Bench & Bar May/June 2026

COLUMNS

(From left to right): Phyllis Florman, Mike Davis, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, Marcia Roth, Dean Melanie B. Jacobs, President Gerry Bradley and Jarrod Carnahan

UofL Brandeis School of Law establishes new Mary Byron Center and Endowed Chair By Holly Hinson

A local tragedy is inspiring a legacy of hope for survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault as the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law establishes the Mary Byron Center and Endowed Chair in Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). The effort stems from the nationally renowned nonprofit Mary Byron Project. “This initiative establishes UofL as a national leader in educating students about intimate partner violence,” said President Gerry Bradley. “Our hope is that the project helps curb abuse and violence in our community and across the nation.” Dean and Professor of Law Melanie B. Jacobs said the new Mary Byron Endowed Chair “will not only lead IPV law and policy education but also engage in unprecedented transdisciplinary collaboration to provide opportunities for UofL students to help The 1993 murder of 21-year-old Louisville resident Mary Byron by her estranged ex boyfriend, who was unknowingly released from jail, led to the creation of VINE — Victim Information and Notification Everyday. First used in Louisville, VINE from Equifax is a national automated notification service that provides crime victims and survivors with near real-time, anonymous alerts regarding changes to an offender’s custody status. VINE is available in more than 45 states and, according to Equifax, delivered nearly 21.5 million notifications in 2025. Since 2000, the Mary Byron Project has worked to foster innovations and programs that prevent intimate partner violence through public advocacy, funding those impacted by IPV and, just as importantly, learn how to prevent it.”

The project’s board selected the Brandeis School of Law to continue this work through the Mary Byron Endowed Chair. “This chair will advance legal education and policy related to intimate partner violence and help integrate IPV-focused learning throughout the law school and university curriculum to better prepare professionals to understand and ultimately prevent IPV,” said Mary Byron Project Founding Executive Director and Board Chair Marcia Roth. “There is no more fitting partner than the Brandeis School of Law at UofL to carry forward this legacy as we work to break the cycle of intimate partner violence for generations to come,” said Mike Davis, developer of VINE in collaboration with Yung Nguyen. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the work will impact residents throughout the city. “The top priority of my administration is public safety – ensuring residents are safe and feel safe in their neighborhoods and homes,” he said. “I applaud the Mary Byron Project, Equifax and many others for supporting this center and endowed position at UofL. It will help end domestic violence not just in Louisville but across the country while continuing the powerful legacy of the Byron family.” “Mary Byron’s story inspired a new era of safety and support for victims of crime, starting with the notifications provided by VINE,” said Equifax Senior Vice President and General Manager of Public Safety Jarrod Carnahan. “We are proud to support the Brandeis School of Law and the Mary Byron Endowed Chair to help empower a new generation of leaders to identify warning signs and intervene before intimate partner violence leads to tragedy.”

Building upon the existing Robert and Sue Ellen Ackerson Law Clinic, created in 2009 to represent clients affected by IPV in Jefferson County, the new Mary Byron Center’s collaborative partners will include: College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Science, School of Dentistry, School of Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry and UofL Health – UofL Hospital. The center will grow into an interdisciplinary entity designed to make systemic changes, provide wrap-around services for clients and teach service providers their role in combatting IPV. By teaching about its breadth and impact across academia, students will learn how to disrupt pathways that have historically triggered IPV. The Mary Byron Center will also facilitate an annual conference bringing together aspiring and practicing legal professionals from across the globe. The conference will help other universities learn about UofL’s approach to teaching and addressing IPV so they, too, can integrate IPV studies into their curriculum. “My daughter Mary’s name lives on,” said Pat Byron. “The important work begun by the Mary Byron Project will continue, helping train the next generation of advocates – lawyers and lay people alike. With each of these important steps we get closer to making ‘no more’ a reality.”

groundbreaking IPV initiatives and serving as a national thought leader.