Bio
Lucas Cameron-Vaughn leads the ACLU of Tennessee's legal program as interim legal director. He came to this work not as a lawyer who discovered social justice, but as a community member who became a lawyer to serve. His approach centers the understanding that impact litigation is one tool among many — powerful when wielded in coordination with organizing, advocacy, and community power, but never a substitute for the leadership of those most affected by injustice.
That philosophy defined U.S. v. Skrmetti, where Lucas was lead attorney from the ACLU of Tennessee representing the private plaintiffs in a landmark Supreme Court challenge against Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Lucas and the team developed a legal strategy that kept the families' voices at the center through years of litigation, from district court to the nation's highest court. The case has been analyzed in over 40 law review articles and covered by over 50 major media outlets.
Lucas's current docket reflects the same community-centered approach: protecting constitutional rights, challenging laws that criminalize marginalized communities, and fighting government retaliation. Beyond the courtroom, he connects legal strategy to community power through town halls, legal clinics, and community debriefs so affected Tennesseans are partners in advocacy. He previously served as a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Tennessee, held supervisory roles in Tennessee courts, and completed fellowships focused on the intersection of health law and juvenile justice.