List of Vanderbilt University Law School alumni

Following is a list of notable alumni from the Vanderbilt University Law School.

Academia

• Robert L. King (J.D.), former chancellor of the State University of New York
• K.C. Potter (J.D. 1964), academic administrator and LGBT rights activist
• Bill Purcell (J.D. 1979), former director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government
• Maritza Sáenz Ryan (J.D. 1988), head of the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy and United States Army colonel
• Samuel Cole Williams (LL.B 1884), first dean of the Lamar School of Law (also known as Emory University School of Law), Chancellor of First Chancery Division of Tennessee, Tennessee Supreme Court

Attorneys

Attorneys General

• Bruce Bennett (J.D. 1949), 38th Arkansas attorney general
• Steve Freudenthal (J.D. 1975), 28th attorney general of Wyoming
• Edwin Hunt, Assistant Attorney General and U.S. checkers champion (1934)^[1][2]
• William Bradford Reynolds (LL.B 1967), Assistant Attorney General in charge of the US Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division

Government

• Lawrence Barcella (J.D. 1970), criminal defense lawyer, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, lead counsel for the House October Surprise Task Force
• Donald Q. Cochran (J.D. 1992), United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee^[3]
• Zachary T. Fardon (J.D. 1992), United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and U.S. Attorney in Chicago^[4]
• Bill Gibbons (J.D.), Memphis district attorney
• David J. Jordan (J.D. 1979), United States Attorney for the District of Utah
• Charles M. La Follette (J.D.), deputy chief of counsel for the post-World War II Nuremberg Trials (1947)

John Randolph Neal Jr.

• Michelle M. Pettit (J.D. 2001), Assistant United States Attorney from California, National Security and Cybercrimes Section^[5]

Private practice

• Lucius E. Burch Jr. (J.D. 1936), attorney, best known for his contributions to conservation and civil rights, and attorney for Martin Luther King Jr.^[6][7]
• Bobby Lee Cook, defense attorney, inspiration for the television series Matlock main character Ben Matlock, which starred Andy Griffith as a Georgia attorney.^[8][9]
• Margie Pitts Hames (J.D. 1961), civil rights lawyer who argued the abortion rights case Doe v. Bolton before the U.S. Supreme Court^[10]
• John Jay Hooker (J.D. 1957), lawyer, entrepreneur, political gadfly, special assistant to Robert F. Kennedy^[11]
• Robert J. Kabel (J.D. 1972), attorney and lobbyist involved in developing the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (1999) and the Dodd-Frank Act (2010)^[12]
• James F. Neal (J.D. 1957), trial lawyer, Watergate prosecutor who prosecuted Jimmy Hoffa and top officials of the Nixon Administration, special investigator of the Abscam and Iran-contra scandals
• John Randolph Neal Jr. (LL.B 1896), attorney, best known for his role as chief counsel during the 1925 Scopes trial
• Neil Papiano (LL.B 1961), lawyer, and managing partner of Iverson, Yoakum, Papiano & Hatch
• Jack Thompson (J.D. 1976), disbarred attorney and activist against obscenity and violence in media and entertainment
• Horace Henry White (LL.B 1887), lawyer, authored legal volumes White's Notarial Guide and White's Analytical Index.^[13]

Business

• James M. Anderson (J.D. 1966), former president and CEO of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center^[14]
• Paul S. Atkins (J.D. 1983), CEO of Patomak Global Partners LLC^[15]
• Thomas W. Beasley (J.D. 1973), co-founder of CoreCivic^[16]
• James W. Bradford (J.D. 1974), former CEO of AFG Industries^[17]
• Mark Dalton (J.D. 1975), attorney, CEO of the Tudor Investment Corporation
• Mark L. Feidler (J.D. 1981), chairman of Equifax
• Mitch Glazier (J.D. 1991), chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America^[18]
• Robert Selph Henry (LL.B 1910), vice president of the Association of American Railroads (1934–1958)
• Justin Ishbia (J.D. 2004), businessman and founding partner of Shore Capital Partners^[19]
• Jackson W. Moore (J.D. 1973), former executive chairman of Union Planters Bank and Regions Financial Corporation
• Mike McWherter (J.D. 1981), chairman of the board of First State Bank
• Bill Steltemeier (J.D.), founding president of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)^[20]
• Tom Tait (J.D. 1985), CEO of Tait & Associates, Inc. and Tait Environmental Services, Inc.
• Darrin Williams (J.D. 1993), former politician, CEO of Southern Bancorp Inc.^[21]
• Nathaniel Sizemore (J.D. 2011), author, attorney, and entrepreneur

Entertainment

• Eric L. Harry (J.D. 1984), author best known for his novels Arc Light and Invasion
• Merle Hazard (J.D. 1993), satirist known as the 'Weird Al' of Wall Street"^[22]
• Steven Machat (J.D. 1977), entertainment mogul
• Clay Travis (J.D. 2004), American sports journalist, writer, television analyst, and the morning radio show host for nationwide Fox Sports Radio

Bill Corr

J. Christopher Giancarlo

Government

• Bill Corr (J.D.), chief of staff for the Secretary of Health and Human Services and deputy secretary of the HHS
• James Danly (J.D. 2013), commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission^[23]
• Phyllis Fong (J.D. 1978), Inspector General of the United States Department of Agriculture^[24]
• Vince Foster, former Deputy White House Chief of Staff
• J. Christopher Giancarlo (J.D. 1984), former Chairman of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
• Dorsey B. Hardeman (LL.B), former executive director and commissioner of the Texas Water Commission
• E. William Henry (J.D. 1957), Federal Communications Commission Chairman (1963–1966)
• Robert L. King (J.D. 1971), Assistant Secretary of Education, serving as head of the Office of Postsecondary Education^[25]
• Howard Liebengood (J.D. 1967), 27th Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate
• Paul C. Ney Jr. (JD, MBA 1984), General Counsel of the Department of Defense of the United States^[26]
• Steve Owens (J.D. 1981), chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board^[27]
• Stephen D. Potts (LL.B 1954), 4th Director of the United States Office of Government Ethics^[28]
• Ronald J. Rychlak (J.D. 1983), adviser of the Holy See to the United Nations, delegate of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court
• Michael Shaheen (J.D. 1965), 1st director of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility
• Hans von Spakovsky (J.D. 1984), Federal Election Commission commissioner
• Yoo Myung-hee (J.D. 2002), minister for trade of South Korea^[29]

Judicial

Gilbert S. Merritt Jr.

Jane Branstetter Stranch

• Tamara W. Ashford (J.D. 1994), Article I judge of the United States Tax Court
• Jennings Bailey (LL.B 1890), judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• Jeffrey S. Bivins (J.D. 1986), chief justice of the Supreme Court of Tennessee
• Claria Horn Boom (J.D. 1994), United States district judge of the United States District Court for Eastern and Western Kentucky
• John P. Bourcier (J.D. 1953), former Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court
• Cornelia Clark (J.D. 1979), Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court
• Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. (J.D. 1981), Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Martha Craig Daughtrey (J.D. 1968), senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• Mary Dimke (J.D. 2002), United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
• Frank Drowota (B.A. 1960, J.D. 1965), former Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court
• Eric Eisnaugle (J.D. 2003), judge of the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal
• Oscar Richard Hundley (LL.B 1877), judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
• William Joseph Haynes Jr. (J.D. 1973), former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Thomas Aquinas Higgins (LL.B 1957), United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• John W. Holland (LL.B 1906), former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• Jeremy Kernodle (J.D. 2001), United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• William C. Koch Jr. (J.D. 1972), former justice of the Supreme Court of Tennessee
• W. H. Kornegay (LL.B 1890), Oklahoma Supreme Court justice (1931–1932), delegate to Oklahoma Constitutional Convention
• James C. Mahan (J.D. 1973), senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
• Gilbert S. Merritt Jr. (LL.B 1960), lawyer and jurist, senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• Jon Phipps McCalla (J.D. 1974), senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
• Leon Clarence McCord (Law, 1900), senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• Travis Randall McDonough (J.D. 1997), United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• Benjamin K. Miller (J.D. 1961), former chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court
• Brian Stacy Miller (J.D. 1995), Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
• John Musmanno (J.D. 1966), senior judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court
• John Trice Nixon (LL.B 1960), senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Tom Parker (J.D.), chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court
• Tommy Parker (J.D. 1989), United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
• Marlin T. Phelps (J.D.), former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona
• Thomas W. Phillips (J.D. 1969), senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• Jonathan Pittman (J.D. 1990), associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
• Sam C. Pointer Jr. (A.B. 1955),United States district judge for Northern Alabama, noted figure in complex multidistrict class-action litigation
• Kevin H. Sharp (J.D. 1993), United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Sarah Hicks Stewart (J.D. 1992), associate justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama
• Jane Branstetter Stranch (J.D. 1978), United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• Aleta Arthur Trauger (M.A. 1972), United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Thomas A. Varlan (J.D. 1981), Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• Roger Vinson (J.D. 1971), senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, former member of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.^[30]
• Samuel Cole Williams (LL.B 1884), Tennessee Supreme Court, first dean of the Lamar School of Law (also known as Emory University School of Law), and Chancellor of First Chancery Division of Tennessee
• Billy Roy Wilson (J.D. 1965), senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
• Thomas A. Wiseman Jr. (J.D. 1954), senior judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Staci Michelle Yandle (J.D. 1987), United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
• Harry W. Wellford (LL.B 1950), senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• Walton J. Wood, associate justice of the California Second District Court of Appeal, Division Two and the first public defender in United States history

Military

• Henry L. Brandon (J.D.), United States naval aviator, Corsair Fighter-Bomber Squadron VBF-82
• Maritza Sáenz Ryan (J.D. 1988), United States Army colonel, first female and Hispanic head of the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy
• Gordon O. Tanner (J.D. 1973), General Counsel of the Air Force

John Nance Garner

Politics

U.S. vice presidents

• John Nance Garner (Law, 1886), 32nd vice president of the United States and 39th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
• Al Gore, (Law, 1974–1976), 45th vice president of the United States, United States Senator, United States representative, and 2000 Democratic Party presidential nominee.^[31]

Greg Abbott

Governors

• Greg Abbott (J.D. 1984), 48th governor of Texas
• Theodore Bilbo (Law, 1900), 39th and 43rd governor of Mississippi (1916–1920; 1928–1932)
• Frank G. Clement (LL.B 1942), 41st governor of Tennessee (1963–1967)
• Lee Cruce (Law, 1885), 2nd governor of Oklahoma (1911–1915)
• Jeff Davis (Law, 1882), 20th governor of Arkansas (1901–1907)^[32]
• Joseph W. Folk (LL.B 1890), 31st governor of Missouri (1905–1909)
• Hill McAlister (LL.B 1897), 34th governor of Tennessee (1933–1937)^[33]
• Malcolm R. Patterson (Law, 1882), 30th governor of Tennessee (1907–1911)

Fred Thompson

Duncan U. Fletcher

U.S. Senators

• Theodore Bilbo (Law, 1900), United States senator from Mississippi (1935–1947)
• Jeff Davis (LL.B 1881), United States senator from Arkansas (1907–1913)^[32]
• Duncan U. Fletcher (LL.B 1880), United States senator from Florida (1909–1936)
• Bill Hagerty (B.A. 1981, J.D. 1984) – United States senator from Tennessee (2021– )
• Jim Sasser (LL.B 1961), United States senator from Tennessee (1977–1995)
• William V. Sullivan (LL.B 1875), United States senator from Mississippi (1898–1901)
• Fred Dalton Thompson (J.D. 1967), United States senator from Tennessee (1994–2003)

Jo Byrns

U.S. House of Representatives

• William Vollie Alexander, Jr. (J.D. 1960), United States representative from Arkansas (1969–1993)
• John L. Burnett (Law 1876), United States representative from Alabama (1899–1919)
• Jo Byrns (LL.B 1882), 41st Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
• Joseph W. Byrns Jr. (J.D. 1928), United States representative from Tennessee (1938–1941)
• William Wirt Hastings (J.D. 1889), United States representative from Oklahoma (1915–1921)
• Henderson M. Jacoway (J.D. 1898), United States representative from Arkansas (1911–1923)
• Joseph T. Johnson (LL.B 1883), United States representative from South Carolina (1901–1915)
• Ric Keller (J.D. 1992), United States representative from Florida (2001–2009)
• Charles M. La Follette (J.D.), United States representative from Indiana (1943–1947)
• Leonard Lance (J.D. 1977), United States representative from New Jersey (2009– )
• Fritz G. Lanham (Law, 1897–98), United States representative from Texas (1919–1947)
• Oscar Lovette (J.D. 1896), United States representative from Tennessee (1931–1933)
• Luke Messer (J.D. 1994), United States representative from Indiana (2013– )
• Malcolm R. Patterson (Law, 1882), United States representative from Tennessee (1901–1906)
• Ben Quayle (J.D. 2002), United States representative from Arizona (2011–2013)
• Frazier Reams (J.D. 1922), United States representative from Ohio (1951–1955)
• Charles C. Reid (J.D. 1887), United States representative from Arkansas (1901–1911)
• John Rose (J.D. 1993), United States representative from Tennessee (2019– )
• Joseph E. Washington (LL.B 1874), United States representative from Tennessee (1887–1897)

Ambassadors and diplomats

• Alvin P. Adams Jr. (J.D.), former United States ambassador to Peru, Haiti, and Djibouti
• Thomas C. Ferguson (J.D. 1959), 2nd United States ambassador to Brunei
• William Hagerty (J.D. 1984), 30th United States ambassador to Japan
• Gautam A. Rana (J.D. 1997), 10th United States Ambassador to Slovakia
• Jim Sasser (J.D. 1961), 44th United States ambassador to China

State

• George Street Boone (J.D. 1941), member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
• Lance Cargill (J.D. 1996), speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
• Riley Darnell (J.D. 1965), Tennessee secretary of state
• Neria Douglass (J.D. 1977), 50th Maine State Treasurer
• Douglas Henry (J.D. 1951), member of the Tennessee Senate representing the 21st district, activist
• Roy Herron (J.D. 1980), former chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party
• John Jay Hooker (J.D. 1957), former candidate for governor of Tennessee
• William Harding Mayes (LL.B 1881), lieutenant governor of Texas
• J. Washington Moore (LL.B 1891), Tennessee state representative^[34]
• Howard T. Owens Jr. (J.D. 1959), former member of the Connecticut Senate
• E. Melvin Porter (J.D. 1959), member of the Oklahoma Senate, civil rights leader
• Edward T. Seay (LL.B 1891), speaker of the Tennessee Senate
• David H. Simmons (J.D. 1977), president pro tempore of the Florida Senate
• Jody Wagner (J.D. 1980), 12th Virginia Secretary of Finance
• Justin P. Wilson (J.D. 1970), lawyer, Tennessee state comptroller of the treasury

Local officials

• Thomas L. Cummings Sr. (J.D. 1915), 61st Mayor of Nashville
• J. Kane Ditto (J.D. 1969), 45th mayor of Jackson, Mississippi
• Bill Purcell (J.D. 1979), 67th mayor of Nashville
• Sam Sutter (J.D. 1983), 43rd mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts

Other

• Pauline LaFon Gore (LL.B. 1936), mother of former United States vice president Al Gore, political campaigner