Diversity in Law School

Nondiscrimination Policy

In compliance with federal law, including the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1965, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Vanderbilt University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or military service in its administration of educational policies, programs, or activities; its admissions policies; scholarship and loan programs; athletic or other University-administered programs; or employment. In addition, the University does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, consistent with the University's nondiscrimination policy. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the Opportunity Development Officer, Baker Building, VU Station B #351809, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, Tennessee 37235-1809, 615.322.4705 (V/TDD); fax 615.343.4969.

Student Organization Contact Information

The Gay/Straight Alliance, now named OUTlaw, was formed to allow gay and lesbian law students to meet and discuss issues that are unique to being gay in the legal profession. The organization is open to all law students, gay and straight alike, and encourages all law students to become members.

Vanderbilt University has several resources, including the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI) Life. The Office of Student Affairs at the Law School is also a great resource if you'd like to know more.

Faculty Contact Information

No details provided.

Administrator Contact Information

No details provided.

Course Titles and/or Descriptions

LAW 951: Advanced Topics in Race, Gender, and Representation in the Political Process Seminar

This seminar will examine partisan politics and campaign regulations. It will cover the recruitment of candidates, the procedures and processes for running for office, the special hurdles for political and racial minorities, and the expected policy outcomes in state and national legislatures. Enrollment limited.

Law 984: Constitution and the Family Seminar

For more than 100 years, the Supreme Court of the United States has engaged in "constitutionalizing" the family. That is, the Court has treated the family as an institution possessing constitutional status and providing a ground for constitutional judgment. This seminar aims to examine both the manner in which the Court has proceeded and the substantive stakes of the Court's commitments. The substantive stakes are, to borrow from Justice Douglas, older than the Constitution. They extend to the earliest values and practices of human civilizations. The stakes are also fundamental. They implicate people's material well-being, their conceptions of morality, and their preparation for citizenship. Several questions grow out of the aims of the seminar. Some of these questions are ancient, others more recent. For example, who is a family, and who may decide? What roles, if any, does family play in the relationship between individual and state? To what extent should familial values or practices be exempt from regulation by government? What is the relation between family and gender (a status)? Between family and sex (an act)? What do a liberal culture and a capitalist economy do to the form and function of family? What is the constitutional status of marriage? What, if anything, does the Constitution say about the rearing of children? Does the Constitution require, permit, or prohibit official recognition of same-sex partnerships? Enrollment limited.

LAW 801: Independent Study

A student develops his or her own project, to be carried out under the supervision of a full-time faculty member. A faculty member's approval of the academic merit of the project, and agreement to supervise the project must be obtained in writing before the student may enroll in this course. A written work product must be included among the elements of the project that the faculty member evaluates. Pass/Fail.

NOTE: Faculty approval required. This course may be taken only once for credit.

LAW 836: International Protection of Human Rights

This course studies and critically assesses the rules, institutions, and legal and political theories that seek to protect basic liberties for all human beings. The course emphasizes (1) specific "hot button" subjects within human rights law (such as the death penalty, hate speech, women's rights, and lesbian and gay rights); (2) the judicial, legislative, and executive bodies in international and domestic legal systems that interpret and implement legal rules relating to these subjects; and (3) the public and private actors who seek redress for those whose rights have been violated.

LAW 928: Law and Social Justice Seminar

This seminar will focus on the role of the law in creating, perpetuating, and eradicating hierarchies of power and privilege in our society, particularly those based on racial, ethnic, gender, social, and economic status. The seminar will approach this topic from two different perspectives. First, it will look at various structural issues in the legal system and the legal profession relevant to representing clients in this setting. Second, it will examine selected areas of law that have a special impact on these communities. Enrollment Limited.

LAW 736: Religion, Politics, and Social Issues

A multidisciplinary study of the relationship between religion and politics in the United States focusing on various social issues with public policy implications, such as abortion, stem-cell research, gender and sexuality, race, prayer in schools, evolution and creationism, immigration, economic inequality, and the environment. Enrollment limited.

LAW 636: Sexual Orientation and the Law

This course explores selected legal issues related to sexual orientation. Emphasis is placed on constitutional issues, but also includes other issues such as family law and employment law.

Prerequisite: Constitutional Law II

Domestic Partnership Benefits

• Vanderbilt Domestic Partnership Benefits
• Vanderbilt Student Health Commitment to LGBTQI Students

Additional Information

The Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI) Life at Vanderbilt University is a cultural center and a place of affirmation for individuals of all identities, and a resource for information and support about gender and sexuality. The Office of LGBTQI Life serves all members of the Vanderbilt community—students, faculty, staff, and alumni—by creating educational, cultural, and social opportunities. The office also supports and advises LGBTQI-related campus groups and activities, a list of which can be found under our Campus Resources link. The Office of LGBTQI Life expands the role of its predecessor, the GLBT Resource Office, and is staffed by three full-time professionals, one graduate assistant, and a team of student receptionists. In all cases the office provides confidentiality for visitors and inquiries.

With a metro-area population of 1.6 million, Nashville is an open-minded, cosmopolitan city which boasts a few dedicated LGBT media outlets, including a monthly newsmagazine and a televised LGBT-themed news program. Nashville is also home to numerous active social and activist LGBT clubs and groups, including a very active HRC chapter. There are about a dozen LGBT clubs, bars, and nightclubs in Nashville, several within a short drive from campus.

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