A local tragedy is still inspiring a legacy of hope for survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault as the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law establishes the Mary Byron Center and Endowed Chair in Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). The effort stems from the nationally renowned nonprofit Mary Byron Project.
“This initiative establishes UofL as a national leader in educating its students about intimate partner violence,” said President Gerry Bradley. “Our hope is that the project helps to curb instances of abuse and violence in our community and across the nation.”
Dean and Professor of Law Melanie B. Jacobs said the new Mary Byron Endowed Chair “will not only lead IPV law and policy education but also engage in unprecedented transdisciplinary collaboration to provide opportunities for UofL students to help those impacted by IPV and, just as importantly, to learn how to prevent IPV.”
The 1993 murder of 21-year-old Louisville resident Mary Byron by her estranged ex-boyfriend who was unknowingly released from jail led to the creation of VINE — Victim Information and Notification Everyday. First used in Louisville, VINE from Equifax is a national automated notification service that provides crime victims, survivors and other concerned citizens with near real-time, anonymous alerts regarding changes to an offender’s custody status. VINE is available in more than 45 states, and according to Equifax, delivered nearly 21.5 million notifications in 2025.
The Mary Byron Project’s mission since 2000 is to foster innovations and programs to prevent intimate partner violence. It accomplishes this through public advocacy, funding groundbreaking IPV initiatives throughout the United States and becoming a national thought leader.
The project’s board wanted to preserve and institutionalize this legacy and selected the Brandeis School of Law to extend the work through the Mary Byron Endowed Chair.
“This chair will advance legal education and policy related to intimate partner violence and help integrate IPV-focused learning throughout the law school and university curriculum to train professionals to better understand and ultimately prevent, IPV,” said Mary Byron Project Founding Executive Director and Board Chair Marcia Roth.
“There is no more fitting partner than the Brandeis School of Law at UofL to carry forward this legacy of thought leadership as we work to break the cycle of intimate partner violence for generations to come,” said Mike Davis, developer of VINE in collaboration with Yung Nguyen.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said this work will impact residents throughout the city.
“The top priority of my administration is public safety – ensuring that all our residents are safe and feel safe in their neighborhoods. We know that all too often, this begins with making sure people are safe in their own homes. I applaud the Mary Byron Project, Equifax and many others for supporting this center and endowed position at UofL. It will help end domestic violence not just here in Louisville but across the country, and it will continue the powerful legacy of the Byron family,” he said.
“Mary Byron’s story inspired a new era of safety and support for victims of crime, starting with the notifications provided by VINE,” said Equifax Senior Vice President and General Manager of Public Safety, Jarrod Carnahan. “We are proud to support the Brandeis School of Law and the Mary Byron Endowed Chair to extend our mission beyond notification technology and help empower a new generation of leaders to identify early warning signs and intervene before intimate partner violence leads to tragedy.”
Building upon the existing Robert and Sue Ellen Ackerson Law Clinic, which was created in 2009 and represents clients who have suffered from IPV in Jefferson County, the new Mary Byron Center’s collaborative partners will include:
- College of Business
- College of Education and Human Development
- Department of Classical and Modern Languages
- Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Science
- School of Dentistry
- School of Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry
- UofL Health—UofL Hospital
The center will grow into an interdisciplinary entity designed to make systemic changes, provide wrap-around services for clients and teach those providing services their role in combatting IPV, a learned behavior passed on from generation to generation. By teaching about its breadth and impact in all areas of academia, students will learn how to disrupt the pathways that have historically triggered IPV.
The Mary Byron Center will also facilitate an annual conference designed to bring together aspiring and practicing law professionals from across the globe. This conference will provide opportunities for other universities to learn about UofL’s unique approach to teaching and addressing IPV so that they, too, can integrate IPV studies into their core curriculum.
“My daughter Mary’s name lives on,” said Pat Byron. “The important work begun by the Mary Byron Project will continue, helping train the next generation of advocates – lawyers and lay people, alike. With each of these important steps we get closer to making ‘no more’ a reality.”
