LUCHA – Latines United for Change, Hope, and Advocacy is the Latine Student Organization at Nashville School of Law. We are a community of students committed to supporting one another, building bridges across law school, and advancing justice through advocacy, education, and service.

Our mission is simple: to come together in learning, leadership, and service. We create spaces where Hispanic, Latine, and ally students can connect, grow as leaders, and make an impact within our school and beyond. 

All students are welcome, membership and events are open to everyone who shares our values.

LUCHA is partnering with the Choosing Justice Initiative (CJI) to host an informational session for Nashville School of Law students interested in contributing to high-impact criminal justice reform through legal research and advocacy.

This meeting will introduce CJI’s Youth Life Sentencing Representation Research Project, which supports individuals sentenced to life or life-equivalent terms for offenses committed as juveniles. The session will examine the 2022 Tennessee Supreme Court decision holding mandatory life sentences for youth unconstitutional, situating the ruling within evolving Eighth Amendment jurisprudence and Tennessee sentencing law.

Students will learn how legal research directly informs parole eligibility, resentencing arguments, and individualized mitigation advocacy, and how they can meaningfully assist CJI attorneys by conducting doctrinal research, record review, and policy analysis in preparation for parole hearings and post-conviction proceedings. Participation provides an opportunity to apply classroom doctrine to real cases while earning volunteer hours and gaining exposure to justice-centered legal practice.

The session will be led by Erica Duggan of the Choosing Justice Initiative and will be held at the Nashville School of Law on January 22, 2026, at 5:30 PM, immediately prior to evening classes. All students are welcome.