{ "id": "ep7xvgv24y", "slug": "waverly-d-crenshaw-jr", "title": "Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr.", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "label": "Surnames C", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames C", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "label": "Surnames C", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr., born 1956 in Nashville, is a United States district judge for the Middle District of Tennessee, appointed by Barack Obama in 2016.", "snippet": "Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr., born 1956 in Nashville, is a United States district judge for the Middle District of Tennessee, appointed by Barack Obama in 2016.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "markdown": "# Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr.\n\nWaverly David Crenshaw, Jr. (born 1956) is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee since 2016.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) He was appointed by President Barack Obama and served as chief judge of the court from 2017 to 2024.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n| --- | --- |\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) |\n| Appointed by | Barack Obama[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) |\n| Confirmed | April 11, 2016 (Senate vote: 92 to 0)[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) |\n| Born | 1956, Nashville, Tennessee[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) |\n| Education | B.A., Vanderbilt University, 1978; J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School, 1981[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nCrenshaw was born in 1956 in [Nashville, Tennessee](https://www.edgepedia.org/nashville-tennessee).[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) He is a native Nashvillian.[2](https://cle.tba.org/faculty/profile/8641) He received his B.A. from [Vanderbilt University](https://www.edgepedia.org/vanderbilt-university) in 1978 and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1981.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846)\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter receiving his law degree, Crenshaw served from 1981 to 1982 as a law clerk to Chancellors C. Allen High, Robert S. Brandt, and Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr. of the Davidson County, Tennessee Chancery Court.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) He then clerked for Judge John T. Nixon of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee from 1982 to 1984.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846)\n\nFrom 1984 to 1987, Crenshaw served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Tennessee, where he prosecuted consumer protection, charitable solicitation, and antitrust cases.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) • [2](https://cle.tba.org/faculty/profile/8641) He then entered private practice in Nashville, representing workers and unions in civil litigation.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) • [2](https://cle.tba.org/faculty/profile/8641) In 1990 he joined the firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, where his practice focused on trial and appellate litigation, defense of complex, multi-plaintiff, and class action cases, commercial litigation, and governmental regulatory matters.[2](https://cle.tba.org/faculty/profile/8641) He was the firm's first African-American attorney and partner.[2](https://cle.tba.org/faculty/profile/8641) He remained in private practice until 2016.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident [Barack Obama](https://www.edgepedia.org/barack-obama) nominated Crenshaw to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on February 4, 2015.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) The Senate confirmed him on April 11, 2016, by a vote of 92 to 0.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) • [3](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1140383) He received his commission on April 12, 2016, and took his seat on April 15, 2016.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) • [2](https://cle.tba.org/faculty/profile/8641)\n\nCrenshaw served as chief judge of the Middle District of Tennessee from 2017 to 2024.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846) He became chief judge on April 15, 2017.[2](https://cle.tba.org/faculty/profile/8641)\n\n## Professional and community activities\n\nCrenshaw serves on the boards of the Nashville School of Law and the Community Foundation of Tennessee, Inc.[2](https://cle.tba.org/faculty/profile/8641)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Federal Judicial Center Biographical Directory: Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr.](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394846)\n2. [Waverly Crenshaw Jr. Faculty Profile, Tennessee Bar Association](https://cle.tba.org/faculty/profile/8641)\n3. [Senate Roll Call Vote RS1140383](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1140383)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames C*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/waverly-d-crenshaw-jr", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/waverly-d-crenshaw-jr.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr.\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/waverly-d-crenshaw-jr. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/waverly-d-crenshaw-jr)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/waverly-d-crenshaw-jr](https://www.edgepedia.org/waverly-d-crenshaw-jr). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr.\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/waverly-d-crenshaw-jr. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr., born 1956 in Nashville, is a United States district judge for the Middle District of Tennessee, appointed by Barack Obama in 2016." }