Faculty Profile: Waverly Crenshaw Jr

Judge Crenshaw is a native Nashvillian. President Barack Obama nominated him as a Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, and he took his seat on April 15, 2016. On April 15, 2017, he became Chief Judge of the Middle District of Tennessee.
Judge Crenshaw received his B.A. and J.D. degrees from Vanderbilt University. After receiving his J.D. he served as a law clerk for the Chancellors of the Chancery Court of Davidson County, Tennessee. He followed that to serve as a law clerk for United States District Judge John T. Nixon, before being appointed Assistant Attorney General for the State of Tennessee, where he prosecuted consumer protection, charitable solicitation and antitrust cases. He then entered private practice, representing workers and unions in civil litigation. In 1990 he joined Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, where he focused his practice on trial and appellate litigation practice, defense of complex, multi-plaintiff and class action cases, commercial litigation and governmental regulatory matters. He was Waller's first African-American attorney and partner. He serves on the board of the Nashville School of Law and Community Foundation of Tennessee, Inc.
For fun and relaxation, Judge Crenshaw heads to the American West, South America and various exotic locations to perfect his fly fishing techniques.