Student Handbook - Cumberland School of Law - Samford University

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Academic Programs
Registration by Point Bidding
The Cumberland School of Law uses a bidding system to assist students in obtaining a priority schedule. Students have
30 points to distribute among the courses they request. The points allow students to weight a course as to the degree of
desirability and to influence the order in which it is scheduled relative to other students requesting the same course. For
example, students in each class year requesting a course with a weight of 15 points will be scheduled before those who
place a weight of less than 15 points on the same course.
Students are encouraged to select alternate courses. No points are bid on alternate courses. For each priority
course that is not available at the number of points bid, an alternate course will be added to a student schedule, starting
with the first choice to the extent that 1) space is available in the alternate course; 2) the alternate course does not
conflict with the priority courses for which a student is registered; 3) the alternate is not another section of a course for
which a student is already registered; and 4) adding the alternate course does not put the student's total credit hours
above the maximum.
Seminars and Advanced Courses
Seminars provide students the opportunity for close study and research under the supervision of a faculty member.
Enrollment is limited in these courses. Students may produce a paper to satisfy the Writing Requirement through
enrollment in a seminar. Seminars are offered each year on a broad spectrum of topics.
Advanced courses create opportunities for sequential learning, complex problem solving and improvement of
writing skills in particular areas.
Skills Training
To provide students with the practical skills necessary to practice law, Cumberland offers four opportunities for training:
1) courses, 2) externships, 3) intramural and national mock-trial competition and 4) volunteer placements. Externships
are coordinated by the Cumberland Center for Advocacy and Clinical Education, located in Robinson Hall Suite 201.
Intramural and national mock trial competitions are coordinated by the Cumberland Trial Advocacy Board and the
Cumberland Moot Court Board. Public interest volunteer placements are coordinated by the director of the
Cumberland Public Interest Project. The school encourages students to experience aspects of law practice by
participating in one or all of these opportunities.
Writing Courses: The strong writing skills that are so crucial to lawyering are taught and practiced through the required
courses, Lawyering and Legal Reasoning I and II. The Writing Requirement enhances the student's researching and
writing skills. Courses that meet the writing requirement are designated with the letter “R” on the course section of the
semester class schedule.
Trial Advocacy Courses: Cumberland’s
Trial Advocacy Program is recognized as
one of the best in the nation. The core
course is Basic Skills in Trial Advocacy, in
which students learn the skills for all
aspects of a trial including opening
statements, direct and cross-examination,
evidentiary motions, and closing
arguments. Students practice in model
courtrooms with all performances
recorded for review. Advanced Skills in
Trial Advocacy provides twelve students
each semester with the opportunity to
hone their skills further with twice weekly
simulations in the state of the art Murfee
Courtroom. In this course students learn
to use all of the latest technology,
acquiring a skill that even many
experienced litigators have not mastered.