Cumberland Law School
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The Cumberland School of Law is an
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-accredited
law school A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for b ...
at
Samford University Samford University is a Private university, private Christian university in Homewood, Alabama, United States. It was founded by Baptist Church, Baptists in 1841 as Howard College and located until 1887 in Marion, Alabama. It is governed by an in ...
in
Homewood, Alabama Homewood is a city in southeastern Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is a suburb of Birmingham, located on the other side of Red Mountain due south of the city center. The population was 26,414 at the 2020 census. History Earl ...
, United States. It was founded in 1847 at
Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842. The oldest campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberl ...
in
Lebanon, Tennessee Lebanon ( ) is the county seat of Wilson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 38,431 at the 2020 census. Lebanon is located in Middle Tennessee, approximately east of downtown Nashville. Lebanon is part of the Nashville Metro ...
and is the 11th oldest law school in the United States. The school offers two degree programs: the 90-hour
Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
(J.D.), and the
Master of Comparative Law A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...
(M.C.L.), which is designed to educate foreign lawyers in the basic legal principles of the United States. The school also offers eight dual-degree programs and a
Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...
(LL.M) program with concentrations in financial service regulatory compliance, health law and policy, higher education law and compliance, and legal project management. Cumberland Law School is unrelated to the
University of the Cumberlands The University of the Cumberlands is a private Christian university in Williamsburg, Kentucky, United States. Over 20,000 students are enrolled at the university. History University of the Cumberlands, first called Williamsburg Institute, was f ...
in
Williamsburg, Kentucky Williamsburg is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Whitley County, on the southeastern border of Kentucky, United States. The population was 5,326 at the 2020 census. Developed along the Cumberland River, the city was founded in ...
, and is no longer a part of
Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842. The oldest campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberl ...
in Lebanon, Tennessee.


History

This summary is based on ''From Maverick to Mainstream'', a review of Cumberland's history and the development of the American legal education system. Langum and Walthall summarize the history of Cumberland Law School as:
From its very local, Tennessee origins in 1847, Cumberland...emerged as a premier law school with a national status. It excelled in faculty, teaching methodology, and numbers of students. Following the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, Cumberland rebuilt itself and ultimately succeeded on a grand scale with its single-year curriculum.


Early years and founding

Cumberland School of Law was founded on July 29, 1847 in Lebanon,
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
at
Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842. The oldest campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberl ...
. At the end of 1847, there were 15 law schools in the United States. Prior to the law school's official founding,
Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842. The oldest campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberl ...
facilitated the study of law and admitted a diverse student body, evidenced by graduates such as George W. Harkins, a
Choctaw The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...
chief, who received a law degree from Cumberland and became a judge in 1834.


Antebellum years

Prior to the founding of the United States' first law schools, the primary means for a legal education was
apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulat ...
. Establishing law schools was difficult in the early 19th century. Harvard was only able to reestablish its law school in 1829 and
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
in 1826. By 1859, Cumberland,
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...
, and the
University of Virginia School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 as part of his "academical village", and now ...
were the three largest law schools in the United States. A year later, in 1860, only 21 university law schools existed in the country, and, in no school did the curriculum extend beyond two years. During the Antebellum years, Cumberland enjoyed success. Nathan Green Jr., son of then professor Nathan Green Sr., stated that Cumberland enjoyed "the highest degree of prosperity", with a beautiful campus, picturesque trees and fences, and fine architecture.Langum & Walthall, p.47 Cumberland's first graduate
Paine Page Prim Paine (Payne) Page Prim (May 2, 1822 – August 8, 1899) was an American attorney and judge in the state of Oregon. He was the 6th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court serving in that role three times between 1864 and 1878. Prim served on Ore ...
ultimately became chief justice of the
Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest State court (United States), state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.
.Frank Burns, Cumberland University Law School, in ''
The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture ''Tennessee Encyclopedia'' is a reference book on the U.S. state of Tennessee that was published in book form in 1998 and has also been available online since 2002. Contents include history, geography, culture, and biography. History The origina ...
''
Tennesseeencyclopedia.net
Students were taught through reading treatises, approximately two hours worth of recitations each morning, and a mandatory moot court program. Caruthers considered the law a science and the
Socratic Method The Socratic method (also known as the method of Elenchus or Socratic debate) is a form of argumentative dialogue between individuals based on asking and answering questions. Socratic dialogues feature in many of the works of the ancient Greek ...
a necessity. The cost was $50 a session and a $5 "contingent fee". After the Civil War, this treatise method, the legal formalism of the school's approach, and Nathan Green Jr.'s unwillingness to make changes, were all considered reasons for Cumberland's drift out of the mainstream.


Civil war

At the start of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, the campus split within a week; some students joined the northern army; many joined the southern. Nathan Green Jr.'s father, a law professor, went home, but in fear of arrest, Abraham Caruthers fled to
Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest ...
, where he died a year later. During the war, professors John Carter and Nathan Green Jr. fought as Confederate officers. Carter was killed, but Green survived. The campus did not. The trees were cut down and fences destroyed and burned. The Confederate Army burned the University buildings, apparently because a Confederate major was offended that Black Union soldiers had used them as barracks.


Reconstruction

The law school began the slow process of rebuilding. In July 1866, Cumberland adopted the image of the phoenix, the mythological Egyptian bird that is reborn from its own ashes. The new motto was '' E Cineribus Resurgo'' or "I rise from the ashes." In September 1865 classes resumed with 11 students, which soon grew to 20. The 1865 class included a Confederate General and Union colonel, enemies only a few months earlier. Nathan Green Jr. kept the school together until Henry Cooper, a circuit judge, Andrew B. Martin, and Robert L. Caruthers, brother of deceased founder Abraham Caruthers, joined the faculty. Robert Caruthers had previously served as the state attorney general and had been elected Governor of Tennessee during the war in 1863, but was never inaugurated. In 1873 Robert Caruthers purchased Corona Hall from the Corona Institute for Women for $10,000, which he immediately donated to the University for use by the law school. The destruction of the campus and the devastation of war had impoverished the school, and it was almost 15 years before it saw students enter from outside the South, when a student from Illinois and a member of the
Choctaw Nation The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (Choctaw: ''Chahta Okla'') is a Native American reservation occupying portions of southeastern Oklahoma in the United States. At roughly , it is the second-largest reservation in area after the Navajo, exceeding t ...
enrolled at Cumberland. But there were few students from outside of the defeated Southern states, which Langum and Walthall claim underscored "how terribly the Civil War blighted Cumberland." Robert Caruthers persisted, despite the setbacks, and in 1878 Caruthers Hall was dedicated in his honor. This new school replaced Corona Hall, which had limitations. The new hall apparently had "excellent acoustics and hard seats" and is described as a:
splendid structure, built after the latest architectural style, is nearly one hundred feet from base to spire, and contains two recitation rooms for the Law Department, two Society Halls, a Library, and a chapel whose seating capacity is about seven hundred.


National shift in legal education

Despite the heroic efforts to keep the school alive, Cumberland was falling into the minority at the turn of the 20th century. It maintained a one-year curriculum when other schools moved toward longer terms, and it was entrenched with
legal formalism Legal formalism is both a descriptive theory of how judges decide cases and a Normative, normative theory of how judges should decide Legal case, cases. In its descriptive sense, formalists maintain that judges reach their decisions by applying u ...
, which had reached its peak in the 1870s and would soon be on the decline. In 1876, for instance,
Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...
began to encourage a three-year curriculum. Through 1919, Cumberland did not adapt to the shift in legal education. Historian Lewis L. Laska observed that:
Cumberland, which had once marked the high point of professional education, had become a captive of its own success. Unwilling to adopt modern techniques such as the
case method The case method is a teaching approach that uses decision-forcing cases to put students in the role of people who were faced with difficult decisions at some point in the past. It developed during the course of the twentieth-century from its or ...
, or to expand and deepen its curriculum by opting for the three-year standard, Cumberland became the symbol of the democratic bar.Langum & Walthall, p.97
In 1903 Nathan Green Jr. became the first dean of the law school. For the prior 57 years the school did not have this position, which was becoming more and more popular among law schools. Cumberland first admitted women in 1901, and the library grew from 600 volumes in 1869 to 3000 in 1878. Today, the Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library contains 300,000 volumes and microform volume equivalents. In 1915 Cumberland refurbished its halls with an $8000 grant from the U.S. government as reparation for federal occupancy during the Civil War. When
Cordell Hull Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871July 23, 1955) was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevel ...
graduated from Cumberland, he commented on the diploma privilege, which granted the right to practice law without taking a
bar exam A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associat ...
, saying that
according to custom, we members of the graduating class, the moment we received our diplomas, took them to the courthouse, where a district judge awaited us. He swore us in as members of the bar. I was not 20 years old.
Cordell Hull is today honored at Cumberland with a
Moot Court Moot court is a co-curricular activity at many law schools. Participants take part in simulated court or arbitration proceedings, usually involving drafting memorials or memoranda and participating in oral argument. In many countries, the phrase ...
room bearing his name. Cumberland eventually did adapt to the changing times, moving from
Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842. The oldest campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberl ...
in
Lebanon, Tennessee Lebanon ( ) is the county seat of Wilson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 38,431 at the 2020 census. Lebanon is located in Middle Tennessee, approximately east of downtown Nashville. Lebanon is part of the Nashville Metro ...
, to
Samford University Samford University is a Private university, private Christian university in Homewood, Alabama, United States. It was founded by Baptist Church, Baptists in 1841 as Howard College and located until 1887 in Marion, Alabama. It is governed by an in ...
in
Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...
in 1961. It is one of a few law schools in the United States to have been sold from one university to another (others include the
University of Puget Sound The University of Puget Sound is a private liberal arts college in Tacoma, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1888. The institution offers a variety of undergraduate degrees as well as five graduate programs in counseling, education, oc ...
selling its law school to
Seattle University Seattle University (Seattle U or SU) is a private Jesuit university in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the largest independent university in the Northwestern United States, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and grad ...
and the
Quinnipiac University School of Law Quinnipiac University School of Law is the law school of Quinnipiac University located in North Haven, Connecticut. It is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, and is currently ranked tied at No. 141 by ''U.S. News & World Report'' ...
, formerly part of the
University of Bridgeport The University of Bridgeport (UB or UBPT) is a private university in Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. In 2021, the university was purchased by Goodwin Unive ...
).


Planning

In December 2005 Cumberland adopted a long-term plan for the school. One call of the plan is to gradually downsize the number of students in order to provide smaller classes and closer individual attention to students. In 1995 the entering class was 212 and by 2023 that number had been reduced to 152. Today the law school is known for its emphasis on trial advocacy and is building a biotechnology emphasis through its Biotechnology Center.


Institution

The law school emphasizes practical skills and integrity. Former
dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...
, former
federal judge Federal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state/provincial/local level. United States A U.S. federal judge is appointed by the U.S. president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in accordance with Arti ...
John L. Carroll (class of '74), has stated that:
The prevailing philosophy is simple: Practical skill outweighs raw knowledge, and application transcends erudition. If the goal were to produce great law students, the tenets might be exactly the opposite. Our goal is to produce exceptional lawyers. That's why Cumberland’s curriculum emphasizes the core competencies of legal practice: research, writing and persuasion.


Curriculum

The first-year required classes are
Civil Procedure Civil procedure is the body of law that sets out the rules and regulations along with some standards that courts follow when adjudicating civil lawsuits (as opposed to procedures in criminal law matters). These rules govern how a lawsuit or ca ...
,
Contracts A contract is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties. A contract typically involves consent to transfer of goods, services, money, or promise to transfer any of thos ...
,
Property Property is a system of rights that gives people legal control of valuable things, and also refers to the valuable things themselves. Depending on the nature of the property, an owner of property may have the right to consume, alter, share, re ...
,
Torts A tort is a civil wrong, other than breach of contract, that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with c ...
,
Criminal Law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It proscribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and Well-being, welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal l ...
, and
Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports the proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the proposition is truth, true. The exact definition and role of evidence vary across different fields. In epistemology, evidence is what J ...
. Students are divided into one of three sections, where the students remain together in their respective classes for the entire first year. First-year students are also enrolled in smaller sections for Lawyering and Legal Reasoning, a class that focuses on honing the students' ability to think and write like a lawyer. Second- and third-year courses allow students more choices and some degree of specialization. Cumberland offers a balance of traditional courses, such as Criminal Procedure, Family Law, and Basic Federal Income Tax, and practical courses, such as Basic and Advanced Trial Skills, Business Drafting, Real Estate Transactions, and Law Office Practice and Management. Students must also take Professional Responsibility and the
MPRE The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a 120-minute, 60-question, multiple-choice examination designed to measure the knowledge and understanding of established standards related to a lawyer's professional conduct. It w ...
, an exam that is required to practice in addition to the bar exam. Students are taught using the
Socratic method The Socratic method (also known as the method of Elenchus or Socratic debate) is a form of argumentative dialogue between individuals based on asking and answering questions. Socratic dialogues feature in many of the works of the ancient Greek ...
, typical of law school pedagogy.


The Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library

The library building is with 13 conference rooms, 474 study spaces, carrels equipped with electrical and data connections, and three computer labs. The collection consists of approximately 300,000 volumes and microform volume equivalents. The library also offers electronic and audiovisual resources. There are seven full-time librarians, eight full-time support staff members, and four part-time support staff members.


The Center for Biotechnology, Law, and Ethics

The Center for Biotechnology, Law and Ethics focus is on the research and study of the ethical and legal issues arising from the
biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...
industry, which is important to the City of Birmingham.Samford.edu
/ref> Each year the Center sponsors a major symposium which attracts nationally known experts. The 2007 Symposium, entitled "The United States Health-Care System: Access, Equity and Efficiency", focused on the issues of health care delivery in the United States, particularly to the poor, the problems that exist and potential solutions to those problems. The symposium brought together experts from the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
, the
Saint Louis University School of Law The Saint Louis University School of Law (also known as SLU Law) is the law school affiliated with Saint Louis University, a private Jesuit research university in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has been American Bar Association approved sin ...
and
Texas A & M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. ...
and Cumberland. The keynote address, which was also the
Thurgood Marshall Thoroughgood "Thurgood" Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. He was the Supreme C ...
Lecture, was presented by
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Artur Davis Artur Genestre Davis (; born October 9, 1967) is an American attorney and former politician who served as a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives for from 2003 to 2011. He was also a ca ...
, a leader on issues relating to the delivery of health care services. Other research centers include the Center for Law & Church, and the Alabama Center for Law and
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Education


Admissions statistics

For the Fall 2023 entering class, the school offered admission to 55.67% of applicants, with 38.14% of accepted students enrolling. The class consisted of 152 students with an average
LSAT The Law School Admission Test (LSAT ) is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension and logical reasoning. The test is ...
score of 155 and average
GPA Grading in education is the application of standardized measurements to evaluate different levels of student achievement in a course. Grades can be expressed as letters (usually A to F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), percentages, or as num ...
of 3.61. The top 75th percentile of the class has an LSAT score of 157 and 3.79 GPA, and the bottom 25th percentile has an LSAT score of 152 and 3.37 GPA. The entering group had 61 male students, 89 female, and two that did not report a sex. There were 37 students of color and 23 students identifying as African American.


Rankings

'' U.S. News & World Report'' in its 2024 ranking places Cumberland tied at #103 in Best Law Schools out of 196
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accredited schools.


Bar examination passage

In 2023, the overall bar examination passage rate for the law school’s first-time examination takers was 78.36%. The Ultimate Bar Pass Rate, which the ABA defines as the passage rate for graduates who sat for bar examinations within two years of graduating, was 93.80% for the class of 2021.


Employment

According to Samford's official 2022 ABA-required disclosures, 80.7% of the Class of 2022 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation. The largest number of students were employed in law firms of 1 – 10 attorneys. Samford's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 19.3%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2022 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.


Costs

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Samford for the 2022-2023 academic year is $65,900. The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $238,529.


Organizations


Publications

# The '' Cumberland Law Review'', whose members are selected by a write-on competition from the top 15% of the first-year class. # ''The American Journal of Trial Advocacy'', whose members are selected by a write-on competition from the top 33% of the first-year class.


Selected student organizations

* Alabama Defense Lawyer's Association * The
American Constitution Society for Law and Policy American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...
*
Association of Trial Lawyers of America The American Association for Justice (AAJ), formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) is a nonprofit advocacy and lobbying organization for plaintiff's lawyers in the United States. Focused on opposing tort reform, the organizati ...
(ATLA) * Black Law Students Association *
Christian Legal Society Christian Legal Society (CLS) is a non-profit Christian organization headquartered in Virginia, United States. The organization consists of lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students. Its members are bound to follow the "commandment of Jes ...
*
Cordell Hull Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871July 23, 1955) was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevel ...
Speakers Forum *
Federalist Society The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies (FedSoc) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative and Libertarianism in the United States, libertarian legal organization that advocates for a Textualism, textualist an ...
* Henry Upson Sims Moot Court Board * Law, Science and Technology Society *
Phi Alpha Delta Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International ( or P.A.D.) is a North American professional fraternity composed of pre-law and law students, legal educators, attorneys, judges, and government officials. It is one of the largest professional law ...
* Student Bar Association * Trial Advocacy Board * Women in the Law In 2007, student teams from Cumberland won both the Criminal Justice Trial Competition held in
Hamden, Connecticut Hamden is a New England town, town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant (Connecticut), Sleeping Giant". The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecti ...
and the Lone Star Classic Mock Trial Competition in
San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...
. In 2008, Cumberland placed first out of 256 other teams in the
American Association for Justice The American Association for Justice (AAJ), formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) is a nonprofit advocacy and lobbying organization for plaintiff's lawyers in the United States. Focused on opposing tort reform, the organizatio ...
National Student Trial Advocacy Competition and in 2009 placed second, losing by one point. The same year, Cumberland made the finals of the ABA National Appellate Advocacy competition. It was one of four from 30 teams in its region that went to the national finals in Chicago. Cumberland won third best brief in the region. In 2009, a Cumberland team won the regional round of the National Trial Competition in Tallahassee, Florida, advancing to the national championship round in San Antonio. Cumberland was the only school in the competition to have both of its teams advance to the semi-final round. Cumberland also won the
American Association for Justice The American Association for Justice (AAJ), formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) is a nonprofit advocacy and lobbying organization for plaintiff's lawyers in the United States. Focused on opposing tort reform, the organizatio ...
Mock Trial A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisti ...
Competition regional championship advancing to the national championship round in West Palm Beach, FL.


Student life

Cumberland offers numerous extracurricular activities. Housing for law students is not available on campus. Students typically rent apartments or buy houses in the surrounding community.


Deans


Notable alumni

The school has more than 11,000 graduates, and its alumni include two United States Supreme Court Justices,
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...
recipient
Cordell Hull Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871July 23, 1955) was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevel ...
, "the father of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
", over 50 U.S. representatives, and numerous senators, governors, and judges. * John David Roy Atchison (1954–2007), Assistant US Attorney and children's sports coach, committed suicide in prison after being charged with soliciting sex from a 5-year-old girl. *
Brady E. Mendheim Jr. Brady Eutaw Mendheim Jr. (born July 26, 1968) is an American jurist who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama since 2019. Biography Mendheim earned his Bachelor of Arts from Auburn University and his Juris Doctor fr ...
,
Supreme Court of Alabama The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the U.S. state, state of Alabama. The court consists of a Chief Justice, chief justice and eight Associate Justice, associate justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for stagge ...
Associate Justice. * John H. Smithwick, Democratic congressman from Florida (1919-1927). *
Randall Woodfin Randall Woodfin (born May 29, 1981) is an American lawyer and politician who is the 34th and current mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, after winning the October 3, 2017, runoff against incumbent William A. Bell. He previously served as president o ...
, Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama (2017–present). * Doug Jones, United States Senator from Alabama (2018-2021). * T. J. Johnston, environmental lawyer and Anglican bishop. *
Jimmy Rane James W. Rane (born 1947) is an American businessman, and the Founder, Chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Great Southern Wood Preserving, one of the largest Wood preservation, pressure treated lumber producers in the world. He has frequ ...
, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Great Southern Wood Preserving


Government


United States government


Executive branch


=Cabinet members and cabinet-level officers

= *
Cordell Hull Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871July 23, 1955) was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevel ...
(D) –
United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the ...
under Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...
recipient, 11 terms as U.S. Representative, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, co-initiated the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...


Judicial branch


=Supreme Court

= * Howell Edmunds Jackson * Horace Harmon Lurton – United States Supreme Court Justice, Tennessee Supreme Court, justice U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, dean of Vanderbilt University law department


=Court of Appeals

= * Benjamin Franklin Cameron -- judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit * Joel Fredrick Dubina – Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, former federal Magistrate Judge and District Judge.


=U.S. District Court

= * James V. Allred - United States District Judge (United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas) * Charles E. Atchley Jr., Charles E. Atchley, Jr. - United States District Judge (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee) * Karon O. Bowdre – United States District Judge (United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama) * Harry E. Claiborne – United States District Judge (United States District Court for the District of Nevada), impeached * Max O. Cogburn Jr. – United States District Judge (United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina) * James I. Cohn – United States District Judge (United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida)


=Other federal courts

= * John L. Carroll – former United States Magistrate judge and dean of Cumberland School of Law, Legal Director of the Southern Poverty Law Center


Legislative branch


=Senators

= * Henry Cooper (U.S. Senator) (D) – United States Senator from Tennessee. * Thomas P. Gore - U.S. Senator (D) from Oklahoma * Carl Hatch (D) – U.S. Senator from New Mexico, author of the Hatch Act of 1939 * Doug Jones (D) - U.S. Senator from Alabama * William F. Kirby (D) – U.S. Senator from Arkansas, associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, Attorney General for Arkansas, author of ''Kirby’s Digest of the Statutes of Arkansas'' * Joshua B. Lee (D) – U.S. Senator and Representative from Oklahoma * Bert H. Miller (D) – U.S. Senator from Idaho and Idaho Attorney General * Tom Stewart (politician), Tom Stewart (D) – U.S. Senator from Tennessee, chief prosecutor during the Scopes Trial


=U.S. Representatives

= # Thomas G. Abernethy (D)- U.S. Representative from Mississippi (1943–1973) # Robert Aderholt (R)- U.S. Representative from Alabama (1997– ) # Clifford Allen (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Richard Merrill Atkinson (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Maecenas Eason Benton (D) – U.S. Representative from Missouri. Father of famed artist Thomas Hart Benton (painter), Thomas Hart Benton # Joseph Edgar Brown (R) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Foster V. Brown (R) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee, father of Joseph Edgar Brown # Omar Burleson (D) – U.S. Representative from Texas # Robert R. Butler (R) – U.S. Representative from Oregon # Adam M. Byrd (D) – U.S. Representative from Mississippi # William Parker Caldwell (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee, Tennessee State Senator # Samuel Caruthers (W) – U.S. Representative from Missouri # Frank Chelf (D) – U.S. Representative from Kentucky # Judson C. Clements (D) – U.S. Representative from Georgia # Wynne F. Clouse (R) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee #William B. Craig (D) – U.S. Representative from Alabama # Jere Cooper (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # John Duncan Sr. (R) – 12 term U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Harold Earthman (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Benjamin A. Enloe (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Joe L. Evins (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Lewis P. Featherstone (D) – U.S. Representative from Arkansas # Aaron L. Ford (D) – U.S. Representative from Mississippi # William Voris Gregory (D) – U.S. Representative from Kentucky # Edward Isaac Golladay (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Isaac Goodnight (D) – U.S. Representative from Kentucky # Oren Harris (D) – U.S. Representative from Arkansas # Robert H. Hatton (O) – U.S. Congressman, Confederate States Army, Confederate brigadier general, Opposition party member, killed during the Battle of Fair Oaks # Goldsmith W. Hewitt (D) – U.S. Representative from Alabama # Wilson S. Hill (D) – U.S. Representative from Missouri # George Huddleston (D) – U.S. Representative from Alabama and father of George Huddleston Jr. # Howell Edmunds Jackson (D) – also a United States Supreme Court Justice, brother of General William Hicks Jackson # Evan Jenkins (politician), Evan Jenkins (R) – U.S. Representative from West Virgini

# Abraham Kazen (D) – U.S. Representative from Texas # Wade H. Kitchens (D) – U.S. Representative from Arkansas # John C. Kyle (D) – U.S. Representative from Mississippi # John Ridley Mitchell – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Tom J. Murray (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Wright Patman (D) – U.S. Representative from Texas # Herron C. Pearson (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Andrew Price (politician), Andrew Price (D) – U.S. Representative from Louisiana # Haywood Yancey Riddle (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Martha Roby (R) – U.S. Representative from Alabama # Dennis A. Ross (R) – U.S. Representative from Florida # Thetus W. Sims (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # James Edward Ruffin (D) – U.S. Representative from Missouri # Thomas U. Sisson (D) – U.S. Representative from Mississippi # John H. Smithwick (D) – U.S. Representative from Florida # Charles Swindall (R) – U.S. Representative from Oklahoma # John May Taylor (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Anthony F. Tauriello (D) – U.S. Representative for New York # J. Will Taylor (R) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Zachary Taylor (Tennessee politician), Zachary Taylor (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee # Richard Warner (politician), Richard Warner (D) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee


Military

* George Doherty Johnson – Confederate brigadier general, United States Civil Service Commissioner, superintendent of The Citadel (military college)


Miscellaneous United States government

* Mauricio J. Tamargo – 14th Chairman of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission


State government


=Governors

= * James V. Allred (D) – 2 term Governor of Texas * Albert Brewer – Governor of Alabama, Distinguished Professor of Law and Government * Gordon Browning (D) – Governor of Tennessee, U.S. Representative from Tennessee * Robert L. Caruthers – Governor of Tennessee, Tennessee Attorney General * Sidney J. Catts (P) – Governor of Florida (22nd), Prohibition party candidate * LeRoy Collins (D) – Governor of Florida * Charlie Crist (R) – Governor of Florida, Former Florida Attorney General * Edward H. East (W) – Secretary of State for Tennessee and Acting Governor of Tennessee in 1865 * William J. Holloway (D) – Governor of Oklahoma


=State Attorneys General

= * Charles Graddick (R)- Former Attorney General of Alabama, candidate for Governor during the famous 1986 race * Crawford Martin (D) – Texas State Senator, Texas Secretary of State, Attorney General of Texas, and mayor of Hillsboro, Texas * Joseph Turner Patterson (D) - Former Attorney General of Mississippi


=State judges, politicians and others

= * Oscar W. Adams Jr. – the first African-American Alabama Supreme Court justice and the first African American elected to statewide office in Alabama (including the Reconstruction era of the United States, Reconstruction era), taught classes in appellate and trial advocacy. * John Amari – Circuit judge in Birmingham; former member of both houses of the Alabama State Legislature * Roger Bedford Jr. (D) – seven term Alabama State Senator * John F. Cosgrove (D) – Florida legislator and first mayor of Cutler Bay, Florida * Ryan DeGraffenried (D) – Alabama State Senator, President Pro Tempore of state Senate, Acting Lieutenant Governor of Alabama * Read Fletcher (D) – Arkansas House of Representatives * Grafton Green – associate justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, presided over the appeal of John T. Scopes * Ralph Haben (D) – Former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives * Van Hilleary (R) – Tennessee politician and lobbyist * James Edwin Horton – Judge who presided over the retrial of the Scottsboro Boys who set aside the jury's conviction and sentence of death and was then removed by the Alabama Supreme Court. He is remembered by a plaque on the courthouse. * Jeff Hoover (R) – Kentucky House of Representatives * Carolyn Hugley (D) – Minority Whip, Georgia House of Representatives * Douglas S. Jackson (D) – State Senator from Tennessee, executive director of the Renaissance Center * Napoleon B. Johnson (D) – Justice, Oklahoma State Supreme Court * Zeb Little (D) – Majority Leader and Floor Leader of the Alabama Senate * John Marks Moore (D) - Secretary of State of Texas from 1887 to 1891 * Horace Elmo Nichols – Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia from 1975–1980 * Charles H. O'Brien (D) – Tennessee State Senator, Tennessee State Supreme Court * William Y. Pemberton – Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court * DuBose Porter (D) – Minority Leader, Georgia House of Representatives *
Paine Page Prim Paine (Payne) Page Prim (May 2, 1822 – August 8, 1899) was an American attorney and judge in the state of Oregon. He was the 6th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court serving in that role three times between 1864 and 1878. Prim served on Ore ...
– chief justice of the
Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest State court (United States), state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.
, first graduate of Cumberland Law School * Janie Shores – Alabama Supreme Court Justice


City and county government

* Beverly Briley (D) – mayor of Nashville, Tennessee * Ben West – mayor of Nashville, Tennessee * Andy Steingold - Mayor of Safety Harbor, Florida


Non-U.S. government

* Ashby Pate – Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Palau


Arts and letters

* Joe Hilley – New York Times Best Selling author, born in
Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...
. Hilley wrote ''Sarah Palin: A New Kind of Leader'' (Zondervan/HarperCollins), which reached The New York Times Best Seller list during the final two weeks of the 2008 Presidential Election campaign. * Mike Papantonio – head of mass tort department at Levin, Papantonio in Pensacola, Florida, one of America's 15 most successful plaintiff's firms; host of the radio show Ring of Fire (radio program); a Methodist and featured on the documentary Jesus Camp. * Mike Stewart (novelist), Mike Stewart – American writer * John Strohm (musician), John Strohm (JD 2004) – entertainment lawyer and former member of the Blake Babies and The Lemonheads Hull-Cordell-LOC.jpg,
Cordell Hull Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871July 23, 1955) was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevel ...
– ''Nobel Peace Prize, U.S. Secretary of State, Father of the U.N.'' Justice Howell Jackson2.jpg, Howell Jackson – ''Supreme Court Justice'','' Justice for U.S. Sixth Circuit'', ''U.S. Senator'', ''U.S. Representative'' George Doherty Johnson.jpg, George Doherty Johnson – Civil War general and superintendent of The Citadel (military college) Carl Atwood Hatch.jpg, Carl Hatch (D) – U.S. Senator from New Mexico, author of the Hatch Act of 1939, Hatch Acts of 1939 and 1940 Cumberland School of Law - Carroll.JPG, Judge John L. Carroll, former dean of Cumberland, addressing Cumberland's 2006 graduation ceremony Thomas G. Abernethy cph.3c32239u.jpg, Thomas G. Abernethy (D)- U.S. Representative from Mississippi Robert Aderholt official photo (cropped).jpg, Robert Aderholt (R)- U.S. Representative from Alabama (1997– ) William Parker Caldwell - Brady-Handy.jpg, William Parker Caldwell – American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the Tennessee's 9th congressional district, 9th congressional district of
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
GWHewitt.jpg, Goldsmith W. Hewitt (D) – U.S. Representative from Alabama Evan Jenkins official congressional photo.jpg, Evan Jenkins (politician), Evan Jenkins (R) - U.S. Representative from West Virginia


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cumberland School Of Law Law schools in Alabama Cumberland University Samford University Universities and colleges established in 1847 1847 establishments in Tennessee