Vanderbilt Law School receives $10 million to fund research on women’s rights and public policy

Dec 11

*Vanderbilt law professor Jennifer Bennett Shinall has been appointed as the inaugural holder of the new Sara J. Finley Chair in Women, Law and Policy. (Photo from Vanderbilt)*

Vanderbilt University recently received a $10 million donation from Vanderbilt alumna Sara Finley to “advance Vanderbilt Law School’s leadership in the study of how law, regulation and policy impact equality, equity and opportunity for women,” according to an announcement last week.

“This is an extraordinary gift that will advance our understanding of the ways in which law and policy shape our experiences in leadership, in the workplace and across so many other spheres,” Provost C. Cybele Raver said in a public statement. “Sara is such a remarkable, pathbreaking corporate leader and Vanderbilt Law School alumna. I am so very grateful to her for her vision, generosity and support of our school.”

According to a university news release, the donation went toward establishing a chair for a new program geared toward research, education and advocacy relating to equal rights, equal opportunity and nondiscrimination. The announcement said the new investment will also contribute to Vanderbilt’s Dare to Grow campaign fundraising efforts, which work to support the Law School through scholarships, faculty support and facility upgrades.

“Sara has long been a leading adviser and supporter of the Law School, and we are grateful that our faculty and students will have additional opportunities to both study and impact our legal system through her visionary gift,” Chris Guthrie, dean of Vanderbilt Law School, said in a public statement.

As a result of the donation, Vanderbilt law professor Jennifer Bennett Shinall has been appointed as the inaugural holder of the new Sara J. Finley Chair in Women, Law and Policy. The announcement said her research focuses on discrimination relating to gender and disabilities. She also won a 2022 Chancellor’s Award for Research in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for her research on laws protecting women in the workplace, among other accolades.

“I am thrilled that Professor Shinall will hold the Sara J. Finley Chair,” Dean Guthrie said. “She is a wonderful scholar, teacher and leader in the field.”

Shinall was the first graduate of the Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics at Vanderbilt University, earning her J.D. and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt. Before returning to Vanderbilt in 2013, Shinall was a clerk for Judge John Tinder of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. She also earned an A.B. in history and economics magna cum laude at Harvard University and was named to Phi Beta Kappa.

“Just down the street from our law school, women first earned the right to vote when Tennessee became the final state to ratify the 19th Amendment,” Finley said in a public statement. “Now, over 100 years later, the roles and rights of women continue to dominate headlines and policy, as women continue to navigate a complex legal framework impacting their lives at work, at home and in society.

“Vanderbilt University will be an outstanding steward for this important work, and I am proud to know that future generations of lawyers, both women and men, will benefit from the teaching and programming offered through this new Women, Law and Policy initiative. The program aspect of this initiative has the potential to be innovative and transformative, and I hope my gift will inspire others to support the programming so that we can expedite its development and impact.”