Cumberland Checklist

Congratulations on your admission to Cumberland School of Law! The Office of Admission is here to make your transition to the law school as seamless as possible. We have included the Cumberland Checklist below to help you along the way.

□ Set up your Samford email account with the user ID and temporary password emailed to you upon acceptance. Be sure to check this email account often.
□ Read this page in its entirety to explore what you need to do in order to prepare for your first day at Cumberland.
□ Submit your FAFSA form by the suggested date of March 1, 2024. (“Samford University Birmingham, AL” federal school code: 001036)
□ Register for and attend Admitted Student Day on April 5, 2024. The registration link will be sent by email. 
□ In order to save your seat, be sure to submit your seat deposits by the deadlines on your acceptance letter.
□ Optional: Register for the Pre-1L Summer Courses by May 17, 2024.
□ Purchase your parking pass.
□ Upload photo for Samford University Student ID no later than two weeks prior to Orientation.
□ Read the Honor Code, submit your final transcript to LSAC, and complete and submit your immunization form to Med+Proctor by the first day of Orientation.
□ Read case (emailed at a later date) and Dennis J. Tonsing, 1000 Days to the Bar - But the Practice of Law Begins Now - How to Achieve Your Personal Best in Law School, 2nd Edition, William S. Hein & Co., 2010. ISBN 978-0837738130 to prepare for Orientation.
□  Read Contempt of Court: The Turn-of-the-Century Lynching That Launched a Hundred Years of Federalism, Mark Curriden and Leroy Phillips (2001). Make sure you get the 2001 edition.
For more information on the items in the checklist, please explore the drawers below. We encourage you to call or email us if you have any questions or need assistance locating information: Office of Admission, 1-800-888-7213 or lawadm@samford.edu.

Before Orientation

Pay Your Seat Deposits

To secure your seat at Cumberland School of Law, you will need to pay two non-refundable seat deposits. Your seat deposits will be credited toward your fall tuition. Samford’s Student Financial Services does not accept cash. Payment by check is highly encouraged and is accepted in person, by mail and online. There is no cost to pay by check. Credit and debit cards are also accepted online for a 2.85% fee. Additional information about seat deposits is included in all acceptance letters, but if you have any questions, please contact us.

Financial Aid

Official Transcripts

If you received your bachelor’s degree after you submitted your transcript with your application, you must also arrange to have your undergraduate registrar’s office send an updated official transcript to LSAC. It must clearly show the date you received your bachelor’s degree and the degree conferred. If you are taking summer classes before you begin law school in the fall, please inform us and request that your transcript be sent to LSAC as soon as possible after your degree is conferred.

Honor Code

All incoming students are required to have read the Cumberland School of Law Honor Code prior to the first day of orientation. The honor code can be found here.

Immunization Form

All incoming students are required to submit immunization records through Med+Proctor before the first day of Orientation. The form must be signed by a doctor OR accompanied by official immunization records showing dates for MMR and Tetanus inoculations. Tetanus immunization date must be within the last 10 years.

Med+Proctor will email instructions to your Samford email for creating an account and providing your health information.

Med+Proctor Website

Med+Proctor Instructions

If you have questions regarding your immunization form, contact Med+Proctor at help@medproctor.com or live chat Med+Proctor at support.medproctor.com. Please note, you risk incurring a $150 fine and a hold on your student account if you miss the deadline (the first day of Orientation).

Roommate Request Form

If you are interested in finding a roommate for the upcoming school year, simply complete and submit this form. The Office of Admission will compile a list of entering students seeking roommates, based upon students who return this completed form. The list will be updated throughout the summer. Only students who return this completed form will receive the list. Although the Office of Admission provides you with the names, preferences and contact information of your classmates also seeking roommates, you are responsible for contacting your classmates and ensuring that you select a roommate and living arrangement that fits your needs.

Roommate Request Form

Registering and Preparing for Classes

Summer Pre-1L Courses

Cumberland School of Law offers its entering first-year students the option to take two elective law courses, totaling five credit hours, the summer before the first fall semester of enrollment. The summer electives start in May and the fall semester starts in late August. Learn more about first-year summer courses.

Summer Reading List

To ensure that all incoming students have a common foundation upon which to start their law school education, this book is required reading PRIOR to orientation: Dennis J. Tonsing, 1000 Days to the Bar - But the Practice of Law Begins Now - How to Achieve Your Personal Best in Law School, 2nd Edition, William S. Hein & Co., 2010. ISBN 978-0837738130.

Please see this list for additional books that you may find useful as you prepare to begin law school.

Schedules, Assignments and Textbooks

First-year students are registered for classes and able to access their class schedules in early July.

Find Textbook lists for courses at the Calendars and Schedules page.

Transfer students, please download the checklist at the top of this page and refer to it for information on how to register for classes.

Parking Permit

All law students are commuter students and are required to have a commuter parking permit on their vehicle if they wish to park on campus. Changes in vehicle status must be updated with Transportation Services at parking@samford.edu.

Advance purchase of permits will be available online. Students who purchase their parking permit in advance may pick up their permit during orientation at the Transportation Services Office, located in room 302 of Seibert Hall.

To receive a parking permit during orientation, students must register online in advance. Students are strongly encouraged to complete parking permit registration online prior to the start of orientation. Parking permits are $60.

To register, log into the Samford portal and click on the Transportation header.

Student ID

All students will need to obtain a Samford University Student ID card. There is no cost. To expedite the process, please refer to the instructions below on uploading your photo. You may upload your photo upon admission.

Student ID Photo Instructions

Students are strongly encouraged to pick up their parking permits and student IDs during orientation and will be provided with free time to do so. Be sure to upload your photo two weeks prior to the start of orientation.

Samford One Stop Office Hours: 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The number is 205-726-2905, and the email is onestop@samford.edu.

Orientation

First-Year Students

Each year, law school orientation for first-year students is held in early August. Attendance is mandatory for all first-year students (including those who participated in summer school). Information regarding orientation will be emailed to your Samford bulldog email address.

Transfer Students

Orientation for students who are transferring to Cumberland School of Law will be held in early August. Attendance is mandatory for all transfer students. Information regarding orientation will be emailed to your Samford bulldog email address.

Helpful Links