Sherley Cruz (CAS’99, LAW’03) Named the First Latina Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law
Professor Sherley Cruz (CAS’99, LAW’03) has joined the Legal Clinic faculty at University of Tennessee College of Law, where she will lead students in the Advocacy Clinic.
Cruz is a past practitioner-in-residence with American University’s Washington College of Law’s Civil Advocacy Clinic where she supervised law students on economic justice cases such as wage theft, debt claims, and related housing matters.
She also served as the director of litigation and education and as a clinical fellow at Suffolk University Law School. There she supervised law students handling housing discrimination cases and conducted community legal education regarding fair housing duties and responsibilities. Her scholarship explores the intersections of access to justice, low-wage workers’ rights, and cross-cultural competency.
Prior to her academic career, Cruz practiced employment law as a staff attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services. She earned her JD from Boston University School of Law and was born in the Dominican Republic. She is the College of Law’s first Latino faculty hire.