Fall 2008 - Cumberland School of Law - Samford University

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“If you network with a small circle of
friends, you are limited,” she said.“If you
have a bigger approach to life, then you
expand your options. Men are not foolish.
They welcome people who will help their
business.The key, as always, is to do good
work.”
The Right Fit
As a student in the School
of Architecture at Texas
A&M, Jennifer Sims ’01
applied a heavy analytical
approach to her assignments—researching
the
psychological effects of
colors and shapes, and investigating new
engineering technologies in addition to
studying design. On one of her trips to the
library, she became immersed in a book
entitled Construction Law. Suddenly, her
interest in architecture began to cross
disciplinary lines.
“I didn’t know there was a branch of
architecture that allowed me to pursue my
research interests to the fullest,” she said.
She interviewed construction lawyers to
learn what they do, and by the time she
graduated, her career had turned toward
law school.
Sims, who was recently named acting
assistant dean for admission, came to
Cumberland School of Law because she
liked the small, close-knit community with
a low student-teacher ratio and an openness
that reduced the cutthroat competitiveness
that is characteristic of some law schools.
“Cumberland really impressed me. It
had to, or I would not have relocated so far
from home,” she said.“One thing that especially
impressed me was seeing how many
women were in leadership positions, not
just students but faculty and administrators.”
When Sims talks to prospective
students, she tells them to go to a school
where they will thrive.“Finding the right
law school to attend is a very subjective
process,” she said.“I tell them to think
about the things that made them successful
in college and to look for those same
factors in a law school.”
She also tells them to talk to lawyers and
judges, and to go to the courthouse, to understand
the profession. She believes that pursuing
leadership roles, especially outside the
undergraduate environment, can help students
increase their perspectives.“It will help you
build confidence in your ability to inspire and
motivate, and it will teach you something
about character and accountability, which are
keys to the practice of law,” she said.
Sims sees a clear expectation in the
current generation of lawyers over quality
of life issues.
“To be a lawyer, you have to work
long hours and pay your dues over a
number of years,” she said.“But young
lawyers are looking for the opportunity to
both work and raise their children and
enjoy a certain quality of life.Younger
women—and men—want to practice in an
area that will give them the most freedom
to enjoy their lives.”
From Old Broads to Omega
Betas
Sandra Storm, Belle Stoddard, Anne
Mitchell, Martha Jane Patton and
Carolyn Duncan—all members of the
Class of 1978—thought “Old Broads” was a
funny name for their group.“It’s not as
funny today,” said Stoddard with a smile. But
the name stuck, and the women celebrated
as Old Broads reliving their law school days
when they gathered regularly to study and
to share babysitting responsibilities.
They entered Cumberland School of
Law in 1975.While Stoddard found some
remnants of chauvinism, she said the law
school nurtured close associations she
established as a student, and also had an
administration that welcomed women.
“While some professors would assign the
hard cases in class to women, or ask women
to discuss sexually explicit cases, there
wasn’t overt discrimination,” she said.
“When I saw the schedule, I went to Dean
Corley to ask if I could possibly move my
Civil Procedure class to another section to
avoid child care in the afternoon. He said,
‘Of course.’”
Today, the Old Broads call themselves
the Omega Betas.They all have extensive
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civil involvement, and each has found a
professional niche.After a career in private
practice and then as staff attorney for
Justices Shores and Woodall of the Alabama
Supreme Court, Stoddard remains a central
figure at the law school. She serves as an
assistant professor and director of the
Lawyering and Legal Reasoning course that
guides all first-year students through a
rigorous writing and research program.
Duncan is a securities lawyer with
Cabaniss Johnston in Birmingham.A shareholder
in the Birmingham office of Baker
Donelson, Mitchell has a distinguished
career in estates and trust planning. Patton
was honored recently for her leadership as
executive director of the Birmingham Legal
Aid Society. Storm retired in 2005 as the
presiding judge of the Jefferson County
(Ala.) Family Court, which garnered
national acclaim for its juvenile justice
programs under her leadership.
Recently, the group has been galvanized
by Duncan’s other professional endeavor.A
member of the Davis Quartet—advertised as
four women, eight hands and two pianos—
Duncan has played many Birmingham
concert venues.With the Omega Betas in
the audience as groupies, the Davis Quartet
will play at Carnegie Hall in September.
By whatever name, the friendship of
the ’78 group is strong.Though their
babysitting days are gone, they still reminisce
and celebrate their personal and professional
achievements together.“During one of our
retreats, we talked about life since law
school,” Stoddard said.“We all agreed that
going to law school was one thing we have
no regrets about.”