Academics
Becoming a lawyer requires academic rigor, disciplined study, and a commitment to critical thinking and action. Students at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law also enjoy being a member of an academic community that is supportively competitive (as opposed to cutthroat) and developing lifelong relationships with peers, faculty and alumni.
First Year
First-year classes cover the fundamental legal concepts that form the basis of all Anglo-American law. Our Lawyering & Legal Reasoning course (LLR) is unique to Cumberland School of Law and is recognized as the time when students truly learn to “think like a lawyer.” Other first-year coursework emphasizes:
- Legal analysis
- Legal writing
- Research
- Lawyering skills
Second & Third Year
Second- and third-year students typically take 15-16 hours each fall and spring semester. Course selection during these years is more flexible to allow for elective courses in specialized areas.
Areas of Interest
- Business and Commercial Law
- Entertainment Law
- Family Law and Estate Planning
- Health Law
- Intellectual Property
- International Law
- Litigation
- Public Law
- Skills Development
- Taxation
Areas
- Trial Advocacy
- Corporate Law
- Environmental Law
- Health Law
- Public Interest
