Professor Blackburn received his Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt Law School and his LL.M. from Harvard Law School. While practicing law as a partner in a local law firm, Professor Blackburn lectured at the School of Law from 1971 to 1976. in 1976 he joined the faculty as an Associate Professor, became Professor of Law in 1979 and served as Associate Dean in 1990, 1991 and 1994.

Professor Blackburn is admitted to practice before the Federal and Kentucky bars and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Kentucky and Tennessee. He is a member of the American, Kentucky and Louisville Bar Associations, the Kentucky Society of CPAs and belongs to various subcommittees dealing with tax and business law issues.

Professor Blackburn focuses his research and writing on tax and corporate law topics.