Summer 2009 - Cumberland School of Law - Samford University

From the Dean
On the first day of orientation for the
entering class, we begin talking about
the core values of our profession. One
of the most important of those core values
is service to others.This magazine features
some of our students and alumni who
embody that core value.
Cumberland School of Law offers a
significant number of public service opportunities
for students, and interest in those
opportunities is at an all-time high.
Whether it is researching legal issues for
residents in a local homeless shelter,
lobbying for criminal justice reform or
hosting an Easter Egg Hunt for children
from community organizations, our
students consistently demonstrate their
understanding that lawyers have an
obligation to serve by doing pro bono
and public interest work.
One of our most successful
service programs is the Summer
Public Interest Stipend Program.
This program provides funds for
students who volunteer to do
public interest or public service
work during the summer.
Funds for this program are
provided by a foundation and
generous gifts from alumni.
Participation in the program
this summer is at a record
high. Sixty-one law
students are volunteering their time to
serve their communities. On page 16, you
will find a feature on four students who
participated in this program in the summer
of 2008.
The message that we send students
about the importance of service is
constantly reinforced by the many alumni
who lead lives dedicated to the service of
others.We are honored daily by our
graduates who are employed in public
service or public interest positions, or those
in private practice who still find the time
to balance an active practice with significant
civic engagement. Stories about a
selection of alumni who exemplify public
service in their work appear in the feature
“A Commitment to Serve,” which begins
on page 4.
I hope you enjoy this issue of The
Cumberland Lawyer. The stories in this
edition give us many reasons to celebrate
our law school and to make us proud that
we are Cumberland School of Law
graduates.
John L. Carroll
Dean and Ethel P. Malugen Professor of Law