Lucian E. Dervan

Lucian E. Dervan is a Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Justice Studies at Belmont University College of Law. He focuses on domestic and international criminal law and is the recipient of numerous awards for his teaching and scholarship. These include the Belmont University Scholar of the Year Award in 2024 and the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section’s Charles R. English - Sonnett Award in 2025 for his work in the field of criminal justice. He also serves as the Founding Director of the Plea Bargaining Institute, the global intellectual home for academics, policymakers, advocacy organizations, and practitioners working in the plea bargaining space to share knowledge and collaborate.

Professor Dervan is the author of five books and dozens of book chapters and articles. He is also the founder and author of The Plea Bargaining Blog and a contributing editor to the White Collar Crime Prof Blog (a member of the Law Professor Blogs Network). He also regularly lectures regarding criminal law and has appeared before the United States House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee on two occasions and testified before the Federal Senate of Brazil regarding pending plea bargaining legislation. 

In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Professor Dervan currently serves as the founder and Chair of the ABA CJS’s Global White Collar Crime Institute, the co-founder and co-chair of the ABA CJS’s Frankfurt International White Collar Crime Conference, and is a member of the American Bar Foundation. He has previously served on the ABA Board of Governors and as Chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section and ABA Commission on the American Jury. 

Prior to joining the academy, Professor Dervan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Phyllis A. Kravitch of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He also practiced law with King & Spalding LLP and Ford & Harrison LLP. At King & Spalding LLP, Professor Dervan was a member of the Special Matters and Government Investigations team. The Special Matters team was established by former United States Attorney General Griffin B. Bell in 1989 to represent corporations and individuals in complex federal and state criminal investigations, internal investigations, and Congressional investigations, as well as in related civil and regulatory proceedings.

Professor Dervan received his Juris Doctorate with High Honors from Emory University School of Law, where he was an Emory Scholar, served as an Articles Editor for the Emory Law Journal, and was elected a member of the Order of the Coif.  He received his Bachelor of Arts with Honors from Davidson College.