
Release Date: Sep 30, 2010
ACUS studies administrative processes and recommends improvements
Study finds public/private partnerships key to maximizing Nashville’s sports potential
Release Date: Sep 29, 2010
Report uses data collected by students in the Sports Law course taught by David Williams
Carol Swain testifies before Congress on immigration
Release Date: Sep 23, 2010
Swain is the author of Debating Immigration, a collection of essays that explore immigration and citizenship
Margaret Blair appointed to the Milton R. Underwood Chair in Free Enterprise
Release Date: Sep 20, 2010
Blair’s work focuses on corporate law and financial markets.
Owen Jones appointed to the New York Alumni Chancellor’s Chair in Law
Release Date: Sep 20, 2010
Jones works at the intersection of law and biological sciences, directs MacArthur Foundation Law & Neuroscience Project
Owen Jones named director of law and neuroscience project
Release Date: Jul 20, 2010
Landmark national project funded by a grant from the MacArthur Foundation to be based at Vanderbilt
Nita Farahany appointed to presidential Bioethics Commission
Release Date: Jul 12, 2010
See a portion of the proceedings of the first Bioethics Commission meeting
Paige Skiba studies pawnshop loans as a Visiting Scholar of the London School of Economics
Release Date: Jul 12, 2010
Skiba studies factors that drive demand for pawnshops
Jennifer Reinganum joins leadership of American Law and Economics Association (ALEA)
Release Date: Jul 08, 2010
Reinganum will serve as secretary/treasurer in 2010-11, vice president in 2011-12, and president in 2012-13.
American Law Institute releases book on aggregate litigation coauthored by Richard Nagareda
Release Date: Jun 29, 2010
ALI Principles of the Law of Aggregate Litigation, prepared by Reporter Samuel Issacharoff and Associate Reporters Nagareda, Robert Klonoff and Charles Silver
John Owen Haley, distinguished scholar of comparative law, joins Vanderbilt's faculty
Release Date: May 20, 2010
Haley is a pioneering scholar of comparative and Japanese law
Edward K. Cheng, scholar of evidence law, appointed to Vanderbilt's law faculty
Release Date: May 20, 2010
Cheng explores questions of whether courts should rely on statistical inferences for findings of liability or guilt
Sean Seymore, scholar of patent law, joins Vanderbilt's faculty
Release Date: May 18, 2010
Seymore focuses on how patent law should respond to scientific advances
Lisa Bressman to serve as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Release Date: Apr 28, 2010
Bressman's responsibilities will focus on the law school's teaching and research missions
George, Nagareda, Schoenblum and Sherry win Hall-Hartman Awards
Release Date: Apr 23, 2010
Awards honor outstanding teaching in 1L and upper-level courses
Nancy King receives Alexander Heard Distinguished Service Award
Release Date: Apr 09, 2010
Award honors one professor each year for distinctive contributions to the understanding for contemporary society
Research by Paige Skiba cited in Seventh Circuit decision
Release Date: Feb 18, 2010
The case of Midwest Title Loans v. Indiana addressed interest rate and fee limitations. Professor Skiba's research relating to payday loan operations was discussed in the majority opinion.
Research by Margaret Blair cited in Citizens United dissent
Release Date: Feb 18, 2010
Justice Stevens discussed Professor Blair and colleague Lynn Stout's "team production" model in a scathing dissent.
Empirical research by Randall Thomas recognized by Corporate Practice Commentator
Release Date: Feb 16, 2010
Professor Thomas' articles have been listed among the “Top 10 Corporate and Securities Articles” for five consecutive years.
Christopher Slobogin appointed to Milton Underwood Chair in Law
Release Date: Jan 21, 2010
Professor Slobogin's recent work addresses the impact of technological advances on Fourth Amendment rights.
2009
Study by W. Kip Viscusi looks at "values" assigned to fatalities
Release Date: Dec 29, 2009
Professor Viscusi found that Americans value preventing deaths from terrorist attacks more than preventing deaths from natural disasters.
Ellen Wright Clayton named to Institute of Medicine (IOM) council
Release Date: Dec 22, 2009
Dr. Clayton holds faculty appointments in Vanderbilt's medical and law schools.
Improvement needed in Afghan system of justice
Release Date: Dec 09, 2009
Professor Michael Newton stresses need for Afghans to build an effective justice system based on the rule of law in this opinion piece.
Mike Vandenbergh and Mark Cohen argue in favor of private incentives to reduce carbon emissions
Release Date: Dec 09, 2009
Professors Vandenbergh and Cohen assert that private incentives are needed to fill gaps until public measures are effected.
Study led by Kip Viscusi suggests recycling laws work
Release Date: Dec 09, 2009
The study's results indicate that laws mandating recycling are effective.
Article by Terry Maroney cited by two Minnesota Supreme Court Justices in Bonga v. State of Minnesota
Release Date: Oct 15, 2009
Professor Maroney's article, "Emotional Competence, 'Rational Understanding,' and the Criminal Defendant," is cited in important opinion.
Criminal Law Roundtable provides a forum for examining provocative research
Release Date: Sep 22, 2009
A roundtable sponsored by Vanderbilt's Criminal Justice Program took place September 11-12.
Dean Chris Guthrie talks about the future of Vanderbilt Law School and his role as Dean
Release Date: Sep 15, 2009
Tracy Kane, Class of 2008, conducted an interview with Dean Guthrie for the Nashville Bar Journal.
Can states legalize a federal crime? Robert Mikos examines conflict between state and federal drug laws
Release Date: Jul 22, 2009
Professor Mikos argues that states wield power over national drug policy.
Fitzpatrick & Swain appointed to Tennessee Advisory Committee of U.S. Commission of Civil Rights
Release Date: Jul 13, 2009
Professor Swain appointed to second term; Professor Fitzpatrick joins the committee as new member.
Economist Paige Skiba examines financial consequences of winning the lottery
Release Date: Jul 07, 2009
From big bucks to bankruptcy? Research indicates lottery winnings don't resolve long-term financial problems.
Chris Guthrie named Dean of Vanderbilt Law School
Release Date: May 27, 2009
Chris Guthrie will become Vanderbilt's 15th Dean July 1, Chancellor Nick Zeppos has announced
David Lewis honored with 2009 Richard E. Neustadt Award for best book on U.S. presidency
Release Date: May 08, 2009
Lewis is professor of political science and professor of law at Vanderbilt.
Professors Suzanna Sherry, Brian Fitzpatrick, Randall Thomas & Richard Nagareda receive 2009 Hall-Hartman Awards
Release Date: Apr 21, 2009
Hall-Hartman Awards recognize outstanding teaching, based on students' votes.
Nita Farahany's book, "The Impact of Behavioral Sciences on Criminal Law," released
Release Date: Apr 15, 2009
Essays in this edited collection address the use of behavioral predispositions as evidence in criminal trials.
New book by Erin O'Hara & Larry Ribstein explores law as a global commodity
Release Date: Mar 05, 2009
"The Law Market," a book coauthored by Professor O'Hara with Larry Ribstein, addresses "law shopping" as an unforeseen byproduct of globalization
Women's and men's earnings hurt by housework
Release Date: Mar 03, 2009
Economist Joni Hersch's research individuals women's salaries negatively affected regardless of profession.
Brian Fitzpatrick testifies before Tennessee House Subcommittee regarding Tennessee Plan
Release Date: Feb 25, 2009
"Sky will not fall" if plan is allowed to sunset, says Professor Fitzpatrick.
Michael Newton serves on American Society of International Law Task Force
Release Date: Feb 03, 2009
An ASIL task force recommends that the U.S. pursue a policy of "positive engagement" with the International Criminal Court.
Research by Tracey George illuminates the ways in which politics affect Supreme and appellate courts
Release Date: Jan 15, 2009
Administrations consider both political and policymaking goals, according to Professor George's research.
Paper coauthored by Randall Thomas is finalist for 2008 Brattle Prize
Release Date: Jan 12, 2009
Paper by Randall Thomas coauthored with colleagues Alon Brav, Wei Jian and Frank Portnoy focuses on hedge fund activism.
2008
Research illuminates how the brain thinks about crime and punishment
Release Date: Dec 09, 2008
Professor Owen Jones and neuroscientist Rene Marois collaborate on groundbreaking research.
Research by Paige Marta Skiba highlights payday loan problem
Release Date: Dec 09, 2008
Professor Skiba's study results indicate that financial 'quick fix' leads to personal bankruptcy.
New study shows benefits of having privately and publicly managed prisons in the same state
Release Date: Nov 25, 2008
A study by Jim Blumstein and Mark Cohen suggests that shared systems offer greatest cost savings.
TRIPS may evolve to keep pace with modern IP concerns
Release Date: Oct 27, 2008
Daniel Gervais delivered the Finnegan & Henderson Distinguished Lecture of Intellectual Property at American University.
Seven ways to reduce your carbon emissions
Release Date: Oct 20, 2008
Vanderbilt's Climate Change Research Network identifies "low-hanging fruit" actions to reduce individual carbon emissions
Leadership Is More than Profit: Op/ed coauthored by Margaret Blair
Release Date: Sep 24, 2008
Op/ed coauthored by Professor Blair with Sloan Foundation President Emeritus & NYU Stern School Professor Emeritus Ralph Gomory.
"Enemy of the State," coauthored by Mike Newton, released by St. Martin's Press
Release Date: Sep 24, 2008
Professor Newton's book, coauthored with Michael Scharf, chronicles trial and execution of Saddam Hussein in vivid detail.
Beverly Moran to spend 2008-09 at MIT as ACE Fellow
Release Date: Sep 23, 2008
Professor Moran is one of 36 ACE Fellows nationwide. She was nominated for the prestigious fellowship by Chancellor Nick Zeppos.
Crimes against humanity in Burma
Release Date: Jul 10, 2008
An opinion piece by Michael A. Newton focuses on Burma in the deadly aftermath of a typhoon.
Energy Policy Task Force will help Tennessee meet its energy needs
Release Date: Jul 09, 2008
This opinion piece by Regulatory Program Co-director Michael Vandenbergh discusses the mission of the state Energy Policy Task Force.
Lisa Schultz Bressman honored as runner-up in Richard D. Cudahy Writing Competition
Release Date: Jun 19, 2008
Professor Bressman's article, "Procedures as Politics in Administrative Law," was recognized at ACS convention.
Margaret Blair testifies before House Science & Technology Committee
Release Date: May 23, 2008
Presentation part of a discussion on globalization and the trade deficit - read testimony here
Jon Bruce, Jim Ely and Jeff Schoenblum win 2008 Hall-Hartman Awards
Release Date: May 07, 2008
Property law experts Jim Ely and Jon Bruce and tax expert Jeff Schoenblum were honored by students.
Climate Change Research Network tackles climate change from every angle
Release Date: Apr 16, 2008
An interdisciplinary network of Vanderbilt experts has joined forces to research climate change.
Richard Nagareda discusses Supreme Court case Taylor v. Sturgell
Release Date: Apr 16, 2008
Taylor v. Sturgell concerns the outer limits of claim preclusion in civil litigation under the Freedom of Information Act.
Climate change and consumption conference to be held at Vanderbilt
Release Date: Apr 14, 2008
An academic conference and keynote address, open to the public
Conference on Neglected Judges hosted by VLS's Program in Constitutional Law & Theory
Release Date: Mar 31, 2008
This conferenced opened April 3 with a keynote address by G. Edward White.
Beverly Moran awarded American Council of Education fellowship
Release Date: Mar 26, 2008
Professor Moran will be one of 36 ACE Fellows to receive intensive higher education leadership training in 2008-09
Carol Swain appointed to National Council on the Humanities
Release Date: Mar 14, 2008
Senate confirms Professor Swain's appointment to the National Council on the Humanities.
Nicholas S. Zeppos named Vanderbilt University's eighth chancellor
Release Date: Mar 03, 2008
Chancellor Zeppos is a distinguished legal scholar, teacher and administrator who has been a vital presence on the campus for two decades.
Mass tort litigation expert Richard Nagareda discusses implications of Riegel v. Medtronic
Release Date: Feb 26, 2008
This ruling is the first to address the legal effect of FDA's fullscale premarket approval for medical devices.
Debating Immigration symposium March 20-21
Release Date: Feb 06, 2008
Scholars, journalists and activists grappled with the thorny issue of immigration at this symposium.
Internet contracts lead to unconscionable breach of privacy issues
Release Date: Feb 01, 2008
Steven Hetcher explores the terms of internet consumer agreements.