The Criminal Law Association was established by students in September 2010 to educate and inform members and the Vanderbilt Law community about issues surrounding criminal law, criminal procedure, and the justice system at the state, federal, and international levels. Christopher Slobogin is the organization's faculty advisor.
Law Students for Social Justice works to connect Vanderbilt students with Tennessee’s incarcerated populations, create opportunities for legal research in the prisoner rights field, and serve prison communities through campus book drives and education programs. Terry Maroney is the organization's faculty advisor.
Vanderbilt Law students have opportunities to support volunteer initiatives such as mentoring high school students with Nashville’s Youth Court program, teaching basic legal education programs aimed at vulnerable populations, and clinic screening for legal assistance needs.
Student organizations bring informational speakers to campus to discuss all aspects of criminal law. Speakers have included state and federal defenders and prosecutors, judges, wrongly convicted exonerees, criminal defense lawyers, and scholars and public officials with expertise in all areas of criminal justice.
The Vanderbilt Project on Prosecution Policy (VPOPP) is a nonpartisan network of prosecutors, researchers, students, and other stakeholders dedicated to improving individual and collective outcomes in the criminal justice system. The Project supports communities that traditionally have been overlooked by national policy centers. Through trainings, research, conferences, and technical assistance, VPOPP engages criminal justice leaders, particularly prosecutors in the South, to develop and implement policies and programs that reduce unnecessary incarceration and promote public safety.
VPOPP is housed in Vanderbilt Law’s Criminal Justice Program and will be collaborating closely with highly experienced and respected Vanderbilt Law faculty members affiliated with the program.
November 14-15, 2025
Download the 2025 Criminal Justice Roundtable Agenda.
November 8-9, 2024
Download the 2024 Criminal Justice Roundtable Agenda.
November 3-4, 2023
Download the 2023 Criminal Justice Roundtable Agenda.
The Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy brought together Cyntoia Brown Long, Governor Bill Haslam, and Milton R. Underwood Chair in Law Christopher Slobogin to discuss Criminal Justice Reform and the Power of Mercy.