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CUMBERLAND.SAMFORD.EDU
ADMISSION
Where good people become exceptional lawyers.
Established in 1847 and accredited by the ABA since 1949.

Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law
J.D. Program
Where Good People Become Exceptional Lawyers
Accreditation:
Accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the juris
doctorate degree. Cumberland School of Law has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1949 and
has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1952. Because all these certification requirements
are met, a Cumberland School of Law graduate is eligible to take the bar examination in any state.
“There are three components you need to be a
successful lawyer:
You need to have the ability to think critically,
You need the ability to write, and
You need the ability to persuade.
These three core concepts are the focus of the legal
training at Cumberland School of Law.”
Dean John L. Carroll ’74
Law Admission Office • Cumberland School of Law • Samford University
800 Lakeshore Drive • Birmingham, Alabama 35229
1-800-888-7213 • 205-726-2057 fax
lawadm@samford.edu
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Table of Contents
Welcome………….……………………………………………....6
Mission Statement
From the Dean
A Legacy of Achievement……………………...……………….8
The Cumberland School of Law Approach…….………….…12
Curriculum Requirements…………...………………………...14
Facilities………………………………………………………...15
Reaching Your Goals…………...………………………………16
Corporate Law
Trial Advocacy
Public Interest
Health Law and Environmental Law
Centers………………………………………………………….23
Additional Study…………..……………………………………24
International Programs
Joint-Degrees
Faculty………………………………………………….……….26
Core Values………….………………………………………….29
Resources That Help You Succeed.…………………………..30
Career Development
Hands-on Learning
Advocacy Competitions
Student Organizations
Alumni
Diversity………………………………………………………...38
Samford University…………………….……………………….44
Birmingham……………………………………………………48
City Resources
Admission and Financial Aid………………………………….52
Admission
Financial Aid
Scholarship
Flex-time
Tuition and Fees
Academic Calendar
“Law school is challenging, but
it is comforting to know that
you have a host of people in
your corner, pulling for you to
succeed.”
SeTara O. Foster
University of Texas—Dallas
graduate, third-year law student
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update
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Welcome to Cumberland School of Law
OUR MISSION at Cumberland School of Law is to educate a diverse
group of people in a nurturing environment to become highly competent
and ethical lawyers who possess knowledge of practical skills and are
committed to professionalism and service. Our ambition is to empower
every graduate to make a significant impact in the world, becoming an
exemplary ambassador of the legal community.
“Cumberland feels like home. I am surrounded by
classmates and professors who create a challenging and
supportive learning environment. I have grown academically
and developed life-long friendships. Cumberland is
more than an educational institution; it is a family of
dedicated students and professionals who prides
themselves on their devotion to the practice of law
and on their service to the community.”
Katie Garrety
Vanderbilt University graduate,
third-year law student
FROM THE DEAN
O
ver 30 years ago, when I was
admitted to Cumberland School
of Law, I decided to attend. It
was one of the best decisions I
ever made. The education I received at
the law school led to a career as a
practicing lawyer, a law professor and a
federal judge. It has now led me back to
the law school as the dean.
Cumberland School of Law has much to
offer you. We have an exceptional
faculty who are not only scholars but
great classroom teachers. We have
superior educational programs beginning
with our innovative, first-year Lawyering
and Legal Reasoning course. We have a
nationally recognized advocacy program
that gives students the opportunity to
participate in intramural and national
mock trial and moot court competitions,
as well as competitions in negotiation,
mediation and arbitration.
The real story of the law school,
however, is the heart of the people who
teach and learn here. All law schools
provide a legal education. Cumberland
School of Law provides that education in
a supportive environment. Here, there is
a commitment to making sure that each
student is valued and that each student
succeeds. At Cumberland School of Law,
there is a true sense of community and
sharing that permeates all aspects of
student life. We really care about one
Judge John L. Carroll ’74
another. As you make your decision
about where to attend law school, I invite
you to come visit, attend some classes
and talk to our students. A campus visit
is the best way to fully understand the
benefits of a Cumberland School of Law
education. The admission staff stands
ready to facilitate your visit or to assist
you in any way that they can.
Dean and Ethel P. Malugen Professor of Law
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Play Video
7

A Legacy of Achievement
As founder of the law school, Judge Caruthers was an
innovator in legal education. In a time when legal study
was conducted by apprenticeship or through lectures,
Cumberland School of Law pioneered an instructional
method based on intensive trial practice.
1847
The law school is established, making it
one of the oldest in the country, originally
located in Lebanon, Tennessee.
Caruthers Hall, the law school’s building
when it was in Lebanon, Tennessee.
Photo by Derrek G. Smith
“The law will be studied practically
. . . as studied I mean as to prepare
the student for practice.”
Judge Abraham Caruthers, 1847
1893
Howell Jackson, Class
of 1856, is appointed
to the Unites States
Supreme Court by
President Harrison.
1865
During the Civil War, the law
school’s buildings were burned
to the ground; through sheer
determination, the school
continued its programs.
Two graduates from the
Class of 1930
1937
Rascal is awarded the
doctor of canine
jurisprudence.
1909
Horace Lurton, Class of
1867, is appointed to the
Unites States Supreme
Court by President Taft.
1949
The law school
receives accreditation
by the
American Bar
Association.
1945
Cordell Hull, Class of 1891, receives the
Nobel Prize for Peace. He becomes
known as the “Father of the United
Nations” and is the longest-serving
secretary of state for 12 years. A portrait
of Hull hangs in the law school in the
school’s largest courtroom, The Cordell
Hull Moot Courtroom.
The Student
Lawyer, an early
law school
student
publication
Professor Howard P. Walthall holds a photo of Nathan Green Jr., the first dean of the law
school, exciting first-year law students about the rich history of Cumberland School of Law.
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Photo by Derrek G. Smith
Photo by Derrek G. Smith
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1952
The law school
becomes a member of
the Association of
American Law Schools.
Construction of Memory Leake Robinson
Hall, former law school dean Arthur A.
Weeks (right)
1961
The law school moves to
the campus of Howard
College, now Samford
University, in Birmingham,
Alabama.
A graduate of the law school shows off
his degree from the early years.
1981
The law school graduates
Florida’s 44th governor,
Charlie Crist.
1981
1984
The law school
becomes
National
Champions of
the National
Trial
Competition.
The law school
begins the
modern era of
being one of
the most, decorated
law schools at national and
regional collegiate competitions . . .
laying the foundation for what is
widely acclaimed as one of the
nation’s finest programs in trial
advocacy.
1996
Former President
Gerald Ford dedicates
the Lucille Stewart
Beeson Law Library.
1987
2000
2008
The law school becomes
National Champions of the
American Association of
Justice Trial Competition.
The 2008 National Championship American
Association of Justice Trial Competition Trial Team are, from the
left, Lisha Li ’09, debate coach Mike Rasmussen ’75, Julie
McMakin ’08, Dillon Barker ’08 and Anna (Smith) Scully ’09.
2009
The law school places second at the National Championship of
the American Association of Justice.
National Jurist Magazine (September 2009) recognizes Cumberland
School of Law as a “Best Value Law
School.”
U.S. News & World Report Best Law
School issue names Cumberland School
of Law “Top 10 Trial Advocacy.”
Class photographs from 1921 and 2008.
Be part of the ongoing history at Cumberland School of Law in a future law class.
Where is your
place in Cumberland
School
of Law’s future?
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update
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Photo by Derrek G. Smith
2011
U.S. News & World Report Best Law School issue names
Cumberland School of Law “Top 5 Trial Advocacy.”
1st, ABA Student Tax Challenge.
2nd, National Top Gun Mock Trial competition.
The law school had a total of 12 top ten placements at law
school competitions during the 2010-11 academic year.
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2012 and
beyond

The Cumberland School of Law Approach
The Importance of Strong Academics
Building Strong & Practical Legal Skills
C
umberland School of Law is one of the smallest
American Bar Association accredited law
schools in the nation by design. The entire firstyear
class consists of roughly 155 law students
split among three sections.
Our curriculum trains students to practice in all areas of
law, including corporate law, trial advocacy, public
interest law, health law and environmental law.
Three components combine to create the law school’s
successful academic environment:
The collegial, scholarly interaction between faculty and
students.
Lawyering and Legal Reasoning (LLR), the
comprehensive, cutting-edge writing course that gives
each first-year student hands-on experience in skills that
range from the initial client interview through the preparation
and presentation of an appellate brief.
Location—Cumberland School of Law is situated on
Samford University’s campus near downtown
Birmingham, Alabama, one of the legal hubs of the
Southeast.
Did You Know
In 2011, the U.S. News & World Report listed Cumberland School of Law as
a “Top Five Trial Advocacy Program.”
In the 2010—11 academic year, the law school had 12 top ten placements at
law school competitions; includes 1 st , ABA Student Tax Challenge and 2 nd ,
the National Top Gun Mock Trial competition.
Cumberland School of Law can offer some of the smallest first-year law
classes in the nation.
The law school awarded nearly $3 million in scholarship assistance in
2010―11.
There are 8 joint-degree programs, including a J.D./M.B.A. that can be
completed in three years in most cases.
Cumberland School of Law takes an innovative practical approach to
teaching the legal profession with courses such as Lawyering and Legal
Reasoning (LLR) and advanced skills classes.
The law school’s LLR course trains students to research, write and most
importantly THINK LIKE A LAWYER. LLR provides hands-on legal
experience in basic skills, building the foundational skills all law students
and lawyers need from day one to succeed.
The law school’s LLR and advocacy programs give law students the
practical skills they need for both summer employment and as fresh
graduates. This allows students the ability to take on more responsibilities
and prepares them for what will be expected of them at the beginning of
their careers.
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Expected number of students in
a first-year class.
130
Total number of undergraduate
colleges and universities the
student body represented in fall
2011.
13
3
The smallest class size for
spring 2011.

Curriculum Requirements Facilities: The Importance of Technology
1
FIRST YEAR: LAWYERING AND
LEGAL REASONING (LLR)
Interviewing clients
Writing legal memoranda
Negotiating a settlement with opposing
counsel
Drafting a settlement agreement
Drafting a complaint or answer
Conducting discovery, drafting
interrogatories and answers
Drafting a motion for summary judgment with
accompanying brief and presenting argument
on the motion to a trial court judge
Writing an appellate brief and presenting oral
argument to the appellate panel
Learn the skills you need to succeed starting
in your first semester.
2
SECOND YEAR:
ADVOCACY TRAINING is a
cornerstone of the law school’s
curriculum, equipping students with skills
to prepare them for successful careers in the
courtroom, boardroom or other areas. Skills courses
for all aspects of lawyering are offered after
students have mastered the fundamentals of torts,
contracts, property, criminal law, civil procedure
and evidence. These courses are limited to as few as
eight students, ensuring each receives personalized
instruction in the following:
Negotiation
Mediation
Case preparation
Trial evidence/Jury selection
Technology use
Direct examination
Cross examination
Expert witnesses
Closing arguments
3
See a listing of the
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
FIRST YEAR
SECOND YEAR
THIRD YEAR
These courses are designed to equip students with
the tools they need to pass the bar exam and give
them the electives in support of their desired area
specialization.
COMPLETE CURRICULUM
ASK A LAW STUDENT:
What is your advice to first-year
students?
“The first few weeks
at law school can be
overwhelming, but
once the dust settles,
you will notice that
law school is like a
job: the more you
time you invest,
the greater the
return.”
Ritesh Patel
Auburn University
graduate, third-year
law student
Cumberland School of Law was the first law school in the country to offer courses in e-discovery.
Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library
adjoins the law school through a breezeway. Open and
spacious, the library is designed to accommodate private study
and discussion, housing 13 conference rooms, 474 study spaces, carrels with electrical connections, long tables and comfortable
seating.
With more than 200,000 shelved volumes and
96,000 on microfiche, the library contains all
federal and state judicial opinions and statutory
codes. Students can read law reviews from every
American law school, as well as access the
Federal Register and Code of Federal
Regulations, United States Hearings and
Reports, and selected foreign common law
rulings.
Three computer labs and wireless internet offer
instant access to additional online databases,
such as LexisNexis, Westlaw, Hein Online, Bureau
of National Affairs, Index to Legal Periodicals,
Berkeley Electronic Press (bepress) Journals,
LegalTrac, Loislaw, Versuslaw, and Case-
MakerX, as well as databases subscribed to by
the University Library and the library catalog.
Memory Leake Robinson Hall
houses the law school on Samford University’s campus. It
contains three courtrooms, several classrooms, and all the
faculty and administrative offices.
Robinson Hall is equipped with tools to enrich the learning
experience. Technology is quickly assuming a greater role
in the practice of law. Law students gain practical experience
in their use of and access to state-of-the-art facilities:
The Trial Courtroom is equipped with smart boards for
presentation, a computerized projection and sound
system, digital video, and a plasma television.
All classrooms have smart boards and smart podia.
The Advanced Trial Advocacy Courtroom is updated
to reflect the technology available in courtrooms across
the country.
Additionally, the Advanced Trial Advocacy Courtroom
includes database and internet access at each counsel table,
allowing for instruction in reproducing evidence with threedimensional
digital presenters, video and DVD
reenactments. This courtroom is equipped with digital video
which is used to critique and polish courtroom skills.
A wireless network service provides laptop users with fast
and convenient access to e-mail and web-based services
from anywhere on campus.
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Reaching Your Goals
GOAL: Employment in Entertainment Law
Brittany A. Adkins ’10
Associate, Loeb & Loeb LLP,
editor-in-chief, Cumberland Law
Review (2009―10); Henry Upson
Sims Moot Court Board,
(2008―10); Justice Richard L.
―Red‖ Jones National Moot
Court Team Member (2008)
“I entered law school
with the goal of
becoming an entertainment
lawyer, and
after three years at
Cumberland, I have a
job with the leading
entertainment law
firm in Nashville,
Tenn. Finding a job
is never easy; finding
a job as an
entertainment lawyer
is even harder.
Despite the difficulty
in entering this niche
market, Cumberland
provided me with the
knowledge, skills,
connections and
encouragement that I
needed to fulfill my
goal. I had the
opportunity to take
classes in entertainment law, intellectual property,
copyrights, trademarks and international intellectual
property. Most of these classes were practical and
“I have a job with
the leading entertainment
law firm
in Nashville.”
entertaining, taught by
a d j u n c t p r o f e s s o r s
practicing in these fields or
by full-time professors
actively participating in
copyright policy-making
decisions on an international scale. I took advantage
of Cumberland’s nationally recognized trial advocacy
classes to give me the litigation and alternative dispute
resolution skills that any successful lawyer must
have, including those in entertainment law. One of
the most unique factors at Cumberland is the approachability
of the faculty, and their willingness to
encourage and assist you in accomplishing your
goals. One professor prints out entertainment and
copyright articles for me when he comes across
them; three others called their colleagues in Nashville
and Los Angeles to help open doors for me to make
valuable connections. Ultimately, Cumberland has
provided me with incredible resources and helped me
accomplish my goal of becoming an entertainment
lawyer. There is no place I would rather have received
that preparation than Cumberland.”
“Cumberland provided me with
the knowledge, skills, connections
and encouragement that I
needed to fulfill my goal.”
GOAL: Career Change
“Having been in the professional world, I was
apprehensive to begin law school. What would my
fellow students think of me, and me of them? How
would I interact with my professors? All of my fears
were immediately put to rest.
The atmosphere among the
students is collegial, and I
have made some of the best
friends I will ever have here.
Fitting in with my classmates
was never an issue. The
faculty and staff are
“Fitting in with
my classmates
was never an
issue.”
knowledgeable, accessible and open. Most of all, the
faculty want you to succeed and equip you with the
tools to reach that goal. I made the right decision to
come to Cumberland and know that the education I
am receiving is
preparing me for
excellence in the
practice of law.”
Gerri Plain
The University of South
C a r o l i n a — U p s t a t e
graduate; third-year law
student; editor-in-chief,
Cumberland Law Review
(2011―12)
GOAL: Success in Law School
While Maintaining Family
Responsibilities
Courtney C. Snelling
Stanford University graduate; Cumberland
Black Law Students Association,
1L liaison; third-year law
student; CLEO associate
“With all the resources that
the law school and the city
provide, I knew I could
receive a quality education
while continuing to
maintain my family
obligations.”
“Before considering
law school, I had
been out of school
for nearly 10 years
with a family.
Cumberland became
a natural choice for
my family and me.
W i t h a l l t h e
resources that the
law school and the
city provide, I knew I
could receive a
quality education
while continuing to
maintain my family
obligations. I have
found all the faculty
and staff extremely
helpful, and it is
calming to know
there are so many
a c c o m p l i s h e d
Faculty Fact
Dean John L. Carroll served in the
United States Marine Corps as an
officer, which included a combat tour in
Vietnam flying A6 Intruders.
Cumberland
lawyers. The
campus is also
close to the
interstate and
the airport,
which makes
it easy for me
to make quick
t r i p s t o
Chicago to
visit family.”
GOAL: Advanced Military
Career with a Law Degree
“I am impressed with the manner in which
Cumberland’s administration made it a priority to be
flexible and adapt its system to facilitate the Funded
Legal Education Program for students like me. First-
year classes already focus on
preparing students for basic
practice, and Cumberland offers
many upper- level classes that
will prepare me for the specific
challenges of practicing military
law. The professors all have real
-world experience and can give
their students much-needed
perspective on the reality of law
practice. Cumberland focuses
on developing the entire lawyer in addition to a
strong academic foundation. It accomplishes this
through regular opportunities to have “Lunch with a
Lawyer,” to engage the community through activities
such as volunteering at free legal-help clinics, and to
compete early and often in litigation competitions.
Cumberland’s commitment to excellence is reflected
in its superb reputation in the Birmingham
c o m m u n i t y . I n
addition to a great
e x p e r i e n c e a t
Cumberland, my wife
and I absolutely love
living in Birmingham.
While we also love
the military lifestyle,
the culture in
Birmingham is a
welcome break from
the ordinary. I
r e c o m m e n d
Cumberland to any
FLEP officer looking
f o r a s t r o n g
foundation for his or
her legal career.”
“Cumberland
… will prepare
me for the
s p e c i f i c
challenges of
p r a c t i c i n g
military law.”
John Policastro
United States Military Academy
at West Point graduate, third-year
law student
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C
orporate Law: Navigating Business
Cumberland School of Law offers a broad range of
courses, and Birmingham provides a wonderful
environment for both clerkships and externships.
The law school requires all students to take a course in
Business Organizations because the faculty is
convinced that understanding the role and function of
the basic forms of business entities is essential to all
practicing lawyers.
More than 30 corporate and business law courses are
currently listed in the curriculum. In addition to full-time
faculty, many successful and
well-respected corporate and
transaction lawyers teach as
adjunct faculty members.
The law school also offers
corporate externships with
large local businesses where
students have an opportunity
to work with in-house legal
staff for course credit.
Because of the law school’s
location in a major metropoli-
tan area, students have opportunities to clerk at law
firms during the school year as well as in the summer.
Alumni are not only successful partners in major law
Successful and wellrespected
corporate and
transaction lawyers teach
as adjunct faculty
members.
More than 30
electives, including
the areas of tax,
estate planning,
real estate,
securities law and
commercial law
firms, many are also
in-house counsel or
executives at/with
major corporations. If
you are interested in
transactional law,
Cumberland School
of Law offers an
excellent opportunity
for you to develop the skills you will need to make a
valuable contribution to your firm or business.
Faculty Fact
Professor R. Thomas Stone, Jr. is a
member of the American Law and
Economics Association and the American
Accounting Association. His teaching and
research interests include antitrust, business
organizations, contracts, economic analysis
of law and government regulation of
business.
Cumberland School of Law graduates compared
to national graduates in corporate law.
15.97%
Cumberland’s
Class of 2010
National
Class of 2010
Joint-Degree J.D./M.B.A.
“I could not be more thrilled with my
decision to participate in the J.D./M.B.A.
program. This joint-degree has given me
the a unique opportunity to engage in two
separate areas of graduate study at the
same time. The classes I have taken and
am now taking in the business school have
served to greatly enhance my experience
in the law school and vice versa. I feel that
it will help me greatly in my career.”
Elizabeth Barclay ’11
University of the South graduate
rial Advocacy: The Skills to Succeed
The trial advocacy program at Cumberland School of
Law is one of the finest in the United States. The
entry-level course is Basic Skills in Trial Advocacy, in
which students are familiarized with all the components
of the jury trial, with an emphasis on exceptional
demonstrations by skilled local attorneys, followed by
extensive hands-on exercises by students. The
Cumberland Approach to learning is that students learn
best by first seeing something done well, and then doing
it themselves. Those students who want to go to the next
level in terms of their trial ability are encouraged to apply
for Advanced Trial Skills class. Enrollment is limited to 12
students, with selection based on merit. The advanced
course is the ultimate in realistic trial skills training.
Students are introduced
Students learn best by
first seeing something
done well, and then
doing it themselves.
to the use of technology
in presenting a case to
the jury in a state-of-theart
trial courtroom.
Everything in the course
is done in the most
realistic manner
possible, including direct and cross examinations of
actual expert witnesses, and the extensive use of video
review of student performances.
12
Students allowed in Advanced Trial
Skills
Faculty Fact
Professor Donald Q. Cochran received
the Directors Award while serving as an
assistant U.S. attorney.
The course culminates in the trial of a complex case
involving the use of technology to present evidence with
actual law enforcement agents and forensic chemists as
witnesses, all tried before an experienced federal judge
and a jury of local citizens.
Enhance advocacy skills
through real-world
practice.
Another advantage
Cumberland School of
Law uses to produce
exceptional trial
attorneys is its
externship program.
Students have the opportunity to enhance their advocacy
skills through real-world practice with externships in
various prosecutor's offices, legal services programs and
judge’s chambers.
Through the Alabama State Bar,
upper-lever students can receive
their 3L Practice Card and are
able to TRY REAL CASES
supervised during the last year of
law school. More than 10% of the
class usually take advantage of this
opportunity.
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15.1%
*As reported to The Association for Legal Career Professionals (NALP)
on February 15, 2011.
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P
ublic Interest: Service to Others
“One of the important messages the law school
communicates to our students involves
pro bono and public interest work.”
Dean John L. Carroll ’74
From the first day of orientation, we begin talking about
the core values of the legal profession. One of the most
important of those core values is service to others.
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.
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.
In 2010, 77 students received nearly $120,000 in awards. The Fellowship
Program continues to grow with the generous support of our donors.
S T U D E N T S
M A K E A N
I M P A C T
Alyson Hood ’11,
received the State Bar
Pro Bono Law Student
Award as a first-year
law student. The award
is given annually to the
student from a law school
in the state of Alabama
who has demonstrated an
outstanding commitment
to providing free legal
services to the poor.
Hood recruited 30
volunteers to assist
lawyers in a clinic
providing legal assistance to the homeless, and helped coordinate
their participation in legal research and other services.
She also volunteered 150 hours to the clinic. This was the
third year in a row that a Cumberland School of Law student
won the Alabama State Bar Pro Bono Law Student Award.
EARN A FELLOWSHIP for Student Summer Public Interest Work
One of the law school’s most successful
service programs is the Summer Public
Interest Fellowship Program. This program
provides funds for students who
volunteer to do public interest or public
service work during the summer. Awards
are based on the educational benefit of the
proposed work experience, the benefit to
the community of the proposed work
experience and the student’s expressed
interest in pursuing a career in public
interest work. The fellowships are
available through the Henry G. and Henry
U. Sims Foundation, the generosity of
alumni and other fund-raising efforts.
A LAW DEGREE IS A POWERFUL
TOOL THAT CAN BE USED TO GIVE
BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
Fact
Each year, the law school holds a public interest career
fair. In spring 2010, 35 groups attended, including
government agencies and nonprofit organizations. This
annual career fair leads to full-time employment
opportunities for many as well as summer volunteer
opportunities that lead to summer stipends.
Marda Sydnor ’80 (right) won the 2010
Volunteer of the Year award at the 1980 class
reunion. She is pictured with classmate
United States District Judge Karen O.
Bowdre ’80 (left).
Students help local firm
launch HELP the
Homeless Program
Cumberland School of Law graduate Jennifer
Benedict ’09 assisted local firm, Baker
Donelson, with the launch of the HELP
program while in her third-year of law school.
“This is a great opportunity for law students
to take an active role in providing a
necessary service for the community while
gaining valuable experience.”
Jennifer Benedict ’09
The Spirit of Service Award: Each spring, the law school recognizes students and faculty members who have contributed
30 hours of pro bono or public interest work with the Spirit of Service Award.
The Dean’s Public Interest Award: At Awards
Day, the student who has best exemplified a commitment
to public interest and public service is awarded the Dean’s
Public Interest Award, which consists of a certificate and
cash.
The VLP Award: The Alabama State Bar encourages
participation in pro bono legal work. Students who provide
50 hours of volunteer support at any of the state’s Legal
Services offices are recognized at the Bar swearing-in
ceremony.
The Alabama Bar Association Student Pro
Bono Award: The State Bar annually recognizes a law
student who has made a significant contribution of pro
bono work.
“Doing your best for a client, no matter who it
is, is your moral imperative as a lawyer. I don’t
feel any a priori bias toward plaintiffs or defendants.
Because of that, I believe civil appeals is a
great place for me, and I
have Cumberland’s Public
Interest Project largely to
thank for my finding a
position there.”
Brad Edmonds ’09
Associate at Lloyd, Gray,
Whitehead, and Monroe, P.C.;
research editor, Cumberland Law
Review (2009); George M. Stewart Banking Award
Spirit of Service Award recipients
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update
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21

H
Health-care law at Cumberland School of Law
rivals any other national program because of
our location, our relationships with health-care
lawyers, our links with the University of
Alabama at Birmingham [UAB] and the strength
of our curriculum.
Birmingham is a health-care center; in fact, the
health-care sector is the largest employer in the
area. There are also several corporate offices
for health insurers and other businesses in
Birmingham that provide services to health-care
organizations. A number of our graduates work
as health-care lawyers throughout the United
States. They are employed in the health-care
departments of large law firms, as malpractice
lawyers, as in-house counsel in hospitals or
health-care businesses, and as legal counsel
for governmental agencies that regulate
health-care organizations. We maintain close
relationships with our graduates who work in
health-care law. Every fall, we sponsor a
continuing legal education seminar on
health-care law that features speakers from
throughout the nation who are prominent
health-care lawyers.
E
continues to be a rising topic of interest nationally and
nvironmental Law globally. Cumberland School of Law provides opportunities to
take a wide spectrum of environmental law-related courses from sea, ocean, and coastal law to land use
planning to toxic torts. The Birmingham region and the state of Alabama are home to a vast number of large
mining and agriculture operations and corporations with environmental interest. Alumni can be found in positions
within Southern Company, which operates a vast network of companies with environment issues
throughout the Southeast. A major subsidiary, Alabama Power, is located only minutes from the law school and locally
operates the power infrastructure, including several dams for most of Alabama. Alabama continues to be involved with
conservation and outdoor sporting activities. There are many environmental special-interest organizations located in
and around Birmingham. Alabama is ranked second in the nation in commercial forest land with 22.9 million acres.
Joint
Degree
J.D./M.S. in
Environmental
Management
ealth Law: The Ideal Location
“Cumberland offers a number of health-care
law courses, including courses on human
subject research, medical liability,
pharmaceuticals and medical
device law, public health law,
health-care delivery systems,
taxation of nonprofit
organizations, health law
transactions and courses
on bioethics and law.”
Professor L. Jack
Nelson III
Professor Spotlight: A. Robert Greene
Served as Deputy Regional Counsel, United States Environmental Protection
Agency, Region IV, coordinating all civil enforcement matters including case
development, litigation management, and resolving legal and policy issues, and
was responsible for attorney training and development (including ethics and
professional responsibility)
Member of the region's Strategic Planning Committee, and actively
participated in developing EPA policy and setting agency priorities and all
legal matters related to surface and drinking water protection, underground
injection well and ocean dumping regulation, and wetlands protection
During his tenure with the EPA, was responsible for all legal
matters related to solid and hazardous waste management and
response actions (both emergency and remedial) arising under the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
Centers
The Center for Biotechnology, Law and Ethics was established in December
2003 as a research center. Professor David Smolin serves as director for the center. He
is a nationally recognized expert in bioethics/biotechnology issues, international
children’s issues, reproductive constitutional issues and religion and law. Under his
leadership, law students can serve as his fellows and researchers.
The center is one of the first of its kind in the United States, and approaches current
bioethical issues through rigorous analysis, with reliable information and from
multiple perspectives. In addition to research, the center hosts an annual symposium,
which is typically cosponsored by the Cumberland Law Review. Past symposium
topics have included the following:
The Missing Girls of China and India: What Can Be Done?
Transportation Energy Policy in National and Global Perspective: A New Beginning?
The Baby Market: The Future of High-tech and Low-Tech Markets in Children
The United States Health-Care System: Access, Equity and Efficiency
Biofuels and the New Energy Economy
The Center for the Study of Law and the Church was established in 1987 to serve as an educational resource to
churches regarding the relationship of the church with secular law. The mission of the center is to provide guidance to and education
for the religious community on secular legal issues that impact churches, including church governance and structure, employment
relationships, property rights, tax exemptions and obligations, confidentiality privileges, and general liability issues. The
center is equipped to respond with practical guidance and suggestions to churches, pastors, church personnel and attorneys advising
or representing churches regarding legal problems and legal issues faced in a litigious society.
Law students participate in mediation training.
The Public Interest Project
This project is part of the Cumberland Community Mediation Center and offers a
number of opportunities for law students to get involved with projects to better the
community and state. Each October, the law school partners with the Alabama
State Bar for Pro Bono Week. This program pairs law students with practicing
attorneys to offer legal clinics to the elderly, homeless and others who otherwise
could not afford these services. Other recent projects include the following:
Homeless Connect which provides legal services to the homeless community
each April.
Alabama Capital Litigation DNA Testing Project, in conjunction with the Baker
Donelson law firm, the project assists those in the Alabama prison system to
avail themselves of a new law passed by the legislature involving DNA testing.
David Smolin, Harwell G. Davis
Professor of Constitutional Law, is an
internationally recognized expert on
intercountry adoptions. He is a
frequent presenter at seminars on this
topic all over the world. He is quoted
frequently in the New York Times,
among other places.
Cumberland Community Mediation Center
Established in 2005, the center offers free community meditation
to all communities surrounding the law school. Attorneys,
community members and law students who are trained mediators
volunteer their time to work for the project. The goal is to provide
mediation services to those who are in need that might otherwise
not be able to afford this service or come to a resolution without a
third party. The center takes referrals from the court system and a
number of other sources that fall within the principles of the
center. The law school also offers students the Mediator Practice
course. In this course, students receive mediator training, and study
mediation theory, mediator strategies and techniques, and mediator
ethics.
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W C U M B E R L A N D . S A M F O R D . E D U
22
23
Director of the Cumberland
Community Mediation Center
Cassandra W. Adams.
Play Video

Additional Study
I Cumberland School of Law offers opportunities for
U.S. law students to study abroad, and for
non-U.S. students to study on the Samford campus.
Students gain international perspective by studying and
living in a legal system and culture different from their
own. These programs also enhance the international
perspective of host students by bringing students from
other nations to the campus.
nternational Programs nhance Your Law Degree
Cambridge, England
Norwich, England
Hyderabad, India
Under a cooperative arrangement between Cumberland
School of Law and Norwich Law School at the
University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, British law
students may study in the United States and
Cumberland School of Law students study in the United
Kingdom. Norwich LL.B. students spend a year at
Cumberland School of Law after their second year of
legal studies at Norwich Law School.
Two Cumberland School of Law J.D.
graduates each year are awarded full-tuition
scholarships for studies toward an LL.M.
degree at Norwich Law School.
Professor Michael D. Floyd, director of international studies,
gave Barrister Adrian Jenkala, center, a Harry Potter Wand.
Jenkala teaches The English Legal System and European
Union: A Comparative Overview, and European Union Law.
Charles Nelson, left, and Elizabeth Barclay participated in the
Cambridge, England, summer program.
“When I began law school, my goal was to
practice international law. When I had the
opportunity to move to England and study
international commercial and business law,
the decision was easy.”
Damon Boiles ’07 (right)
LL.M. program at Norwich Law School
at the University of East Anglia
Law students study abroad in Cambridge, England,
at Sidney Sussex College. Compare U.S., British and
European Union law in a historic setting.
Graduate lawyers, judges, prosecutors and legal
educators come to Cumberland School of Law for
their master of comparative law (M.C.L.) degrees.
They spend two summers taking courses at Cumberland
School of Law, learning about the U.S. legal system and
culture.
Study a semester in an Indian law school.
Under a cooperative arrangement between Samford and
NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, India, NALSAR law
students have the opportunity to study in the United States,
and Samford students may spend a semester of study in
India.
“I chose the J.D./M.B.A. program because I wanted to make myself
more marketable to employers. When attorneys review my résumé,
they have commented positively about my enrollment in the
dual program. The business classes give me an opportunity to
combine two of my interests,
business and law, which I am
confident I will benefit from
as I pursue my interest in
corporate law.
Cumberland allows
you to complete
both degrees in
three years, a true
benefit.”
“The J.D./M.S.E.M.
program has greatly
complimented my interest in
environmental law. The
courses are, of course, sciencebased,
and they have really
helped me to understand and
appreciate the data, the
processes and the policy used in
developing regulations. Through the
program, I have become familiar with
many topics, such as toxicology, risk
management, geographic information
systems, environmental chemistry and
many others. All of these courses have
greatly enhanced my knowledge and
understanding of environmental regulation
and protection in the United States and the
world at large. More importantly, they have
helped me to become a much better
servant of the environment, whether in the
courtroom or in the field.”
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update
C U M B E R L A N D . S A M F O R D . E D U
24
See more.
E
Kendra Apple ’11
Middle Tennessee State University
graduate
Troupe Brewer ’11
University of North Carolina–Chapel
graduate
8
Joint-Degrees
Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Environmental Management
Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Theological Studies
Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration
Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration
Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Bioethics
Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health
Juris Doctor/Master of Accountancy
Juris Doctor/Master of Divinity
Troupe Brewer, left, meets Hon. Robert K.
Dawson ’71. Dawson was the associate
director of the White House Office of
Management and Budget. He oversaw one
quarter of the federal budget relating to
issues for the U.S. Departments of
Agriculture, Energy and the Interior, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental
Protection Agency, and NASA. He also has
been assistant secretary of the army for civil
works, administrator for the House
Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, and legislative assistant to
U.S. Representative Jack Edwards.
“One of my initial reasons for
attending Cumberland School of Law
was to pursue the J.D./Master of
Theological Studies joint-degree
program. As a person who sees the
profession of law as a true calling
rather than a job, I believe an
M.T.S. will better equip me
for my life’s work.”
Matthew S. Bracey ’11
Free Will Baptist Bible College
graduate
25
See more.

Faculty
Cumberland School of Law’s faculty is known for its
passion and care of student development. Time after
time, law school graduates cite quality and strength of
the relationships with professors as crucial to their
success. Many alumni stay in contact with their
professors and continue to seek their legal expertise.
Not only do faculty members posses a wealth of
knowledge and experience from their educations and
legal practices, they also have a passion for sharing it.
Among their ranks is a federal judge, numerous former
federal and state judicial law clerks, and a former
governor. Four are members of the American Law
Institute, and many are acclaimed and widely published
scholars.
Degrees from more
than 20 law schools,
including Harvard,
Yale, Columbia, Stanford
and the University
of Michigan
Faculty members keep
an open-door policy
that allows for student
interaction beyond the
classroom and set
office hours. Faculty
strive to teach and
demonstrate the
intangible components
of a legal education,
such as establishing
and maintaining relationships and finding the proper
life-work balance. Upon visiting the law school, it is easy
to observe this in action. It is not uncommon to shake
hands with the dean or strike up a conversation with
other faculty members.
Professor Michael
D. Floyd
Professor D.
Wendy Greene
“The faculty and staff are always willing to
provide assistance, whether with an
assignment, a job search or going with you to
a community service project. I appreciate that
professors take time to know you by name
and even stop you in the hall just to see how
your day is going. It is very refreshing to be
part of a community that strives to develop
and strengthen my knowledge of the law and
continually encourages me.”
Roderick Evans ’10
SBA President (2009―10)
18:1
Ratio of students to full-time faculty for fall 2011.
“Coming from a small school background, I
am used to personal attention, a close-knit
class community and being able to talk with
my professors. The faculty at Cumberland
more than exceed my expectation of what is
considered an open-door policy.”
Meg Demeranvile ’09
Associate general counsel with DRC Emergency Services;
President, Student Health Lawyers Association
(2008―09); Science and Technology Society;
parliamentarian, Cordell Hull; Scholar of Merit, human
subjects research, Comparative Law
PASSION FOR SHARING
KNOWLEDGE
“You can have the greatest scholars in
the world, but if they cannot take their
knowledge and present it in an
understandable way, it’s not worth
anything. I believe our teachers are
among the best in the country.”
Dean John L. Carroll ’74
Learned Scholars, Seasoned Lawyers, Enthusiastic Mentors
Professor Herman
N. Johnson
Professor Robert
Goodwin
Henry C. Strickland
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
and Professor of Law
Professor Belle
Howe Stoddard
Professor Lynn
H. Schuck
“In addition to being accomplished
scholars, all Cumberland School of
Law faculty practiced law before
becoming educators. They are able
to bring class materials and
theory to life, and relate
them to the real world.
Professors encourage
students to visit outside
class, not only to discuss
lectures, legal careers and
such, but also just to have a
friendly conversation.”
See the complete biographies of all the faculty members
and the numerous adjunct professors.
Professor Brannon
P. Denning
Professor LaVone
Warren
Professor William
G. Ross
Professor LaJuana
S. Davis
Professor R. Thomas
Stone, Jr.
Professor Dayna
Royal
Professor Howard
Walthall
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update Fall 2011 Update
C U M B E R L A N D . S A M F O R D . E D U
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*The pictures on this page do not show all of the faculty members.
27

F
aculty Highlights: A Glimpse at a Few Achievements
Prof. Mark J. Baggett has his Ph.D. in English
from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
in American literature and language.
Prof. T. Brad Bishop serves as a municipal judge for the
local city of Hoover, was a past municipal judge for two other
cities and was the chief legal adviser to the governor of Alabama
from 1993 through 1995.
Prof. Joseph W. Blackburn is a former chairman,
Subcommittee on Important Developments, American Bar
Association Tax Section Committee on Tax Accounting
Problems.
Gov. Albert Brewer was both lieutenant governor and governor
of Alabama.
Dean John L. Carroll graduated from Cumberland School of
Law in 1974 and has argued two cases in front of the United
States Supreme Court.
Prof. Donald Q. Cochran handled approximately 70 jury
trials, including 16 capital murder cases.
Prof. LaJuana S. Davis graduated from Harvard Law
School and has practiced law in Alabama, Georgia and
Minnesota.
Prof. Michael E. DeBow has written articles that have appeared
in such journals as the Texas Law Review, Harvard Journal
of Law & Public Policy, Regulation, Policy Review, The
Freeman, and The Journal of Law & Politics.
Prof. Brannon P. Denning writes in the area of constitutional
law; specifically he has written on the commerce clause
and the dormant commerce clause; judicial and executive branch
appointments; the constitutional amendment process; foreign
affairs and the Constitution; and the Second Amendment.
Prof. Alyssa DiRusso graduated top 10 percent of her class
at University of Texas School of Law.
Prof. Jill E. Evans practiced law in both Chicago and Los
Angeles. Her interests include environmental law and torts.
Prof. Michael D. Floyd heads the international studies programs
at Cumberland School of Law. He clerked with Judge
James C. Hill, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh
Circuit.
Prof. Robert J. Goodwin established a privately funded
poverty and civil rights law center. He has written extensively in
the area of school law and expert testimony, and his articles have
been cited by state and federal courts.
Prof. A. Robert Greene is an expert on the EPA’s
authority, especially the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act,
as well as compliance with the National Environmental Policy
Act and endangered species.
Prof. D. Wendy Greene’s areas of scholarly concentration
are employment discrimination, and comparative slavery and
race relations law in the Americas and the Caribbean.
Prof. Woodrow Hartzog joined the faculty in 2011. He is an
Affiliate Scholar at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford
Law School.
Prof. David J. Langum is an expert in law and morality in
America, and 19th- and 20th-century American legal history.
Prof. Herman N. Johnson earned a J.D. and master of international
affairs degree from Columbia University. He served
as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa.
Prof. Paul Kuruk attended Ghana School of Law, Temple University
James E. Beasley School of Law and Stanford Law School
(S.J.D.) as a Fulbright Scholar.
Prof. Gregory K. Laughlin was quoted at length by
Justice John Paul Stevens in his dissent in United States v.
American Library Association, 539 U.S. 194 (2003).
Prof. Edward C. Martin’s teaching and research interests include
torts, products liability, professional responsibility,
damages, law and technology.
Prof. Leonard J. Nelson III clerked for the Washington Supreme
Court and has been a visiting professor, Universidad del
Mayab, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
Prof. William G. Ross received the Harvey S. Jackson Award
for Excellence in Teaching. He attended Harvard Law School and
Stanford University. He appeared on CNN to discuss the Arizona
new immigration law at length in July 2010.
Prof. Dayna B. Royal represented clients such as New
York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sprint Nextel.
Prof. Lynn H. Schuck teaches LLR. She does independent
contract work drafting wills and trusts. Her interests include nonprofit
organization law.
Prof. Andrea L. Shaw teaches LLR. She formed an organization
that provides legal research and brief writing services to law
firms and solo practitioners.
Prof. David M. Smolin was a clerk for Senior Judge
George Edwards, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Prof. Joseph A. Snoe has published several books,
articles, book chapters and book reviews. Book topics include
American’s health-care delivery system and property.
Prof. Belle Howe Stoddard was a founding member of Cumberland
School of Law's American Journal of Trial Advocacy.
Prof. R. Thomas Stone, Jr. holds a B.S. from Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University, a J.D. from Emory, a Ph.D.
from the University of Tennessee and an LL.M. from the
University of Illinois College of Law.
Dean Henry C. Strickland was executive editor and
articles editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He is the most
elegant member of Cumberland School of Law intramural
basketball team with the law students.
Prof. Howard P. Walthall knows the deep history and
tradition dating back to 1847 of Cumberland School of Law and
is an expert on Alabama constitutional law.
Dean LaVone R. Warren oversees the Continuing Legal Education
programs for all practicing lawyers.
Prof. Deborah Young was an assistant U.S. attorney for
the District of Columbia. Her teaching and research interests
include criminal procedure, evidence and trial advocacy.
Core Values
Lakeita Faye Rox ’10
Deputy district attorney, 15th
Judicial Circuit Montgomery, AL;
President, Black Law Students
Association (2009―10); Henry
Upson Sims Moot Court Board
member (2009―10); Justice
Richard L. ―Red‖ Jones
National Moot Court Team
M e m b e r ( 2 0 0 9 ) ; S a m f o r d
University graduate
“Cumberland School of Law is unique in
that, at its best, it always welcomes the diversity of its
students, faculty and administration. It promotes the highest
ethical and moral responsibilities to each other and to those
we hope to serve while encouraging the free exchange of
ideas with respect to all beliefs. Its students and faculty
desire to make Cumberland known for how its attorneys
―The free exchange of
ideas with respect to
all beliefs.‖
“I had the great privilege of attending Samford
University for both my undergraduate degree
and my law degree. Although Cumberland School of Law
is very much part of Samford’s campus, the experiences I have
encountered at the Samford undergraduate level and graduate level
were unique with different curriculum requirements. Samford
University is a Christian-affiliated university that incorporates
religion courses into the undergraduate curriculum, very similar to
other religious-affiliated schools such as Notre Dame, Baylor or
―Cumberland faculty represent a
diverse group of professors
whose teachings foster the most
important legal skill, critical
thinking.‖
represent their clients and
uphold the finest standards of
the law through an emphasis on
integrity, passion and
compassion.”
Boston College. Cumberland
School of Law’s core
curriculum focuses on
preparing students for
successful careers in various
areas of the legal profession.
Both Samford University and
Cumberland School of Law very much incorporate core principles
of one’s ethical and moral responsibilities, whether in the legal
profession or anther profession.
Cumberland faculty represent a diverse group of professors whose
teachings foster the most important legal skill, critical thinking.
The faculty promotes and encourages students to reason through theories, laws and issues.
Cumberland strives to produce diversification of ideas by teaching students how to think and not
what to think. The most valuable tool that I have gained from my experience at Cumberland is the
ability to think in a way that is vital for success.”
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update Fall 2011 Update
C U M B E R L A N D . S A M F O R D . E D U
28
Charles B. Elliott ’11
Harding University graduate; President, Christian Legal Society (2010―11);
chief justice, Henry Upson Sims Moot Court Board; Justice Richard A. ―Red‖
Jones National Moot Court team member; Judge Abraham Caruthers Fellow;
Honor Court justice (2008―11); Career Development Advisory Board
(2010―11)
29

Resources That Help You Succeed
C
areer Development
The Office of Career Development teaches students about the practical
aspects of law practice, provides training on conducting efficient and
thorough job searches, and helps students match their skills, interests and
experiences to the needs of the legal market. The Office of Career Development
begins working with students before classes begin, and can help narrow career
choices and tailor preparation accordingly. During the summer before law school, the
staff surveys and meets every incoming student to get acquainted, gather information
on career plans and goals, and provide advice on succeeding in law school.
The Office of Career Development designs its programs and services to teach
students the information and skills they need to make informed career choices,
build a strong résumé, find employment and make a meaningful contribution to
their employers beginning on the first day of work.
CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
1. Personalized career counseling
2. A mentoring program in which small groups of
first-year students are matched to upper-level
students specifically chosen to provide guidance
on law school and career-related issues
3. Practice-related seminars that teach skills critical to working as a lawyer,
covering topics such as firm structures and business models, attorney
timekeeping and billing, discovery devices, and settlement strategies and
mechanics
4. Mock interviews, in which Birmingham-area attorneys critique first-year
students to help them sharpen their interview skills
5. Informal lunches with lawyers who discuss their work and career paths
6. Judicial clerkship seminars that offer tips on obtaining positions
7. On-campus interview programs in the fall and spring with representatives
of numerous law firms, corporations, public interest organizations and
government agencies
8. Opportunities to participate in out-of-state job fairs
9. Online access to job openings posted at the law school and many other
American law schools
10. A resource library of publications, informational files on firms and other
prospective employers, job-hunting tips, and graduate/study abroad
programs for law students
11. Informative educational handouts on various career-related issues
Analyze the legal
market to stay
current with
trends and
expectations
of young lawyers.
10
Expected number of firstyear
law students assigned to
an upper-class mentor to
assist with law school and
career-related issues
TRUE
Career Development has a
comprehensive mock interview
program. Students are
matched with local attorneys
to help bring their interviewing
skills to the next level.
The Office of Career Development also spends a great deal of time marketing the law school and its students to
employers. In the last few years, staff members have met with legal employers in more than 30 cities. These visits have
yielded many job postings for summer clerkships and permanent positions, and have been instrumental in maintaining
the law school’s graduate employment rate. Approximately 90.3% of the Class of 2010 was either employed or enrolled
in a full-time graduate degree program within nine months of graduation.
Class of 2010
91.3%
Passed the Alabama Bar Exam on their
first attempt.*
90.3%
Employed or enrolled in a full-time
graduate degree program within nine
months of graduation.*
S
tudent Services
Individual counseling
“Securing legal employment is a self-propelled
endeavor. At some of the largest firms, you might have
only one person in charge of recruiting and hiring. At
medium to small firms, there
are even fewer resources for
screening applicants. Through
the tools that Career
Development provides, you
can find the individuals you
work well with and who want
to work with you. It takes
ground work on your part.”
T. J. Schaffer ’10
Attorney, Parker, Lawrence, Cantrell &
Smith; Chief Justice, Henry Upson
Sims Moot Court Board (2009―10);
Justice Richard L. ―Red‖ Jones National Moot Court team member (2008)
Cumberland School of Law is committed to providing a supportive and nurturing environment for all
students. The Office of Student Services provides a variety of services:
Initiation of student-run programs to enhance diversity,
communication skills, safety, mental health and stress awareness
Academic achievement programming
Advising of student organizations and student government
Bar application information
Coordination of awards programs
Coordination of commencement exercises
2010 Student-Selected Staff Appreciation Award
Criteria considered: accessibility, attitude, knowledge, helpfulness and organization
Pam Nelson (right), director of student services, and Tracy Luke (left), program
assistant, Center for Advocacy and Clinical Education
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C U M B E R L A N D . S A M F O R D . E D U
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Click here to see Cumberland School of
Law’s type of employment by category.
*As reported to The Association for Legal Career Professionals (NALP) on February 15, 2011.
31

Hands-on Learning
A
dvocacy Competitions
At Cumberland School of Law, we pride ourselves on being a law school
whose mission is to train lawyers to be advocates. Advocacy training is
important whether you are a lawyer who spends time in the courtroom or
the boardroom. Advocacy training teaches you to marshal facts into a
coherent argument and to think on your feet. Those skills are important
whether you are a courtroom
lawyer, a lawyer who
A Message from a Trial Coach
“The Cumberland trial team is a top-notch trial
program that prepares students for the practice
of law. I have great memories of my time on
the trial team,
my fellow trial
team members,
and the hours
of practice we
put into
preparing for
competition.
Since
graduation, I
have had the
opportunity to
assist the trial
team as a
coach, and the
trial members and hours of practice have not
changed. The team members are always
dedicated and talented students who go above
and beyond their regular classroom studies to
represent Cumberland School of Law to the
best of their abilities. The trial teams have
earned the respect of their colleagues at other
law schools and have a reputation for being
among the best in the nation. I am proud to
have been a member of the Cumberland trial
teams and proud of all the students I have had
the opportunity to work with as a coach.”
Robin Beardsley Mark ’02
Shareholder at Sirote & Permutt; ATLA National Trial
Advocacy team; Tournament of Champions National Trial
Team; Senior associate editor, American Journal of Trial
Advocacy; chair, Cordell Hull Speakers Forum; Order of
the Barristers; Cordell Hull Teaching Fellow
represents clients in major
financial transactions, or as
you represent clients in mediation and arbitration.
AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT of the law school’s
advocacy training is our exceptional advocacy
competition programs. Beginning at the end of the first
year, students can compete in various school advocacy
competitions, as well as tryout for the school’s highly
successful national trial teams. These teams represent
the law school at advocacy competitions throughout
the country.
Certificate in Trial
Advocacy
The law school offers this certificate as a
mark of excellence and achievement for
students who excel in this area. Students
must maintain a “C” or better in required
advocacy courses and maintain a
minimum 2.5 GPA.
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update
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32
Our mission
is to train
lawyers to
be advocates.
Advocacy Competitions include:
• Arbitration
• Client Counseling
• Mediation
• Moot Court
• Negotiation
• Trial
LET HISTORY BE A ROAD
MAP FOR THE FUTURE:
Throughout the years,
Cumberland School of Law has
been one of the most decorated
law schools for legal competition
wins.
Photo by Derrek G. Smith
Our successes over the years in
these competitions are a tribute
to the hard work of the students
and their coaches, but also serve
to underscore the correctness of
our approach to legal education
that EMPHASIZES BOTH
THEORY AND PRACTICALITY.
The Trial Advocacy Board sponsors the following:
Mock trial and arbitration competitions, in which two-person teams
present preliminary motions, opening statements, direct and
cross-examination of witnesses, and closing arguments
Client counseling competitions, in which teams interview mock and
counsel clients and are judged on their ability to communicate, elicit
facts, advise and recommend appropriate actions
Negotiation and mediation representation competitions, in which
teams are judged on how they use an effective combination of
advocacy skills and problem-solving abilities; participants learn
about each other’s interests, brainstorm options, and select and
shape a solution that meets their interests
The Henry Upson Sims Moot Court Board sponsors moot
court competitions, simulating actual appellate arguments.
RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2011
First and Second Place, National Trial Competition Region
6 in Birmingham, Alabama.
First and Second Place, American Association for Justice
(AAJ) Regional Student Trial Advocacy Competition
in Montgomery, Alabama.
2010
First Place, National Trial Competition, Region 6 in
Jackson, Mississippi.
National Trial Team Wins American Association for
Justice Regional Trial Competition in Dallas, Texas.
2009
Runner-up, American Association for Justice National
Student Trial Advocacy Competition in West Palm
Beach, Florida.
Quarterfinal, National Appellate Advocacy Team at the
American Bar Association’s National Appellate
Advocacy Competition national round in Chicago,
Illinois.
Finalist, Bankruptcy Moot Court Team at the 17th
Annual Judge Conrad B. Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot
Court Competition at St. John’s University in New York.
First Place, Trial Team at the National Trial Competition
regional round in Tallahassee, Florida.
2008
National Champions, American Association for Justice
National Student Trial Advocacy Competition in West
Palm Beach, Florida.
33
Click here to see more results.

Student Organizations
A
mple Opportunity To Make Your Mark
Cumberland School of Law provides a learning environment in which all can
shine. There are many opportunities to be involved, to lead, to serve and to learn.
The opportunities within the school are varied enough that all can find something
that matches their interests. Additionally, students with a particular interest not
covered by a current organization are encouraged to take the initiative to begin
new organizations.
“As you begin
the journey
into law
school, keep
in mind two
concepts:
diligence and
balance. It
takes great
work ethic to
Lead by Example excel at
mastering
concepts of the law; if you are diligent in your
pursuit, the reward will exceed your
expectations. Within the Cumberland
community exist several organizations and
opportunities that allow you to expand your
horizons in your legal education. This allows
for personal growth and for your goals to be
met, and also provides opportunities to meet
new people and to network.”
Roderick J. Evans ’10
Attorney, Paden & Paden; President,
Student Bar Association; parliamentarian,
Black Law Student Association
(2008―09); member, Community Service
Organization (2009); vice chair,
Cordell Hull Speakers Forum
(2008―09); member, Henry Upson Sims
Moot Court Board (2008―10); Phi Alpha
Delta Legal Fraternity; second place
finalist, Shores Moot Court Competition;
Student Health Lawyers Association;
chair, Thurgood Marshall Speakers Symposium;
Who’s Who Among
Students in American Universities
and Colleges (2009); judge, YMCA
Collegiate Judicial Competition
“As a member of the
Trial Advocacy Board I
have made many
connections in local,
state and regional legal
communities. I know
that other members of
the board have received
job offers, clerkships
and interviews as a
result of their
membership
and partici-
pation in the
board as well.”
First Semester
Law Students
Law students can get
involved in student
organizations as early as
their first semester of law
school.
Two Student-Edited Law Publications
Cumberland Law Review
Founded in 1970, designed to provide the legal
community with comprehensive LEGAL
ANALYSIS of NATIONAL and REGIONAL
TOPICS authored by legal scholars, judges,
attorneys and students
American Journal of Trial Advocacy
Founded in 1977, serves the NEED and
INTEREST of the COUTROOM ADVOCATE
with analysis of the demands and issues of
litigation faced by practicing attorneys from
prominent attorneys, judges and professors
Both cited on Westlaw® and
LexisNexis®
Julie McMakin ’09
Associate at McDowell Knight Roedder & Sledge, L.L.C.; chief
judge, Cumberland Board of Trial Advocacy (2008―09);
senior associate editor, American Journal of Trial Advocacy
(2008―09); member, National Trial Team (2008)
Cumberland Student Bar Association
The Cumberland Student Bar Association primarily functions as the liaison between students, faculty and administration
on matters pertaining to the student experience. Elected representatives also coordinate school-wide social functions and
partner with other organizations to sponsor community service activities.
State Student Bar Associations
State Student Bar Associations connect students interested in practicing in a particular state with lawyers currently
practicing in that state. Current State Student Bar Associations at the law school include Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. These student groups sponsor social events and
speakers, as well as provide important information regarding bar application requirements in their particular states.
Cordell Hull Speakers Forum
A Nobel Peace Prize winner known as the Father of the United Nations, Cordell Hull graduated from the Cumberland
School of Law in 1891. The student-run program that bears his name attracts nationally renowned speakers from the fields
of law, business, media and politics. Former speakers include the following:
Former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford
U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno
U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas
Authors John Grisham and Mark Curriden
ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero
Alabama Governor Bob Riley and Alabama Attorney General Troy King
Gregory G. Garre, the 44th solicitor general of the United States
Thurgood Marshall Symposium
Sponsored by the Black Law Students Association, this annual event held in honor of Black History Month includes a
lecture by distinguished guests for students and practicing attorneys. Former speakers include Senior U.S. District Judge
for the Southern District of New York Constance Baker Motley; Alabama State Bar President Fred D. Gray, who litigated
a number of pivotal cases during the Civil Rights Movement; and Jock Smith, renowned trial attorney with the Cochran
Firm.
R
ascal Day is held each March during
Law Week. According to tradition,
Rascal faithfully attended classes
beginning in 1933, until he was presented
with his honorary degree from the law
school.
Legend holds that his diploma was awarded
in recognition of the hundreds of classes
and mock trials at which his attendance
had been difficult to ignore.
Read the whole story.
RASCAL forever lives in the hearts and minds
of Cumberland School of Law students!
Celebrates tradition, family and friends with the
underlying message of finding BALANCE in your
career and in your life.
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update
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35

Special Interest Organizations
Alabama Defense Lawyer’s Association
Alabama Student Bar
American Constitution Society
American Journal of Trial Advocacy*
Asian Law Student Association
Association of Trial Lawyers
Black Law Students Association*
Catholic Law Student Association
Christian Legal Society*
Cordell Hull Speakers Forum*
Cumberland Active Barristers Association
Cumberland Democrats*
Cumberland Environmental Law Society*
Cumberland Law Review*
Cumberland Libertarian Society
Cumberland Public Interest & Community Service Org*
Cumberland Republicans*
Cumberland Second Amendment Appreciation Society
Cumberland Swim Club
Cumberland Wildlife Society
Defense Research Institute (DRI) - The Voice of the Defense Bar
Federalist Society*
Florida Student Bar Association
Georgia Student Bar Association*
Henry Upson Sims Moot Court Board*
Hispanic Interest Law Students Association*
Honor Court*
Intellectual Property Society*
Jewish Law Students Association
Joint Degree Students of Cumberland*
Law, Science and Technology
Media & Law Practice Group
Military Justice Society*
Mississippi Student Bar
Nathaniel Green Debate Society
North Carolina Student Bar
Phi Alpha Delta*
Phi Delta Phi
Pro Confesso
South Carolina Student Bar
Sports and Entertainment Law Society
Student Bar Association*
Student Health Lawyers Association
Tennessee Student Bar Association*
Texas Student Bar Association
Transition and Welcome Society*
Trial Advocacy Board*
Virginia Student Bar Association
Women in Law*
*Active fall 2011
“The students that we have involved
with the Cumberland Community
Service Organization are not
students who are looking for an
organization to go on their résumé.
These are students who are looking
to be involved directly with the
community, and they follow through
with their involvement once they
graduate from law school.”
Pam Nelson
Director of Students Services
C
umberland Community
Service Organization
A variety of events are organized by the CCSO each semester for
students and other members of the Cumberland School of Law
community. Past events have included the following:
Wheelchair Rugby Demolition Derby in conjunction with the
Lakeshore Foundation, home of U.S. Olympic Paralympic
training.
Cumberland Christmas where the entire law school is
involved with collecting Christmas presents for children
through the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program; these
children are a part of the Court Appointed Special Advocates
program.
Hosting children from Big Brothers Big Sisters, Grace House
and Children's Village on campus for a giant Easter egg
hunt, face painting and games.
Cumberland School of Law has an ongoing
relationship with Hands on Birmingham, a local
volunteer organization.
“Cumberland School of Law encourages
involvement with service projects both
legal and nonlegal, to enhance the overall
educational experience.”
Every year, the incoming class undertakes a
service project during orientation week. This is
a great opportunity for incoming students to
meet their fellow classmates. Over the years,
the service project has ranged from cleaning
roads to improving inner-city schools to
collecting blankets for the homeless and working
with a local autism and behavioral center.
The one thing they all have in common is they
provide a helping hand to the community.
Top right: A pair of students help at the
Orientation Service Project with Dean Carroll
overlooking; Above: A student helps to update a
classroom; Right: Three students at the tornado relief
project; Below: Students who participated in the
Hannah Home project
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37

D iversity
Cumberland School of Law holds in high regard the broad cultural,
personal, and professional experiences of its students. Diversity
enriches education, and the law school’s community is a direct reflection of that
principle. Our collegial, receptive environment is enhanced by the variety of
perspectives contributed by our students and faculty. Diversity means many things
to many people. At Cumberland School of Law, it means enriching the study of law
by creating an environment for success.
Military
4.5% of the students in the total fall 2011 enrollment have served in the military.
“The law school’s
community embraces
students from all walks of
life and provides support
for anything you may
want to engage in. While I
was in law school, a fellow
classmate and I decided to
start an Asian Law Student
Association. Together, we
found interested students
then expressed our idea to
the student services and the admission office. Cumberland School
of Law encouraged and assisted us throughout the entire process.”
Charlotte Wolfe ’08 (Pictured with Dean John L. Carroll)
Associate at Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, PLLC; member, nationally-ranked National
Mock Trial Team; first place, Quinnipiac University Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition
(2007); first place, American Association of Justice Student Trial Advocacy Regional Competition
(2008); justice, Honor Court; member at-large, Trial Advocacy Board; president and class rep,
Student Bar Association; member, Order of Barristers; Caruthers Fellow; recipient, American
Board of Trial Advocates Award (2008); Cumberland Certificate of Trial Advocacy (2008); Who's
Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges (2008)
. . . enriching
the study of
law by creating
an environment
for success.
Listed as a 2012 “Military Friendly School” by www.militaryfriendlyschools.com (August 2011).
Undergraduate Colleges and Universities
130 undergraduate colleges and universities represented in the total fall 2011 enrollment.
Undergraduate Majors
71 different majors represented in the total fall 2011 enrollment.
Geographical Locations of the Student Body
24 states, Washington, D.C., England and India represented in the total fall 2011 enrollment.
“Together, we
found interested
students then
expressed our
idea . . .”
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42% Female in
the Total Fall
2011 Enrollment
“I came to a place
t h a t n o t o n l y
supported me, but
embraced everything
that made me who I
am.”
42% Out-of-State
in the Total Fall
2011 Enrollment
“Many wondered what a law
student from Spain would find
in Birmingham, Alabama. After
a few weeks at Cumberland
School of Law, I realized that
despite the common
misconceptions about the city, I
came to a place that not only
supported me, but embraced
everything that made me who I
am. I felt the support even
during the transition into the
real world. I now have a job
that I love, with people that I
admire, doing things that are
constantly challenging.
Regardless of my future steps, I
Minority Students
13% minority students represented in the fall 2011 total enrollment.
Council on Legal Education Opportunity [CLEO]
Dara D. Fernández ’09
Associate at Johnston Barton Proctor
& Rose LLP, regional president
with the Hispanic National Bar
Association
know that the law school’s community will be there to back
me up. I am very proud to be a Cumberland graduate.”
Student organizations for special interest groups, including BLSA and HILSA.
Cumberland School of Law will be the host school for the 2012 Southern Regional Convention of
the National Black Law Students Association (SRBLSA).
Law School Leadership
The law school’s leadership is a diverse collection of faculty and staff members representing 18%
minorities and 43% female. There are 23 full-time professors; 11 administrators, includes six fulltime
professional librarians and the dean of the law school; seven general administrators; and three
instructors.
Cumberland School of Law is a 2012 CLEO Member School and a long-term supporter of CLEO. Founded in 1968,
CLEO encourages minorities and disadvantaged students to enter the legal profession. To participate, students attend
a series of regional summer institutes located at various ABA-accredited law schools across the country. Those who
demonstrate a probability of success in law school are certified as CLEO fellows, and are eligible to receive placement
assistance and the annual CLEO stipend award for three years of legal study, contingent upon CLEO’s receipt of federal
funding. www.cleoscholars.org
39

A
lumni
In its 163 years, Cumberland School of Law has produced more than
11,000 law graduates who have distinguished themselves in the legal
profession. That tradition continues today through the National Alumni Association,
with more than 7,600 members representing nearly every state and several foreign
countries. These alumni practice law, serve as judges and elected representatives,
prosecute crimes as district and U.S. attorneys, teach, perform research and, in
countless other ways, bring honor to their law school.
These alumni support the law school in many ways, by making financial
contributions as well as by assisting with Continuing Legal Education and Career
Development programs, serving on advisory boards, chairing class reunions, hosting
receptions and other events, and mentoring students from their towns and cities.
“I cannot say enough good things about
the education and experiences at
Cumberland. I got a
first-rate education that
I have put to use in
every aspect of my
career. I had incredible
mentors in my
professors, many of
whom I have stayed in
contact with and who
have helped me throughout my career.”
Anne B. Pope ’86
Appointed Federal Cochair of the Appalachian
Regional Commission by President George W. Bush
“Cumberland prepared me to design my own future by giving
me the best education from the most caring and involved
teachers in an environment that was open, friendly and accepting.
I have not faced a challenge as a lawyer, an educator or
working in sports that wasn’t in some way anticipated by the
Cumberland curriculum or that I wasn’t taught how to solve by
a Cumberland professor. Cumberland gave me all the tools I
needed to build my future.”
Robert Boland ’95 (right)
Professor of sports business at NYU’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for
Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management; sports agent; attorney
and columnist for the National Football Post
More than 11,000
Cumberland
School of Law
graduates since
1847.
380
The number of law school
alumni listed on
SuperLawyers.com.
There are 30
Alumni Clubs
across the United
States with new
clubs starting each
year.
The Cumberland Lawyer
One way
alumni stay
connected to the school
is through The
Cumberland Lawyer, a
magazine offering
updates on students,
faculty, school
programs and alumni
achievements.
Alumni also stay
connected through
alumni groups on
Facebook and LinkedIn,
as well as through the
Cumberland
Connections
e-newsletter and the “CumberlandLaw” Twitter feed.
Charles R. ―Chuck‖ Malone
’81 on August 1, 2011, was
named chief justice of the
Alabama Supreme Court
by Alabama Governor
Robert Bentley.
“Within a year and a half after my
graduation from Cumberland, I had
tried 13 jury trials. I had also assisted
in a murder trial. If it were not for
the education and training I received
at Cumberland School of Law, I do
not believe I would have experienced
so much at such an early stage in my
legal career.”
T. Cameron McEwen ’07
Deputy District Attorney (second from right)
Number of alumni represented in
the 217 total number of Alabama
Law Foundation Fellows, which
honors bar members who have
made a significant contribution to
their profession and their
community (No more than 1% of
Alabama Bar members may
become Fellows.)
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update
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41
Over the years, law school alumni have achieved many great
accomplishments including working as, working with or having
received: director of the White House Office of Management and Budget; senior
vice president of administration for U.S. Steel; high-ranking official in the European
Union; brigadier general; federal judge; university professor; law professor; sports
agent; governor; mayor; assistant U.S. attorney; Mercedes-Benz U.S. International,
Inc.; Honda Manufacturing of Alabama; DaimlerChrysler AG; The Boeing
Company; presidential appointment; gubernatorial appointment; Best Lawyers in
America award; North Carolina State Bar’s Distinguished Service award; State of
Florida Pro Bono award plus many other great accomplishments.
41

A
lumni Highlights: A glimpse at a few achievements
that span across the United States and overseas
Ben Strand ’67 won the 2009 McCain-Abernathy Memorial
Award, which recognized him as an outstanding judge in
juvenile legislative skills in his attempt to have legislation
enacted by the Tennessee Legislature that benefits the judiciary.
Jim Morgan ’69 received the 2009 North Carolina State
Bar’s Distinguished Service award.
William Brown ’70 was confirmed by the Tennessee
General Assembly to serve as one of 13 members of the
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission.
Robert K. Dawson ’71 served as associate director of the
White House Office of Management and Budget, overseeing one
quarter of the federal budget. He continues to work at a
high-profile law firm in Washington, D.C.
Joel F. Dubina ’73 was a U.S. magistrate judge from
1983―86. He was nominated by President Ronald Reagan in
1986 for judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District
of Alabama. He joined the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Eleventh Circuit, nominated by President George H.W. Bush in
1990. As of 2009 he resides as chief judge.
Thomas W. Sterling ’73 served for 40 years at U.S. Steel
in Pittsburg, PA most recently as senior vice president of
administration and a member of the Executive Management
Committee.
Charles H. Booth, Jr. ’74 received the 2009 Pro Bono
Award by the Alabama State Bar Association for mediation.
John L. Carroll ’74 received his LL.M. from Harvard. He
became a law professor and then a federal judge for 14 years.
Since 2001, he has been dean of Cumberland School of Law.
Judge Carroll is a frequent lecturer and panel member at national
seminars on the subject of the discovery of information in
electronic form and other topics relating to federal courts.
Julian Mann ’74 was named to the North Carolina Bar
Association Board of Governors.
Lee Thuston ’74 was responsible for site selection and
negotiation processes for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International,
Inc., The Boeing Company, Mi-Tech Steel, Inc., and IPSCO
Steel when these companies chose to locate their facilities in
Alabama. He also has done extensive work with Honda
Manufacturing of Alabama; Hyundai Motor Manufacturing
Alabama, LLC; KIA Motors Corporation; and negotiations on
behalf of both DaimlerChrysler AG and Michigan Automotive
Compressor, Inc. (an affiliate of Toyoda Industries). He
represented ThyssenKrupp AG and National Steel Car, Ltd. He
has worked on economic development projects and expansions
representing more than $12 billion of capital investment and the
creation of thousands of new jobs.
Miles McGrane ’75 is a member of the Park City
Performing Art Foundation Board in Park City, Utah.
Beverly P. Baker ’85 has served as a commissioner on the
American Bar Association’s Commission on Opportunities for
Minorities in the Profession and on the Council of the Litigation
Section of the ABA. She is a Fellow of the American
Association of University Women. She is listed in the Best
Lawyers in America, was inducted into the Alabama Law
Foundation (limited to 1% of lawyers in Alabama), and recently
was selected for membership in the College of Labor and
Employment Lawyers.
Katherine Barr ’85 has been a featured speaker for the
American Bar Association Section of Real Property, Trust and
Estate Law.
Lise-Kiresten Scholer Higgins ’85 is director of the
Personnel and Employment Section at the New Jersey State
Parole Board. She supervises the Human Resources, Employment
Relations and Equal Employment Opportunity units.
Robert G. Bugge ’86 is director of legal services in the
Asian Pacific for Nuance Communication, Inc., in Sydney,
Australia.
John Miller ’86, brigadier general, is commandant of the
U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School
at the University of Virginia.
Anne B. Pope ’86 was appointed federal cochair to the
Appalachian Regional Commission by President George W.
Bush.
Pat F. Dye, Jr. ’87 has negotiated nearly $2 billion in NFL
contracts. He represents 45 NFL players, 13 of whom have
recent Pro Bowl selections. Clients include Emmitt Smith, Brian
Urlacher, DeMarcus Ware and Keith Brooking.
Bill Foster ’88 is mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Edward H. Merrigan ’88 was appointed to the Broward
County Court of Florida by governor Charlie Crist ’81.
William Gary Beard ’91 was nominated by President
George W. Bush as a brigadier general for the 351 Civil Affairs
Command in Mountain View, California, United States Army
Reserve, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Richard Costigan III ’91 was deputy chief of staff and
legislative affairs secretary for California governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger appointed Costigan to the
California State Personnel Board, which is responsible for
California’s Civil Service System.
Corinne Lockett ’92 is president of the Fairfax Bar
Association in Northern, Virginia.
Mark Bajalia ’94 was selected by Florida Trend Magazine
as one of Florida’s Legal Elite in the field of commercial
litigation.
Angela Redmond Debro ’94 is a member of the general
counsel for Alabama A&M University.
Malcolm Harrison ’94 was appointed by Mississippi
Governor Haley Barbour to be Hinds County circuit judge.
Tod Hyche ’94 was elected as a Fellow of the American
College of Trust and Estate Counsel, one of only 31 attorneys in
South Carolina named as a fellow in 2009.
Robert Boland ’95 is a professor of sports business at New
York University. He was recently named Academic Chair of his
department. His opinion is highly regarded in the sports industry.
Michael I. Fish ’95 was appointed by the American Bar
Association’s Tort, Trial and Insurance Practice workers’
Compensation and Employer Liability Committee.
Stan Logan ’96 co-owns the Class AA affiliate of the Chicago
White Sox baseball team, the Birmingham Barons.
William Robby Chumley ’97 was appointed by South
Carolina governor Mark Stanford to judge of the Spartanbury
County Court.
Loreta Raulinaityte ’98 is a Lithuanian citizen and a
high-ranking official in the European Union.
T. Scott Kelly ’00 was appointed to committee director for
the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division
[YLD]. He previously held the position of chair of the YLD’s
Labor and Employment Law Committee.
Latanishia D. Watters ’01 was named as assistant
diversity director of the American Bar Association’s Young
Lawyers Division for 2009―10. She has been a featured speaker
at the American Bar Association’s annual and midyear meetings.
James Arthur Woods, Jr. ’01 of Chattanooga,
Tennessee, is an assistant U.S. attorney with the Department of
Justice.
Jennifer Bellamy ’02 serves as legislative counsel for
criminal justice issues for the Washington Legislative Office.
She advocates on behalf of more than 500,000 ACLU members.
Kathleen M. Welderman ’04, is senior privacy analyst,
Department of Homeland Security/FEMA-Front Rowe in the
Privacy Branch.
Jason Gammons ’05 is a Captain in the Judge Advocate
General’s Corps stationed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
Ashby Pate ’07 is currently serving as senior court counsel
to the chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of
Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean.
Damion Heersink ’08 is working in the Amsterdam office
of Hogan Lovells, doing intellectual property with a focus on
pharmaceutical patent litigation of a transatlantic nature. His role
requires travel to Munich, Brussels, New York, London and The
Hague.
Dara D. Fernandez ’09 currently holds the position of
regional president with the Hispanic National Bar Association
and is an active member of the Association.
Brittany A. Schaffer ’10 is an associate at Loeb &
Loeb LLP. She handles a diverse range of entertainment
transactions in the music and publishing industries.
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update Fall 2011 Update
C U M B E R L A N D . S A M F O R D . E D U
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Herman J. Russomanno ’75 is one of Florida’s toughest
and most successful trial lawyers. He has received numerous
forms of recognition including: Best Lawyers in America;
Leading Florida Attorneys; Pursuit of Justice Award (ABA
2002); Justice Harry Lee Anstead Professionalism Award, Dade
County Trial Lawyers Association (2002); B.J. Masterson
Award for Professionalism, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers
(2001); Florida Trial Lawyer of the Year, American Board of
Trial Advocates (2001); and President, Florida Bar (2000). He is
a member of St. Thomas University School of Law’s board of
advisors, an adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy and faculty
advisor to the law school’s Mock Trial team. In 2009 he was
appointed to the ABA’s prestigious Commission on Ethics 20/20
task force.
Max O. Cogburn, Jr. ’76 was nominated May 27, 2010,
by President Obama for U.S. district judge, Western District of
North Carolina. He was then confirmed.
Segundo J. Fernandez ’76 was named to Best Lawyers
in America.
Robert Shalboub ’77 received the State of Florida Pro
Bono award for his work.
Doug Jones ’79 as an U. S. attorney in Birmingham brought
justice more than 30 years later to the perpetrators of the
bombing at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.
S. Dubose Porter ’79 ran for governor in Georgia in 2010.
He serves as the Georgia House of Representatives minority
leader.
Anthony A. Joseph ’80 is a fellow of the American
College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations
in America.
Chris Murvin ’80 is senior vice president of business
affairs for the Golf Channel.
Wilson Myers ’80 and Tina Ziegenhain ’00
developed curriculum reform for Iraqi public law schools. It had
been 50 years since there was any curriculum reform in Iraq.
Charlie Christ ’81 was the 44th governor of Florida. He
has since joined the law office of Morgan & Morgan.
Brian D. Lockerble ’82 is regional vice president of the
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.
Rick Davis ’83 has successfully represented several college
football coaches.
Lew Garrison ’83 created LegalTube.com, a legal
marketing website.
Janet Cobb ’84 was confirmed as a brigadier general in the
Army Reserve by the U.S. Senate. She is the former commander
of the 1184th Transportation Terminal Battalion, which set
records for its handling of cargo in Kuwait in 2002―03.
43

Samford University
M
emory Leake Robinson Hall and the Lucille
Stewart Beeson Law Library represent just
one school and two of the many buildings
found on the 300-acre campus of Samford
University. Samford is the largest private
educational institution in Alabama. The
campus is nestled in the valley between Red and
Shades Mountains, minutes from downtown
Birmingham, in the booming suburb of Homewood.
Samford University has continued
a decades-long tradition
of being ranked in the top
tier of its peer group in the
annual U.S. News & World
Report college rankings.
Samford was ranked fourth
among universities in the
South in the 2012 rankings
released Sept. 13. Kiplinger's
magazine ranks Samford in
the top 100 best values
among private universities.
More than 4,700 students
engage in 138 academic majors,
minors and concentration from 26 degree programs
across eight schools of study: School of the Arts,
Howard College of Arts and Sciences, Brock School of
Business, Beeson Divinity School (the only divinity
school in the state), Orlean Bullard Beeson School of
Education and Professional Studies, Cumberland
School of Law, Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing and
McWhorter School of Pharmacy.
The university has rich history dating back to its
establishment in 1841 as Howard College with nine
students. 169 years later, Samford now prospers with
the leadership of President Andrew Westmoreland and
competes in Division I Southern Conference athletics.
Each year, Samford enrolls a
highly competitive class. The
2010 Freshman Class included,
494 (66%) out-ofstate
students, 99 students in
the top 10% of their high
school class, 41 valedictorians/salutatorians,
an average
ACT score of 26, an average
SAT score of 1190 and an
average GPA of 3.7.
12:1
Undergraduate
student-to-faculty
ratio
“Top 50 Best Value Private School”
by the Princeton Review in 2010
Samford University’s Brock School of
Business Entrepreneurship Program was
selected as the 2010 National Outstanding
Emerging Entrepreneurship Program by the
U.S. Association of Small Business and
Entrepreneurship.
“SAMFORD WAS RANKED FOURTH
AMONG UNIVERISTRIES IN THE
SOUTH . . .”
A Message from Samford University President Andrew Westmoreland
“Samford University takes enormous pride in our
relationship with the historic Cumberland School
of Law. As a law student you will encounter
colleagues and friends sharing a dynamic
community of learning, faith and service.
The vibrancy of our university includes more than
1,700 graduate and professional students. With the
leadership of a distinguished faculty, Samford
students are engaged in learning through research,
study abroad, and internships in 138 academic
majors, minors and concentrations. Our graduates
carry this spirit of engagement with them into
their communities and into the world,
exemplifying the Samford maxim The world is better
for it.
Samford’s academic program, campus setting and
genuine hospitality combine to create a unique
university experience. Please carefully consider
making Samford’s Cumberland School of Law
your choice.”
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update
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Play Video

A free fitness/wellness center can
be found in the Pete Hanna Center.
The workout facilities are state-ofthe-art
and include many cardio
options, free-weights and machine
weights.
Samford University’s students
come from 47 states and 16
countries.
There are 60 buildings on campus.
Samford University at Night
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update
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Student housing on Samford’s
campus is for undergraduate
students. Graduate students find
affordable high-quality living
off-campus in the areas
surrounding campus, including
Homewood, Mountain Brook,
Vestavia Hills and Hoover.
Photo by Jason Wilson

Birmingham
W
ith an exceptional legal community and
quality of life located at the foothills of the
Appalachian Mountains, Birmingham,
Alabama offers a diverse array of
professional and personal opportunities in
a gracious Southern setting. Nicknamed the “Magic City”
because of its rapid growth after the city was founded in
1871, the metro Birmingham area boasts a population of
more than a million people in a seven-county area.
American Bar Association Journal
listed Birmingham on their 2011 U.S.
list of “10 Surprising Legal Markets.”
Nearly, half of the membership of the Alabama State Bar
practice in the metropolitan area, with a large number of
major law firms making their headquarters in
Birmingham. Midsized and smaller firms, as well as solo
practices, round out Birmingham’s lively legal landscape,
providing a multitude of convenient job opportunities for
Cumberland School of Law students.
Birmingham was named by Forbes magazine on their
2009 city listing of the top 100 “Best Bang-for-the-Buck.”
In 2011, the American Bar Association Journal listed
Birmingham on their U.S. list of “10 Surprising Legal Markets.”
Birmingham’s health care ranks fifth overall in the United
States in a comparison study of 354 metro areas in North
America—understandably so, since the city’s largest
employer, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has
gained international stature for its medical center.
Headquartered in Birmingham is Regions Financial Corporation,
one of the nation's top banks and a Fortune
500 Company, and BBVA Compass, the 20th largest
U.S. commercial bank based on deposit market share.
Birmingham is also home to Drummond Company, Inc.;
Ebsco Industries, Inc.; and Brasfield & Gorrie; three Alabama
based companies listed on Forbes' 2010 list of
"America's Largest Private Companies."
The Time Inc. subsidiary Southern Progress
Corporation that publishes the popular title,
Southern Living magazine is headquarter next to
Samford’s campus. They also publish Coastal
Living, Cooking Light, Health and Sunset
magazines. Their in-house counsel has come to
speak to the Women in Law student organization.
Nearly half of the
membership of
the Alabama State
Bar practice in the
metropolitan area
of Birmingham.
“Birmingham provides the benefits of a large city with the feel of a
much smaller town. It has the restaurant scene and attractions, but the
people are welcoming and go out of their way
to show it. The areas around Birmingham are
beautiful and offer many outdoor recreational
opportunities year round. The secret of Birmingham
is not that it has one standout feature
that sets the city apart, but that it offers a little
of everything, with Southern hospitality, in a
way that makes the whole city greater than the
sum of its parts.”
Andrew Boulter
American University graduate, third-year law student
L egal-Minded City
Birmingham is a strong legal market that offers
students an environment rich with opportunities
for externships and extracurricular activities that
enhance the classroom experience and offer
networking opportunities.
Minutes from Campus
State and Federal Courthouses
Local, State and Federal Government Agencies
Several Large National and State Law Firms
Many Public Interest Agencies
Major Health-care Market with Several Large Hospitals
Short Distance from Campus
U.S. Space and Rocket Center
Several Large Military Bases
Large Agricultural Industry
Numerous Environmental Operations
Birmingham skyline from Vulcan Park
courtesy of the Alabama Tourism Department
Short Drive from Campus
Nashville, Tennessee
Atlanta, Georgia
New Orleans, Louisiana
Gulf of Mexico beaches
Find the RESOURCES you
need to SUCCEED as a law
student in Birmingham.
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update
C U M B E R L A N D . S A M F O R D . E D U
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49
“Birmingham is a fantastic resource for
law students. Companies across the
country send their legal work to
Birmingham. In turn, law firms not only
hire students to work on those jobs, but
many of the attorneys are adjuncts at
Cumberland, teaching a range of material
from trial advocacy to
taxation. Students
have the opportunity
to learn from someone
who actually practices
in a specific field of
law.”
Tripp Watson ’10
J.D./M.B.A.

A Glimpse At Some City Resources
Vulcan, Roman god of the forge, keeps watch over
the city from his post atop Red Mountain.
www.visitvulcan.com
Porsche's North American
Driving School, located on the Barber
Motorsports Park, which also hosts a Grand Prix event
with the likes of Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves,
Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, and all of Indy's finest.
www.porschedriving.com
T
here is plenty to do around
Birmingham, whether you are looking
for a night out at a top restaurant or a
day trip to a local attraction.
Calendar of Events
Sloss Furnaces National Historic
Landmark preserves Birmingham’s history as a major
player in the steel industry. www.slossfurnaces.com
The nation’s oldest existing baseball park,
Rickwood Field, is located in Birmingham. The
Birmingham Barons, the city’s Class AA professional
baseball team associated with the Chicago White Sox,
plays an annual throwback game on the field.
www.rickwood.com and www.barons.com
Legendary chef and restaurant owner, Frank Stitt, has
several world-class restaurants across the city, with a flavor
for anyone’s taste. Find cozy bistros, elegant Italian, sushi,
seafood or a locally owned gem. Birmingham has a dining
scene that rivals any U.S. city.
www.birminghamrestaurants.com/guide.asp
McWane Science Center, founded in 1998, is a
$40-million science adventure center downtown. Major
components include an IMAX dome theatre, Science Quest
and an ever-changing display of exhibitions.
www.mcwane.org
Birmingham is home to some of the best and
affordable golf. Golf Digest editors rank six golf
courses in the metro area with four or more stars out
of five.
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
continues through Birmingham at the 54-hole Oxmoor
Valley Course, which hosts the Regions Charity
Classic, a PGA event that draws a large crowd every
year. www.rtjgolf.com
The Birmingham Museum of Art is the
largest city-owned museum in the Southeast, housing the
most comprehensive permanent collection of art in the
region. www.artsbma.org
The Alabama Symphony Orchestra
plays at venues around the city, and the
Alabama Ballet performs on Samford’s campus
in the Leslie S. Wright Fine Arts Center.
www.alabamasymphony.org
www.alabamaballet.org
WANT TO
SEE MORE?
All photographs on the left and right pages except SLOSS are courtesy
of the Alabama Tourism Department
The Birmingham Civil Rights
Institute offers a comprehensive look at America’s
journey toward equal rights for all citizens, with
galleries highlighting Birmingham’s role in the
movement. www.bcri.org
Outdoor enthusiasts find recreational adventures at nearby
Oak Mountain State Park and Ruffner
Mountain. www.alapark.com
The Birmingham Zoo is one of the most visited
tourist attractions in Alabama. Across the street, the
Birmingham Botanical Gardens features
24 gardens on 80 acres.
www.birminghamzoo.com
www.bbgardens.org
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W C U M B E R L A N D . S A M F O R D . E D U
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51

Admission & Financial Aid Information
C
umberland School of Law has rolling admissions. It is always
in an applicant’s best interest to apply and complete his or her
file early, when there are many open seats for the entering
first-year class. Admission files are roughly reviewed in the
order which they become complete. As it becomes later in the
application cycle and as admission offers are granted, there
becomes fewer open seats in the entering first-year class. It is important
that you are familiar with all of the admission deadlines.
2010―11 Application Cycle:
1,405 first-year applications from 44 states,
Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Saipan, two Canadian provinces, South Korea and China.
Apply Now
Basic Admission Requirements
Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or
university prior to entering the first-year of law school.
Applicants must have taken the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) within the
last five years. February 2012 will be the last LSAT score that will be
considered for Fall 2012 admission.
Applicants will need to register with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC)
and register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). LSAC’s website is
www.lsac.org. Applicants will need to make arrangements for LSAC to receive
and compile their letters of recommendations, transcripts from all the colleges
and universities attended and LSAT score.
Applicants will need to complete the Cumberland School of Law application and
all that is entailed in the application instructions by the required deadlines.
Application will include a personal statement, a resume and any addendum(s) if
required.
$50 nonrefundable application fee.
Do you have a question that is on your mind, check out the Frequently Asked Questions section!
Priority Deadline: September 15 ― December 31, 2011
Those applications submitted and completed within the priority deadline will be handled with priority. Competitive
applications submitted by the priority deadline will have the best opportunity for receiving scholarship monies.
Deadline: February 28, 2012
Those applications submitted after this date will not be considered for admission in the current application cycle. At this
time an applicant only needs to submit their Cumberland School of Law application, résumé, and personal statement.
*Please note: All additional required documents must be submitted by no later than April 1, 2012, otherwise the
application will be withdrawn from consideration.
These documents include, CAS data reports
Checking your status online
Applicants can log on to view their application status once they
submit their Cumberland School of Law application through
LSAC. Admission decisions and all other correspondence will
be mailed to the permanent address listed by the applicant on
the Cumberland School of Law application. Admission decisions
will also be viewable online.
Log on to view application status.
which has your two letters of recommendation,
transcripts from all the colleges and universities
attended and LSAT score.
It is always in an applicant’s
best interest to apply and
complete his or her file early.
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update Fall 2011 Update
C U M B E R L A N D . S A M F O R D . E D U
52
Fall 2011 entering
class profile
Median LSAT and GPA: 155 and 3.29
75th percentiles: 157 and 3.53
25th percentiles: 152 and 2.97
Financial Aid
Approximately 80 percent of Cumberland School of Law students receive some form of financial aid. Most students
finance their education with federal and private loans.
The Samford University Office of Financial Aid can assist any law student with finding the appropriate financial aid
plan.
The first step is to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid [FAFSA], which can be completed online at
www.fafsa.ed.gov. Include the federal school code for Samford: 001036. Students admitted to the university in full
standing by March 1, 2012, and whose FAFSAs have been received by the processor will be in the first group to be
awarded financial aid.
The financial aid information packet explains all options in detail:
Federal Stafford Loans allow eligible students to borrow a maximum of $20,500 per academic year.
Federal Graduate PLUS Loans are used after Stafford Loan eligibility to supplement costs associated with
students’ education up to the estimated law student budget amount.
Private, nonsubsidized loans can also be taken in conjunction with federal loans.
For additional information, contact the Financial Aid Office at 205-726-2905, 1-800-888-7245 or
www4.samford.edu/admin/finaid/.
Read more about financial aid and receive advice from a Cumberland School of Law graduate.
Cumberland School of Law Class or 2012 pictured at their fall 2009 orientation.
53

Scholarships
Cumberland School of Law awarded nearly 3 million dollars
of scholarships during the 2010―11 academic year. Typically,
over 25% of each class will receive some type of
merit award. In addition, more than 50 leadership scholarships
are awarded annually, as are numerous need-based
awards. Finally, there is the unique “Peer Scholarship” that
Every
student that
is admitted to
Cumberland
School of
Law for fulltime
study is
automatically
considered
for meritbased
scholarship.
is awarded each year to a deserving
student as a gift from the graduating
third-year class.
Every student who is admitted to
Cumberland School of Law for their
first-year is considered for meritbased
scholarship. A scholarship
committee will review all admitted
first-year law students’ applications
and make scholarship selections
based on the information provided.
There is no additional paperwork to
fill out to be considered. Those
admitted law students who are
selected for scholarship will be
notified.
At the end of the first year and
second year of law school, law
students will be reevaluated for
scholarships based on academic performance, leadership and
financial need.
Scholarships are offered in the form of full or partial tuition merit scholarships, which
may include a one-time stipend of up to $1,000. Second- and third-year students may
be eligible to receive endowed, need-based, merit or leadership scholarships, made
possible through the generosity of Cumberland School of Law alumni and friends. No
scholarships are available for students with flex-time status.
Entering first-year law
student scholarship
opportunity
25%
typically of
the entering
class
A late March snow storm covers the Angel of Justice
outside the law school.
Scholarship funds are limited;
therefore, it is in the applicant's
best interest to apply to
Cumberland School of Law
by the December 31, 2011,
priority deadline.
Second- and third
-year students
may be eligible to
receive endowed,
need-based, merit
or leadership
scholarships.
The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship (The following text is pulled directly from
www.americanbar.org)
The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship grants 20 incoming diverse law students with $15,000 of financial assistance
over the course of their three years in law school. During his term as ABA President, William G. Paul initiated the
scholarship to encourage racially and ethnically diverse students to apply to and attend law school. Since its inception,
200 students from across the country have received the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship. These exceptional
recipients have overcome adversity, proven themselves through academic success and public service, and
demonstrated the tenacity to excel within the profession. For more information please visit http://
www.americanbar.org/groups/diversity/diversity_pipeline/projects_initiatives/legal_opportunity_scholarship.html.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition for the academic year 2011―12 is $17,264 per semester for full-time students and $1,133 per hour for
flex-time students, not including variable expenses such as books and supplies. All first-year law student charges are
payable on the first day of orientation.
Application Fee*
Reapplication Fee*
Acceptance Deposits*
Technology Fee*
Activity Fee*
Parking Decal, per year*
*All fees and deposits are nonrefundable.
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update Fall 2011 Update
C U M B E R L A N D . S A M F O R D . E D U
54
Photo by Derrek G. Smith
Flex-Time Status
Designed for individuals who cannot attend school full-time or would like to ease into the study of law. The flex-time
status enables a student to complete his law degree in five years or less, with a minimum of eight credit hours and a
maximum of nine credit hours each semester. The admission process and requirements are the same as applying for
full-time admission status. Flex-time students attend classes during the day and pay an hourly tuition rate of $1,133
per credit hour. Contact the admission office for more details.
Fees and Deposits
$50
$50
$250 first seat deposit
$500 second seat deposit
Total seat deposits are applied
toward the student’s fall 2012
tuition.
$125 per semester
$35 per semester
*2011―12 Academic Year
Law Student Budget
Tuition¹
Technology Fee¹
Activity Fee¹
Room/Board²
Books/Supplies²
Transportation²
Personal/Misc.²
Loan Fees³
Total Estimated Budget
$34,528
$250
$70
$13,500
$2,000
$1,750
$2,999
$1,653
$56,750
The Angel Patio is found outside Robinson Hall and the Beeson Law Library. The pleasant year-round climate in
Birmingham gives students the ability to utilize outside areas such as the Angel Patio for a majority of both semesters.
55
*Subject to change for the 2012―13 academic year
¹Academic year fees required for all full-time students
²Estimated on a nine-month academic year
³Applies only to those utilizing federal or private loans
Photo by Derrek G. Smith

2011―12 ACADEMIC CALENDAR
FALL 2011
August 15 First-year orientation/workshop begins
August 22 Classes begin
August 30 Last-day to drop/add a course
September 5 Labor Day, no classes meet
October 25―29 Spring registration
November 22 Constructive Friday
November 23―25 Thanksgiving holidays, no classes meet
December 1 Classes end
December 2 Study day
December 3―16 Exams
December 17 Commencement
SPRING 2012
January 9 Classes begin
January 16 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, no classes meet
January 17 Constructive Monday, Monday classes meet
January 17 Last day to drop/add a course
March 19―23 Spring break
March 26 Summer registration begins online
April 3―6 Fall registration
April 9 Easter holiday, no classes meet
April 24 Classes end
April 25, 25 & 27 Study days, no classes meet
April 30―May 15 Final exams
May 18―19 Commencement
SUMMER 2012
May 29 Classes begin
June 6 Last day to drop/add a course
June 26 Mini term ends
July 4 Holiday, no classes meet
July 31 Constructive Monday
July 31 Classes end
August 1 Study day
August 2, 3, 6 & 7 Exams
*The 2012―13 Academic Calendar is subject to change.
C U M B E R L A N D S C H O O L O F L A W Fall 2011 Update
Fall 2011 Update
C U M B E R L A N D . S A M F O R D . E D U
56
Samford University complies with applicable laws prohibiting discrimination, including applicable provisions of and
amendments to Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act,
Executive Order 11246, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in admission or access to, or treatment or
employment in, its programs or services. Inquiries and concerns regarding this policy may be directed to the vice
president for business affairs or general counsel, Office of Business and Financial Affairs, 200 Samford Hall,
Birmingham, AL 35229, (205) 726-2811. This notice is available in alternative formats upon request.
Inquiries and concerns regarding this policy may be directed to the vice president for business affairs or general
counsel, Office of Business Affairs, 200 Samford Hall, Birmingham, AL 35229, (205) 726-2811. This notice is
available in alternative formats upon request.
INFORMATION IN
THIS ADMISSION
PROSPECTUS was
compiled originally
for fall 2010. This
prospectus is
published on a
three year term. The
first draft was
published fall 2010.
A second draft with
edits, including but
not limited to,
entering first-year
Class of 2011
statistics, academic
calendar and
current 2011—12
tuition costs, was
published in fall
2011. Any page with
a fall 2011 update
will have “Fall 2011
update” listed at the
bottom of that page.
Samford University’s
Cumberland School
of Law reserves the
The front-side of Robinson Hall overlooks the Martha F. and Albert P. Brewer Plaza made
possible by the generous contributions of many Cumberland School of Law supporters.
right to revise, amend or change items set forth in this admission prospectus from time to time. Accordingly, readers
should inquire as to whether such revisions, amendments or changes have been made since the date of publication.
Such revisions, amendments or changes may include, but are not limited to, the right to modify the requirements for
admission or graduation, to change tuition, to modify or cancel course offerings, to set minimum and maximum class
sizes, to change designated instructions in courses, to change casebooks used, to alter regulations affecting the
student body, to dismiss or drop from the law school any student at any time, if such change is deemed in the best
interest of the law school or the student.
*All photographs, unless otherwise noted, have been provided either by the Samford University photographers,
vendor or provided by the individual(s) in the photograph.
57

“Our goal at Cumberland School of Law is to make
you a spectacular lawyer and an even better person.”
Dean John L. Carroll ’74
Each year at law commencement, the Daniel Austin Brewer Award is
given to a graduating senior who best exemplifies attributes of
professionalism that lawyers are expected to exhibit in practice. Larry
Young ’09, center, received this award, as did Carin Brown ’09 (not
pictured) for their graduating class.
Produced by Derrek G. Smith, director of admission and marketing,
and edited by Samford University’s Office of Communication
Fall 2011 Update