Shavonnie Carthens

Assistant Professor of Law

Professor Shavonnie Carthens will teach Health Care Law, Public Health Law and Equity and Civil Procedure for UK Rosenberg College of Law. Her scholarly interests examine issues of environmental justice and health equity, with a focus on the ways in which the law can be a tool for improving access to healthy living environments. She also researches and writes at the intersection of legal literacy, race, and the First Amendment.

Carthens has consistently served others in her local and professional communities. She is an active member of the Legal Writing Institute, where she sits on the organization’s Pro Bono and Community Outreach Committee, as well as on the board for The Second Draft, a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to sharing ideas related to teaching legal research and writing. She also serves on the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, Parenthood & Child Caregiver Study Advisory Council. 

Her commitment to environmental health justice is seen in her work as a partner of the Environmental Health Literacy Coalition. The Coalition’s “Air Justice” project analyzes the impact of air pollution on the environment, with the aim of creating resources that make the information around environmental justice more accessible for public audiences. Carthens is also a member of Kentucky Resources Council’s Environmental Health and Justice Working Group and has contributed to discussions around environmental law, environmental justice and health equity by being a regular speaker for universities and community organizations.

Carthens joins the faculty at UK Rosenberg College of Law after holding the position of Assistant Professor at the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law where she specialized in legal research and writing, served as the faculty advisory for the Latinx Law Student Association, and served on various committees. She also held the positions of Law Success Instructor at St. Mary’s University School of Law and Academic and Bar Support Skills Instructor at Elon University School of Law. 

Before pursuing a career in academia, Carthens worked in private practice in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Carthens earned her Juris Doctor, with honors, from North Carolina Central University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.