Yolanda (Yoli) Redero has retired from her position as clinical professor of law.
Professor Redero created and taught the law school’s Family Law and Domestic Violence Clinic, which was originally funded with a grant from the Violence Against Women Office of the Department of Justice. She served on Vanderbilt’s clinical law faculty for 15 years.
“Working at Vanderbilt has been the highlight of my career,” Professor Redero said. “Vanderbilt provided a wonderful and nurturing environment for me to teach my classes, interact with superb students and give back to the community. The faculty and administration—and particularly the clinical staff and administration—provided a second home for me, and I cherish the friendships with many students who still keep in touch with me.”
Before joining Vanderbilt’s law faculty as a visiting clinical assistant professor in 2002, Professor Redero was an assistant state attorney for Miami-Dade County, Florida, where she served as assistant chief of the Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Unit. In 2006, she served on an interdisciplinary team of Vanderbilt researchers that visited the Ecuadorian Andes. Her portion of this multidisciplinary study focused on indigenous people’s access to justice relating to domestic violence in Ecuador. She chaired the Provost’s Task Force Against Sexual Assault at Vanderbilt University for five years.
“We will miss Yoli’s warmth, her expertise and the tremendous positive energy she invested in her students and in building a clinic that provided a vital service to the Nashville community,” said Dean Chris Guthrie. “She provided students with an opportunity not only to serve victims of domestic violence, but also to gain legal experience by handling a case from initial interviews to completion. We will miss her and wish her all the best in retirement.”
In addition to handling domestic violence cases, Professor Redero’s clinic provided pro bono representation to unmarried couples in custody cases. “This population is so poorly represented and their issues are just as important as those of higher end divorces,” she said. “My clinic helped many victims of domestic violence break free from their violence with orders of protection and much counseling. By handling cases from start to finish, my students gained valuable skills for their future careers in any field by participating in real court hearings and advocating for real clients. I am very proud of that.”
Professor Redero has returned to her home state of Florida.
