Michaela Strout joined Vanderbilt’s legal writing faculty after having the privilege of serving as a public defender in Nashville for four years. As a Nashville Defender, Professor Strout assisted many hundreds of Davidson County residents charged with criminal offenses ranging from criminal trespass to first degree murder. In addition to staffing criminal court dockets, she served as the research and writing attorney for multiple jury trials and led litigation on various other complex issues, including an appeal of a client’s illegal General Sessions sentences and a constitutional challenge to the State’s criminal prosecution of unhoused neighbors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Professor Strout also trained the office’s new attorneys on creative litigation and advocacy, and was formerly a member of the office’s immigration and strategic change teams. She is also a proud member of the board of directors of OpenTable Nashville, an organization dedicated to disrupting cycles of poverty and homelessness, providing outreach and support, and advocating for radical inclusivity and housing stability for all. She believes firmly in the power of advocacy and in using the law as a tool for positive social change.
Criminal Defense
Legal Writing I
Legal Writing II
