After graduating from Vanderbilt University School of Law, Luther Wright, Jr. began his career with a general practice firm in the litigation section. He spent the first several years of his legal career practicing in the general litigation area before joining the Labor & Employment team. He has significant experience in the areas of labor and employment law, corporate business litigation and complex litigation, including class action and collective action lawsuits. He typically represents management in all forms of employment discrimination litigation, including litigation based on federal anti-discrimination statutes, state statutes and common law, violence in the workplace, Fair Labor Standards Act claims and independent contractor disputes.
Luther is a member of Ogletree’s Diversity & Inclusion Practice Group and routinely provides timely client advice and guidance on diversity related matters. Luther devotes a significant amount of his practice to day-to-day client advice, general supervisor/employee training, training and advising on diversity and inclusion issues and advising on workplace violence issues. Luther also acts as the Assistant Director of Client Training as part of the Ogletree Deakins Learning Solutions (“ODLS”) team and co-chair of ODBAR, Ogletree’s Business Resource Group for Black attorneys. ODLS provides employee and supervisor training in a variety of formats, including in-person training, training by webinar/webcasts and customized video training products.
Experience:
Luther has experience representing banks, national gaming companies, automotive companies, government contractors, hospitals, restaurants, retail establishments, closely held businesses and entertainment companies in employment and business litigation. He has represented clients in litigation based on federal and state anti-discrimination laws, state tort litigation, personal injury matters involving commercial vehicles, claims under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, class action and multi-plaintiff litigation. He has practiced before Tennessee trial courts throughout the State of Tennessee, Federal District Courts in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth and Eleventh Circuits.
A highly evaluated public speaker, Luther has spoken before numerous industry groups, professional associations and clients across the country on topics ranging from implementation of employee discipline to respect in the workplace. His 1995 Law Review Article, Who’s Black, Who’s White and Who Cares: Reconceptualizing the United States’ Definition of Race and Racial Classifications, 48 Vand. L. R.513 (1995) has been excerpted in more than 10 books and has been consistently cited in scholarly publications and textbooks since its publication.
Admitted to Practice:
Tennessee
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth and Eleventh Circuits
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas