ACS · NSL Student Chapter / Founding Class · Spring 2026
Nov 12 Calendar About Founding Contact Join →
Next event  —  Co-sponsored with LUCHA

First-generation
judges panel,
November 12.

Four judges, four paths to the bench. LUCHA — Latines United for Change, Hope and Advocacy, NSL’s Hispanic and Latine law student association — and our chapter are hosting a conversation with four first-generation judges about what came before the title “Judge” — how they got there, what stood in their way, and what they learned.

It runs one hour in Room 400. Everyone at NSL is welcome — students, faculty, staff, and alumni. No registration needed, and refreshments will be provided.

Panel begins in
  • --Days
  • --Hours
  • --Minutes
  • --Seconds
We’re underway — Room 400, Nashville School of Law.
The panel  —  Four judges, four paths
Judge Dawn Deaner
Hon. Dawn Deaner
Davidson County
Criminal Court
Judge Bernice Bouie Donald
Hon. Bernice Bouie Donald
U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Sixth Circuit (Former)
Judge Jeffrey Usman
Hon. Jeffrey Usman
Tennessee
Court of Appeals
Judge Stephanie J. Williams
Hon. Stephanie J. Williams
Davidson County
Fourth Circuit Court
Nashville School of Law Student Chapter of the American Constitution Society
Student Chapter American Constitution
Society
№ 01 Nashville School of Law · Student Chapter

Law as
a force
for justice.

A founding chapter at NSL. We're building a community of students who believe the Constitution is "of the people, by the people, and for the people" — and who interpret the document based on its text and against the backdrop of history and lived experience.

Express Interest →
§ 03  —  About the Society

What is
the American
Constitution
Society?

Founded in 2001, ACS is a national 501(c)(3) educational organization with nearly 250 student and lawyer chapters across the country. Members include law students, practitioners, judges, and academics who believe the Constitution should be interpreted in light of its text and against the backdrop of history and lived experience — and who work to ensure the law improves people's lives.

01 / Pillar
Equality
& access
Ensuring the law serves everyone, not just the powerful.
02 / Pillar
Democracy
& rule of law
Defending democratic institutions and constitutional norms.
03 / Pillar
Career
& network
Connecting students with judges, lawyers, and advocates nationwide.
04 / Pillar
Human
dignity
Centering the rights and liberties of every individual in our legal system.
§ 04  —  Founding Status

Building NSL's
first ACS chapter,
from the ground up.

The chapter held its inaugural meeting in August and opened its speaker series on September 17 with ACS President Phil Brest and ACS Nashville’s Grace Stranch, with panels and networking across the Middle Tennessee legal community to follow.

Our chapter needs its next board. The Executive Board and all four class representative seats are filled, but every member of the Executive Board graduates in May 2027. If you’d like to help lead the chapter next year, the form below has a question for that.

President
Bryan Shannon
Vice President
Trevor Hilton
Secretary / Historian
Danielle Aucoin
Treasurer
Van Bryant
Membership & Comms
Lizzy
Throckmorton
Faculty Advisor
Hon. Matthew
Sweeney (Ret.)
§ 05  —  Calendar

A few nights
a semester,
each one worth it.

We deliberately keep it to a small number of meetings a semester so each one is worth your evening. Meetings are in Room 400. Dates and start times follow our speakers’ schedules, so check the date and time below.

Monday
August 24
Inaugural meetingThe chapter opened its founding year.
Complete
Thursday
September 17
Grace Stranch & Phil BrestOur first speaker event. ACS’s national president and a Nashville public-interest lawyer.
Complete
Wednesday
September 30
Supreme Court at a CrossroadsAn ACS Nashville panel with the Brennan Center at Sherrard Roe.
Complete
Thursday
November 12
First-Generation Judges PanelWith LUCHA. Judges Deaner, Donald, Usman, and Williams · 5:30–6:30 p.m. · Room 400. Details above.
Next
Thursday
February 18
Spring meeting, 20275:15 p.m. · Room 400. Programming to be announced.
To be announced
Thursday
April 15
Spring meeting, 20275:15 p.m. · Room 400. Programming to be announced.
To be announced

Chapter meeting dates are reserved on the NSL calendar; speakers and topics will be announced here and by email as they’re confirmed.

§ 06  —  Reach the Board

Ask us
anything.

Everything routes through the chapter inbox — it’s checked by the board, and it stays with the chapter as officers graduate. You don’t need to know who handles what, but if you’d rather aim your question, the list is here.

Email the chapter
nashvilleschooloflaw.acs@gmail.com
Instagram
@nashvilleschooloflaw.acs
In person
Room 400 · Nashville School of Law
Who handles what
Bryan ShannonPresident
Chapter direction, ACS National, and anything that doesn’t obviously belong to someone else.
Trevor HiltonVice President
Speakers, programming, and event logistics.
Danielle AucoinSecretary / Historian
Minutes, chapter records, and the archive of what we’ve done.
Van BryantTreasurer
Chapter finances and budget.
Lizzy ThrockmortonMembership & Communications
Joining, the mailing list, and social media.
Hon. Matthew Sweeney (Ret.)Faculty Advisor
Faculty sponsor of the chapter under NSL Policy 2025-02.

Express
your interest.

Add your name and we'll be in touch about chapter events. You can also just come to a chapter meeting and sign up at the door. There is no cost to join the local chapter. National ACS membership is separate and optional — $25 for students, good through December of your graduation year, and required for ACS’s career and clerkship resources (acslaw.org/join).

Leadership
interest.

Our Executive Board and all four class representative seats are filled for this year. Every Executive Board member graduates in May 2027, so the chapter will need a new board for 2027–28. Check any roles you'd be open to exploring — no commitment required at this stage.

Your information will only be used to organize chapter activities and keep you informed about our launch. We will not share your data with third parties.

Confirmation · Received

You're on
the list.

Thank you for your interest in the ACS NSL Student Chapter. We’ll be in touch about chapter events. Next up is the First-Generation Judges Panel with LUCHA on Thursday, November 12, 5:30–6:30 p.m. in Room 400 — open to everyone, no registration needed.