Waverly Crenshaw, a Nashville native, is Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Vanderbilt and was on the staff of the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law during law school. After graduating he clerked for the Chancery and Probate Court in Nashville and then for U.S. District Court Judge John T. Nixon (1982–84). He later served as an assistant attorney general for Tennessee (1984–87), responsible for consumer protection, charitable solicitation, and antitrust litigation.
He moved to private practice in 1987, joining a small labor and employment firm that represented workers and the United Mine Workers of America, and gained deep experience in federal labor laws. In 1990, Waverly joined the large Nashville law firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis as an associate and became a partner in 1994. He was the first African American attorney and equity partner at the firm, serving on its board and compensation committee and as a practice group leader. “Waverly has done a tremendous job for us,” said William M. Leech Jr., former Tennessee Attorney General and senior partner at Waller Lansden, at the time Waverly was named a partner. “He was a unanimous choice.” His focus on federal civil litigation continued, but over time his practice evolved from representing employees and employers to primarily representing businesses in labor and employment matters. He represented companies in a wide variety of industries—such as healthcare, telecommunications, insurance, automotive, pharmacy, real estate, religious organizations and public utilities—in all aspects of labor and employment law.
In 2015, Waverly was nominated to the federal court by President Barack Obama and was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate on April 11, 2016. He became chief judge in 2017.
He left his firm practice for the bench, in part, because he wanted to give back to his community, and he continues to do that in many ways. Waverly has served as legal counsel to numerous nonprofit organizations including the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Nashville Bar Association, National Museum of African American Music, and the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. He has also served on the advisory boards of the YWCA, the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association, Metro Nashville Hospital Authority, Boys and Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee and others. His many awards include the 2022 Legend of Nashville Award from 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee, the 2017 Diversity Award from the Community Foundation of Nashville and the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Nashville Public Education Foundation.
Waverly has also served on the Law School Board of Advisors and as a lecturer, panelist, adviser and mentor to our students. He has provided meaningful support of scholarships for Vanderbilt law students. His dedication to Vanderbilt Law School has been unwavering for years, and he has contributed to its advancement with his service.
