University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law

Please join us in congratulating Professor Barbara Kritchevsky on being named this year's Outstanding Faculty Member by the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Alumni Chapter. Her award was presented at the chapter's annual Pillars of Excellence Awards dinner over the weekend! Congrats, Coach K!

Law school isn’t ALL classes and stress. Some amazing student organizations came together this afternoon to help our new 1Ls learn more about the clubs, organizations, journals, and opportunities available to Memphis Law students at our Student Org. Fair.

Congrats to Memphis Law alum and newly elected Mayor of Weakley County, TN, Dale Hutcherson (JD '18) on his recent swearing-in! We profiled Mayor Hutcherson way back in Issue #6 of our law school magazine in a piece focused on law students who were formally college athletes at their undergraduate institutions. Check out the news of his Mayoral victory and swearing in below and go back in our ML archives to read more about his time here. https://www.dresdenenterprise.com/stories/dale-hutcherson-sworn-in-as-weakley-county-mayor-dresden-board-declares-alderman-seat-vacancy,26805

Welcome back, law students! Happy first day of a new semester!

And that’s a wrap on 1L orientation week! Thanks to the Memphis Law Alumni Chapter and for sponsoring our 1L Welcome Reception last night and to our great peer mentors and faculty and staff that helped welcome these fabulous new law students to their new home!

As the new semester kicks off, we have several new faculty and staff members joining us this Fall! A big Memphis Law welcome to these new members of our law school family.

Danielle Copes joins Memphis Law as an Assistant Professor of Law, teaching Contracts I & II and Corporate Law this Fall semester.

Jeffrey Miller joins our faculty this Fall as an Assistant Professor of Law. He will serve as Director of a Disability Rights Law Clinic.

Maria Fuhrmann has joined the law school staff as an Administrative Associate I for the Office of the Dean.

Sterling Owens has joined the law school as a Staff Attorney for our Neighborhood Preservation Clinic. She is a 2015 Memphis Law graduate and comes back to the law school after nearly a decade of private practice focused primarily on civil litigation, real estate, and tax matters.

It’s always wonderful to have our elected officials make a visit to the law school. Thank you to TN Speaker of the House Rep. Cameron Sexton for stopping by today. And a warm welcome back to Memphis Law to his Chief of Staff, Kevin Johnson (‘16)!

Our 1L Orientation kicks off today! Welcome to the Class of 2027! And thank you to TN Supreme Court Chief Justice (and alumna) Holly Kirby for administering the swearing in of our new students into the legal profession!

Thanks to the support of our Law School Alumni Chapter, 3L Crystal Golden attended the American Bar Association John H. Pickering Luncheon during the ABA's annual meeting in Chicago, where she met & supported our alumna Pauline Weaver, this year's John H. Pickering Award of Achievement recipient.

It's hard to take a bad photo of some of our awesome alums. But we've been lucky to have some incredible photographers capture some great pics for us here at Memphis Law over the years. Shoutout , Trey Clark, , .

Memphis Law alum Ross Smith (JD '15) was recently appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to serve on the State of TN Board of Appeals, which hears employment appeals for state employees. This accomplishment is in addition to his day-to-day career in the Nashville office of Bass Berry & Sims PLC, where he serves as a Senior Public Policy Attorney and advises clients before the TN General Assembly and the various branches, departments, agencies and commissions of state government.

Our University of Memphis Law Review is seeking article proposals, speakers, and panel participants for a symposium on issues related to the legitimacy of the courts and the public’s perception of the judiciary. The symposium, titled "The Ripple Effect: Understanding the Impact of Controversial Court Decisions on the Public’s Confidence in the Judiciary," will be held at the law school on Friday, February 21, 2025.

They will accept abstracts until September 30, 2024.

Find more info on topics and deadlines at

Law Review Call for Papers Law Review Call for Papers

As the Olympics opening ceremonies kick off tonight, let's not forget Memphis Law's own Gold Medal-winning Olympian, Julia Stowers (Dilworth)! A 2011 grad, she won a Gold medal at the Olympic Games in 2000 in Sydney, Australia, in the 4x200 meter freestyle relay.

Bankruptcy Seminar registration is now open! See you on August 9th. https://www.memphisbar.org/?pg=events&evAction=showDetail&eid=287070&evSubAction=viewMonth&calmonth=202408

Rev. Dorothy Sanders Wells graduated from Memphis Law in 1985 and practiced law in Memphis for 18 years. Last weekend she became the first woman and first Black person to serve as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. She's a great example of the wide range of careers our amazing alumni find themselves in throughout the country. Read more below.

Mississippi's new Episcopal bishop has Memphis ties The Rev. Dorothy Sanders Wells, former rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Germantown, is a graduate of Rhodes College. She earned a law degree from the University of Memphis and practiced law for 18 years before attending Memphis Theological Seminary.

We're proud to work alongside the Memphis Bar Association on this great pipeline program for high school students interested in the law!

We're in the news! Read about SLIP here in an article from the Daily Memphian. https://www.memphisbar.org/docDownload/2428538

The summer may be a bit slower for some, but not for Professor Daniel Kiel. He's been busy helping with our various pipeline programs (partnering w/ Bar Association for SLIP), as well as w/the Mock Trial Academy at Rhodes College, and with the Tennessee Bar Association Diversity Leadership Institute. Here's his recap of the summer so far:

"While I love teaching and the privilege of working with my students at The University of Memphis—Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (including a delightful group for my summer Voting Rights & Election Law course that just finished), another terrific part of my job is the opportunity to get outside the law school and work with others at various points along life paths. This summer, I’ve had a few such opportunities…

Participants in the Memphis Bar Association annual Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP) spent some time at the law school and enjoyed (I hope!) a sample law school course where they tried to figure out who rightfully owns a lost watch. SLIP students come from high schools throughout Memphis and spend time in a wide variety of legal placements, including law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies. It is an integral part of the broader pipelining to introduce young people who might not otherwise have a foot in the legal community to a potential future in law. The students were a blast to work with, though we couldn’t quite figure out who owned the watch.

I got to work with another group of high school students at Rhodes College , which hosts an annual Mock Trial Academy (led by Anna Eldridge) for high school students from across the country, providing a week long residential immersion in law and mock trial. I had the honor of welcoming the group to Memphis with an introduction to judicial decision making. I got them up and moving as the students played the judges (see the pics!) and had to decide how much constitutional scrutiny to give to some difficult 1st Amendment problems – they were incredibly engaged and thoughtful.

Finally, I spent time with some students at the other end of their academic careers, law students from throughout the state who have spent the year participating in the Tennessee Bar Association 2023-24 Diversity Leadership Institute. These students have spent the year building connections and developing leadership skills in workshops as they enter our profession. They completed the Institute and graduated at the TBA convention, where I had the chance to chat with them about the ramifications of the 2023 Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action in higher education. This was a particular treat because some of the participants were my own students, but also because the Institute’s organizers (Brande Boyd and Rodrequez Cortez Watson, Esq.) are beloved alums. It is always wonderful to see my former students out there doing amazing work!

Check out this week's "President's Perspective," with Dean Strickland as he sits down with UofM President Hardgrave to chat a bit about becoming Dean of Memphis Law.

The President's Perspective — Vol. 59 To see a transcript of this edition of the President's Perspective, click "Watch on YouTube" and refer to the video description.

It's not everyday that there is a street named in honor of one of our alums. Congratulations to one of our most accomplished graduates, retired Sixth Circuit Judge Bernice Donald, on having a portion of Front Street just steps from the law school renamed in her honor.

Downtown street to be renamed after trailblazing judge At a reception celebrating her honor, retired judge Bernice Donald pointed out the significance of the street sign that will hang within what was once known as 'Cotton Row.'

Renaissance man (noun): a person who has wide interests and is expert in several areas. That sums up Memphis Law's most recent student profile participant, Tarik J. Terry, pretty well. Read more about Tarik and his accomplishments, as well as what drives him to succeed no matter the position or occasion, in the newest issue of ML. https://issuu.com/univofmemphis/docs/printready-issuu-2324-law-375_ml_magazine-v4/26

The law school proudly hosted this year's Strategic Code Enforcement Management Academy (SCEMA), with 11 cities from around the country sending teams to Memphis to learn from national and local experts. At this year's Academy, SCEMA recognized City of Memphis Public Works Director Robert Knecht as a Strategic Code Enforcement Champion. Professor Danny Schaffzin and Dean Jim Strickland presented Director Knecht with a plaque bearing the inscription: " For his unwavering commitment to fostering healthier and safer neighborhoods in Memphis through innovative, data-driven coordination and collaboration among Code Enforcement partners." Thank you for all your dedication, work, and partnership, Director Knecht!

Most Memphians know and love Shelby Farms as one of the greatest urban parks in the country. Amazingly well-preserved natural areas, serene landscapes and sweeping vistas in the middle of an urban city have welcomed Shelby County residents for years. But did you know that the county almost sold it to private and industrial developers 50 years ago? And that it was all saved because of the work of a young Memphis Law student named John Vergos, with the help of Memphis legal legend Lucius Burch? Read the full story behind this impressive feat of grassroots environmental activism in the latest issue of ML - Memphis Law Magazine https://issuu.com/univofmemphis/docs/printready-issuu-2324-law-375_ml_magazine-v4/32

It's finally here! The 16th issue of ML - Memphis Law Magazine. In this issue you'll find an alumni spotlight feature on the royal family of BBQ, The Vergos Family (John, Ellen, and Anna), owners of the world-famous Rendezvous, who also happen to be Memphis Law alums (with Ellen being a legal legend unto herself). We also give readers an in-depth look at how Shelby Farms, one of the world's greatest urban parks, was saved from private development by John Vergos himself while he was a law student here. There's also a feature story on recently outgoing Dean Kate Schaffzin and the story of how she came into being the first woman to serve as Dean of Memphis Law and the successful achievements she oversaw during her deanship. We also shine the spotlight on one of our amazing students in Tarik Terry (class of 2024) and learn more about this "law school renaissance man." And we welcome our newest Dean, Jim Strickland, as he begins his time as the 10th Dean of Memphis Law. As always, you can also find some great alumni updates, law school news items, and faculty scholarship updates and profiles as well! Read the full issue online at https://www.memphis.edu/law/about/ml-magazine.php

“Pouncer holds court at Memphis Law.” “The Justice of the Jungle.” “The first graduate from our new Sports Law program.” There are too many possible captions to choose from. But we definitely want to thank the judges from across TN that joined us last week for a Judicial Reception after the TBA convention. And a special thank you to Judge Valerie Smith for putting together the event and helping the law school welcome these judges as our guests!

At its annual convention last week, the Tennessee Bar Association awarded Memphis Law alum Miles Mason the prestigious Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing. The award was established 40 years ago and is given each year to the lawyer who writes the most outstanding article published in the TN Bar Journal for the preceding year.

He was recognized for his article “You Are the Father!: Untangling Custody Rights in Tennessee Between Unmarried Parents,” which appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of the Journal.

Mason himself is the founder of the Miles Mason Law Group PLC and a certified public accountant. He is past chair of the TBA's Family Law Section and a past member of the Tennessee Bar Journal Editorial Board. He is a member of the American, Tennessee and Memphis Bar Associations’ Family Law Sections, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Tennessee Society of CPAs.

Memphis Lawyer to Receive TBA’s Highest Legal Writing Honor - TBA Law Blog The Member Center is your gateway to the wealth of benefits and services that come with the TBA Complete Membership. Log in to make sure you have full access to all of the services and benefits available to members. Not a member yet, join now! And if you have any questions, feel free to contact TBA....

Judge Jennifer Fitzgerald & Judicial Commissioner Serena Gray will be presenting "Clarifying the Bond Process" at the of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at Wade Auditorium on June 24th from 6-7pm. Happy Hour to follow at Bardog Tavern . Sponsored by the YLD, TN Black Prosecutors Association, Eric Mogy Law Firm, Campbell Law Firm and Wells & Associates, PLLC.

Congratulations to recent Memphis Law grad, Kristin Mae Talens, on being named a 2024 Justice Fellow by the Immigrant Justice Corps . She will be working in Dallas, TX with the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, Inc.

No one can make property rights and graves more interesting and entertaining than our very own Professor Ralph Brashier, as he showcases in his recent article in the Iowa Law Review. Read more about naked trespassers, death, adverse possession, and cemeteries in his work "Property Rights and Graves," by visiting https://ilr.law.uiowa.edu/volume-108-issue-3-0/2023/03/property-rights-and-graves

This afternoon, the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Jackson, Tenn. will officially be named as the James D. Todd United States Courthouse after Memphis Law alumni Judge James Todd ('72). The renaming and dedication effort was spearheaded by another Memphis Law alum, U.S. Congressman David Kustoff, who said of Judge Todd, “For 36 years, Judge James Todd has displayed his faithfulness and commitment to the federal bench, to the legal profession and to the Constitution. Naming the courthouse for him is a truly fitting tribute to such a respected jurist.”