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Cumberland School of Law Announces Faculty and Staff Award Recipients for 2023-24
Each year, Samford University Cumberland School of Law announces faculty and staff award recipients. The below faculty and staff members were honored with these awards for their work during the 2023-24 school year.
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Cumberland School of Law Educational Symposium Amplifies Trafficking Survivor’s Story
In March, Samford University Cumberland School of Law hosted its second annual educational symposium aimed at leveraging faculty expertise in various legal areas. The school’s Continuing Legal Education (CLE) department, the Center for Children, Law and Ethics and Samford’s International Justice Mission hosted a four-hour CLE seminar focused on the critical issue of child trafficking and featured Carissa Phelps, attorney and nationally recognized anti-human trafficking advocate.
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Neill Participates in National Opinion Writing Conference, Prepares for Judicial Clerkship
Taylor Neill, a third-year Samford University Cumberland School of Law student, recently participated in the fourth annual Judicial Clerkship Opinion Writing Conference hosted by the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. Neill was one of 36 participants from across the country selected to attend the prestigious conference, all of whom have accepted judicial clerkships during the 2024-25 term.
 
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Cumberland School of Law Sweeps AAJ National Student Trial Advocacy Competition Regionals for Second Consecutive Year
Samford University Cumberland School of Law’s national trial teams swept the Southeast Two Region of the American Association of Justice’s Student Trial Advocacy Competition (AAJ STAC), March 8-10. Both teams won their final rounds and will advance to the national tournament in Chicago, April 4-7.
Photo Director Kerry McInerney and his team
Samford Legal Compliance Programs Listed Among Top in the Nation by Princeton Review and Above the Law
Samford University Cumberland School of Law was recently listed on Above the Law’s Best Online Master of Studies in Law School Programs and on Princeton Review’s Best Online Master of Studies in Law Programs for 2024.
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Cumberland School of Law’s Online Master’s Programs Position Students for Compliance-Related Career
In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranks compliance officer as the #13 best business job. Additionally, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects a 4.6% increase in job openings for compliance offers through 2032, equaling more than 17,000 jobs.
 
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Cumberland School of Law National Trial Team Excels in Inaugural Online National Championship
Six members of Samford University Cumberland School of Law’s National Trial Team competed in the inaugural Online National Championship, Feb. 23-25. All three of the law school’s teams were recognized and one team advanced to the semifinal round. Three of the students received a Best Advocate Award.
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The Legacy of Samford’s Ladies: Women’s History in the Archives
The university has watched the history of women in Alabama unfold from the ratification of the 19th Amendment, civil rights, shifting workplace dynamics, notable missionaries, authors, government leaders, and much more.
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Cumberland School of Law Students Reach Finals of ABA Regional Client Counseling Competition 
Samford University Cumberland School of Law had three student advocacy teams compete in the ABA Regional Client Counseling Competition, Feb. 16-18, for the first time in more than five years. Two of Cumberland School of Law's teams advanced to the final round and ultimately placed 2nd and 3rd in the alternative dispute resolution competition. 
 
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Cumberland School of Law Clinics Provide Powerful Experiences for Samford Law Students
At Samford University Cumberland School of Law, students put into practice the knowledge and skills they’ve learned in their classes through clinical opportunities. Through these opportunities, students engage core pillars of law school’s mission, including public service, professionalism and community.
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Roberts Reviews New Articles On Moore v. United States
Professor Tracey Roberts is a regular contributor to the popular TaxProf blog in which she reviews new works by other legal scholars. Her latest contribution reviews new articles on Moore v. United States.
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Cumberland School of Law Moot Court Teams Shine at ABA National Appellate Advocacy Regional Competition in Las Vegas
Students from Samford University Cumberland School of Law competed in the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy regional competition in Las Vegas, Nevada, Feb. 14-18. Two teams from Cumberland School of Law won all three of their preliminary oral arguments and third-year student Chotsani Holifield was the third best advocate in the competition.
 
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Cumberland School of Law Sweeps National Trial Competition Regionals, Securing 12th Regional Win in 16 Years and a Place at Nationals
For the 12th time in 16 years, Samford University Cumberland School of Law won the regional competition of the National Trial Competition. During the event, Feb. 16-18, both Cumberland School of Law teams swept the competition, securing the school’s seventh sweep of regionals in the past 14 years earning both teams a spot at nationals.
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Cumberland School of Law to Host Inaugural International CLE Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland
Samford University Cumberland School of Law will host its inaugural international continuing legal education (CLE) conference, The Art of Advocacy, at the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 26-28, 2024. The event will offer 12 CLE hours and one ethics hour. 
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Nationally Recognized Voting Rights Attorney, Khanna, Addresses 30th Annual Thurgood Marshall Symposium
The 30th annual Thurgood Marshall Symposium focused on voting rights in Alabama and a recent United States Supreme Court ruling regarding Alabama's congressional district map. Abha Khanna, a nationally recognized voting rights attorney based in Seattle, Washington, served as the symposium’s keynote speaker.
 
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Pursuing Racial Justice: Prestigious Law Scholarship Sets up Gardner for Success
Prior to starting law school in August, Tristan Gardner was one of only 10 law students from across the nation selected for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund's Marshall-Motley Scholarship program. Named for Thurgood Marshall, the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice, and Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to become a federal judge, the program aims to equip the next generation of civil rights advocates.
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Kuruk Expertise in International Trade Law Utilized Through Several Global Organizations
In 2023, Paul Kuruk, the Lucille Stewart Beeson Professor of Law in Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law, was elected vice chairman of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Preparatory Committee of the Diplomatic Conference.
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Cumberland School of Law to Host Two New CLE Events for Alabama Lawyers
This spring, the Cumberland School of Law CLE will host two new seminars for Alabama attorneys: Child Trafficking: Services and Solutions for Survivors co-sponsored by the school’s Center for Children, Law and Ethics; and Appellate Brief Writing – What Justices are Actually Looking For.