Samford University, Cumberland School of Law

Entering first-year students have the opportunity to take two summer courses that provide an introduction to many of the first-year subjects and the legal process. Students earn a total of five law school credit hours before they begin in the fall. 

The Pre-1L Summer Program is beneficial in establishing early friendships, study habits and relationships with professors. Students also benefit from the experience of creating course outlines and completing two law school final exams. Students who participate in the summer program give high praise to their “readiness quotient” when tackling a full course load in the fall 

“The pre-1L courses at Cumberland School of Law give incoming students an opportunity to build a strong foundation toward earning their JD. They learn about the U.S. legal system and about reading and analyzing regulations, statues and case law. Plus, with an introduction to a variety of first-year legal topics, they engage study skills and self-regulation skills like time management and well-being. Perhaps most significantly, and in line with the law school’s mission, the students begin to cultivate community with their peers.” - Lynn Hogewood, pre-1L instructor and assistant dean of Academic and Bar Success

Keeping legal education relevant requires offering more than one traditional law degree. To broaden perspectives or to help prepare for careers in special fields, Cumberland School of Law students have the option to pursue eight different joint degrees that complement the traditional Juris Doctor.

• Juris Doctor/Master of Accountancy*
• Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Theological Studies
• Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration*
• Juris Doctor/Master of Divinity
• Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration*
• Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health*
• Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Environmental Management*
• Juris Doctor/Master of Laws*+
   

Students apply in the spring of their first year and most programs can be completed in the same three years as the traditional Juris Doctor. Students must have a 2.5 GPA at the end of their first year to begin all programs except for the Master of Laws which requires a 3.0.

*Can be completed in three years in conjunction with a Juris Doctor | +Concentrations offered: financial services regulatory compliance, health law and compliance, higher education law and compliance, and legal operations

Cumberland School of Law’s advocacy program develops each advocate’s style while teaching the art and science of advocacy. We train advocates to use their distinct and diverse voices to effectively represent their clients and serve their communities.

Our comprehensive advocacy training equips students with the skills needed for every legal career and enables them to become life-changing advocates. Our program encompasses the trial and appellate levels of the court system as well as alternative dispute resolution with arbitration, mediation and negotiation training. Opportunities to participate on a national competition team for each area are available.

Students explore advocacy by participating in trial, moot court, negotiation and arbitration competitions. Additionally, Cumberland School of Law is one of the few law schools where students run first-year intramural advocacy competitions.

Our outstanding curriculum begins with Evidence in the first year and extends to the capstone class of Advanced Skills in Trial Advocacy. If certain requirements are completed by the third year, the state of Alabama allows students to obtain third-year certification and try their own cases with a supervising attorney. Additional courses are offered for every aspect of advocacy: mediation, negotiation, drafting, complex litigation and client counseling. Students receive hands-on practical instruction so that our graduates are practice-ready.

Cumberland School of Law is currently ranked 6th in the nation for Trial Advocacy Training.

A core pillar of Cumberland School of Law’s mission is service and outreach. Students and faculty are dedicated to serving the communities around them through clinical work, externships, and public interest and pro bono work. Students engage in service beginning with first-year orientation, establishing a firm foundation for serving others throughout law school and in their careers.

Clinics: At Cumberland School of Law, students put into practice the knowledge and skills they’ve learned in LLR and their doctrinal classes. In addition to classroom instruction in each area, students will conduct an average of 12 hours per week of out-of-class casework for four to five credits, depending on the clinic and semester it is offered. Cumberland’s clinics also engage core pillars of its mission: public service, professionalism and community.

• Capital Defense Clinic: Assist the Jefferson County Public Defender in representing defendants who face capital charges
• Cooney Contracts Clinic: Learn the legal implications of construction, insurance and surety contracts
• Criminal Appeals Clinic: Assist the Jefferson County Public Defender in criminal appeals by drafting briefs and other pleadings
• Innocence Clinic: Investigate and secure counsel in cases of actual innocence resulting from Alabama convictions
• Parole Clinic: Work with Redemption Earned to help worthy, incarcerated individuals obtain parole and qualify for work-release
• Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic: Serve veterans who need legal assistance for consumer debt, landlordtenant, expungement, uncontested family matters and wills 

Externships: Birmingham, Alabama, has a thriving legal community with more than 5,000 practicing attorneys and is home to both federal and state courts, as well as numerous government agencies and nonprofits. Externships allow students to work with experienced lawyers and apply what they have learned. These opportunities provide a firsthand view of a particular area of practice. Students can enhance their advocacy skills through real-world practice in prosecutors’ offices, legal services programs, judges’ chambers and private law firms. Networking for future career options is also a vital aspect of these experiences.

Public Interest and Pro Bono Program: The missions of Samford University, Cumberland School of Law, the Alabama State Bar and the American Bar Association are united in prioritizing service to others. The Public Interest and Pro Bono Program at Cumberland allows students to immediately begin helping others from the first week of orientation on Serve Day. Throughout the school year, students have the opportunity to participate in interactive legal clinics serving real clients on topics ranging from estate planning and expungement to evictions and family law matters. Birmingham, Alabama, is also home to several public interest organizations such as the Birmingham Volunteer Lawyers, the Southern Environmental Law Center and Legal Services of Alabama for students to get practical experience by volunteering during the summer or school year.

Cumberland School of Law offers opportunities for students to study abroad and for non-U.S. students to study on Samford University’s campus. Students gain an international perspective by studying and living in a legal system and culture different from their own. These programs also enhance the international exposure of host students by bringing students from other nations to campus.

Study Abroad in Cambridge, England and Edinburgh, Scotland: Cumberland School of Law administers two five-credit study abroad programs, one at Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge, England, and the other at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland.

International LLM in Norwich, England: 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 spend a year at Cumberland School of Law after their second year of legal studies. In return, two Cumberland School of Law graduates are awarded full-tuition scholarships for studies toward an LLM at Norwich Law School, and numerous partial tuition scholarships are also awarded. Cumberland graduates can choose from six different LLM programs through this partnership.