Published on June 22, 2021 by Morgan Black  
LawFacultyAwards 2021
Top Row: Albin, Roberts, Denning; Bottom Row: Anderson, Ross, Albert
Each year, Cumberland School of Law announces faculty recipients of two prestigious awards.

Lightfoot, Franklin & White Faculty Scholarship Award

The Lightfoot, Franklin & White Faculty Scholarship Award is given to junior and senior faculty members on the basis of scholarship. When choosing the recipients, the selection committee considers clarity of expression, thoroughness of research and analysis, scope and depth of subjects covered, difficulty and complexity of analysis, originality of study, and the actual or likely impact of the work.
 
The Lightfoot, Franklin & White Faculty Scholarship Award winners for 2020-2021 are:  

Junior Faculty Award Corecipients 

Ramona C. Albin, Associate Professor of Law and Director of Advocacy Programs 
Albin was selected as a corecipient of the award for her article “Appropriating Women’s Thoughts: The Admissibility of Sexual Fantasies and Dreams Under the Consent Exception to Rape Shield Laws,” 68 U. Kan. L. Rev. 617 (2020). This article examines the admissibility of women’s sexual fantasies and dreams, based on imagined and even unconscious thoughts, under the consent exception to rape shield laws and argues that such evidence is not relevant to consent, should be excluded, and proposes a practical solution to address this problem. 
 
Tracey M. Roberts, Associate Professor of Law and Director of Assessment 
Roberts was selected as a corecipient for two of her articles. In “Stranded Assets and Efficient Pricing for Regulated Utilities: A Federal Tax Solution,” 11 Columb. J. Tax L. 1 (2019), Roberts argues for a change in tax and regulatory rules that will eliminate waste and offset stranded assets claims by crediting regulated utilities with those tax savings and their returns. “Greenbacks for the Green New Deal,” 17 Pitt. Tax Rev. 53 (2019), which was solicited by the tax faculty at the University of Pittsburgh, examines plans for the Green New Deal and deep decarbonization, describes the economics driving public investment in these resources, and clarifies the types of funding mechanisms that are likely to limit economic waste and encourage efficient outcomes as the country moves forward toward a carbon-neutral future. 

Senior Faculty Award Recipient

Brannon P. Denning, Starnes Professor of Law and Director of Faculty Research and Development 
Denning was selected as the senior faculty recipient for his article “Have Gun—Will Travel?”, 83 L. & Contemp. Prob. 97 (2020). The article discusses regulations of the transport of personal weapons to shooting competitions or to someone's second home and how these regulations involve not just the 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms, but also the right to travel. The article also concludes that such cases involving so-called "hybrid rights" is a reason for courts to apply a heightened standard of review.

Harvey S. Jackson Excellence in Teaching Award

The Harvey S. Jackson Excellence in Teaching Award is given each year to one professor who teaches first-year courses, one professor who teaches upper-level courses, and one adjunct professor. Recipients for the award are considered by their mastery of subject matter, their ability to convey information effectively to students, their demonstrated enthusiasm for teaching, their commitment to excellence in the classroom, their innovation in teaching techniques, and their commitment to students.
 
Recipients of the Harvey S. Jackson Excellence in Teaching Award for 2020-2021 are: 

First-Year Award Recipient

Jeff Anderson, Assistant Professor of Law and Director of Lawyering and Legal Reasoning
Anderson joined Cumberland School of Law as a full-time faculty member in 2020. As an assistant professor of law, he also serves as the director of Cumberland School of Law’s Lawyering and Legal Reasoning (LLR) program. He teaches LLR and Legislation courses. 

Upper-Level Award Recipient

William G. Ross, Albert P. Brewer Professor of Law and Ethics
William G. Ross, the Albert P. Brewer professor of law and ethics, has been a member of the faculty since 1988. The courses he teaches include Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, American Constitutional History, Professional Responsibilities and Selected Topics Courses in Constitutional Law. 

Adjunct Award Recipient

Miriam Albert, Adjunct Professor
Miriam Albert teaches Business Organizations and Contracts.
 
“We are fortunate to have such accomplished scholars and teachers on our faculty,” said Associate Dean Jill Evans. “The ability to recognize their contributions through these awards is reflective of how highly they are regarded by the entire Cumberland community.”
 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.