Thomas Scott Davidson of Hoover, Alabama, has won the Founder’s Medal signifying first honors in Vanderbilt Law School’s J.D. Class of 2021.
Vanderbilt honors Class of 2021 Founder’s Medalists
Davidson received Scholastic Excellence Awards in Evidence, Constitutional Law I, Legal Writing I and II and Property. He was a Chancellor’s Law Scholar and received the Dean’s Leadership Award. During his 3L year, he was managing editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He also served as vice president of admitted students in the VLS Ambassadors and as a Co-Counsel Mentor.
Davidson received the Law and Business certificate and especially appreciated his classes in the Law and Business Program, directed by Randall Thomas, who holds the John S. Beasley II Chair in Law and Business.
“The classes in the Law and Business curriculum challenged me intellectually and gave me the confidence that I could have a great career as a transactional attorney,” Davidson said. “Through these classes I gained a strong knowledge base to understand how financial markets and large transactions work and learned how to identify and confront the key issues that transactional attorneys face. I particularly enjoyed Professor [Yesha] Yadav’s securities regulation class; her enthusiasm for the subject is unparalleled.”
As a 3L, he was a student attorney in the Turner Family Community Enterprise Clinic, directed by Associate Clinical Professor of Law Lauren Rogal. “The clinic was the most challenging and rewarding experience of my law school career,” he said. “Clinical experience prepares you for actual legal practice. You feel the weight of how your analysis will impact the lives of real people.”
Davidson is proud of his class’s response to the challenges of finishing law school during a global pandemic. “I think everyone in the class of 2021 should be recognized for their resilience in overcoming the severe challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic in law school,” he said. “Many of us lost loved ones and had to deal with the stresses and shocks of a roller coaster of a year on top of the difficulty of law school. I am proud of our collective strength in navigating this difficult situation.”
Davidson earned his undergraduate degree with distinction at the University of Virginia. He plans to join Bass Berry & Sims in Nashville as an associate after graduation.
