Brandeis Law Professor Shelley Santry named Member of the Year by Women Lawyers Association

Brandeis Law Professor Shelley Santry has been named the Member of the Year by the Women Lawyers Association of Jefferson County.

She will be honored at the association's annual meeting on Nov. 16, 2017.

Santry has directed the Robert and Sue Ellen Ackerson Law Clinic since 2009. Under her leadership, third-year law students have represented more than 1,500 low-income survivors of domestic violence in protective order hearings, divorces, custody cases and other matters that help them return to work and maintain stable and safe housing.

In 2017, Santry established a mediation clinic for the law school. Jefferson Family Court judges began referring cases to the mediation clinic in August 2017. Law students who have completed a 40-hour family and divorce mediation training act as mediators under Santry’s supervision.

Before joining UofL, Santry spent nine years with Legal Aid representing low-income citizens in civil matters involving family, housing and consumer law along with government benefits. She ultimately became the associate director of the entire office, managing 75 employees including attorneys, paralegals and legal secretaries and shared responsibility for annual fund raising and grant writing.

After leaving Legal Aid, Santry became an assistant county attorney for eight years, prosecuting domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse cases in Jefferson District Court.