Kyle Smith

This year, I had the honor of working alongside my friend and colleague,  Alexis Shaw , to plan and lead the  Vanderbilt Black Law Students Association ’s Black History Month programming.  This year’s programming was especially meaningful as we commemorated the 70th anniversary of the desegregation of  Vanderbilt University Law School . Throughout our month-long celebration in February, it was deeply moving to hear from trailblazers like Judge Waverly Crenshaw (VLS ‘81) and Mr.  Al Dotson,...

As the fall semester comes to a close, I’m grateful for the chance to reflect on my first several months serving as President of the  Vanderbilt Black Law Students Association . I officially began this role in May and since that time I have been proud to continue building upon BLSA’s legacy of academic excellence, professional development, leadership, and service in the community.  I am also deeply grateful to the entire BLSA Executive Board for their steadfast commitment to this organization...

This summer I had the opportunity to work as a legal intern for the Justice Program at the  Brennan Center for Justice , where I met some incredible lawyers, law students, researchers, and policy advocates dedicated to reforming our nation’s democracy and system of justice. Working with  Ames Grawert , I spent the first half of the summer developing legal arguments to challenge the Trump administration’s decision to withhold millions of dollars in federal funding from states and...