Published on July 24, 2026 by Morgan Black  
Rick Bragg Cover Photo

Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law will welcome attorneys, judges and legal professionals during the Jere F. White Jr. Trial Advocacy Institute to be held Friday, Nov. 6, in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Presented by Cumberland School of Law's Continuing Legal Education department in partnership with the Alabama chapter of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the bi-annual institute provides an opportunity for legal professionals to enhance their advocacy skills, engage with leading trial attorneys and explore excellence in courtroom practice.

The 2026 keynote speaker will be Rick Bragg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, bestselling author and one of Alabama's most celebrated literary voices.

Raised in the small community of Possum Trot near Jacksonville, Alabama, Bragg built a distinguished career telling stories that illuminate the people, places and values of the South. After working for several newspapers, he joined The New York Times in 1994, where he covered major national stories, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the Susan Smith trial and the 1998 Westside Middle School shooting. His reporting and feature writing earned the Pulitzer Prize in 1996.

Bragg is the author of 11 books, including his widely acclaimed memoir All Over But the Shoutin', which chronicles his childhood in Alabama, the journey to becoming a journalist and the sacrifices of his mother, who raised him and two brothers. Widely regarded as one of the South’s most beloved living writers, Bragg joined Harper Lee as members of the inaugural class of the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame in 2015.

 Named in honor of the late Jere F. White Jr., a 1980 Cumberland alumnus and one of Alabama's most accomplished trial lawyers and advocates, the institute continues to uphold his legacy through a program dedicated to excellence, professionalism and the art of advocacy.

Event Details

Jere F. White Jr. Trial Advocacy Institute

6 CLE credit hours, including 1 ethics hour

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Harbert Center, Birmingham, Alabama

Learn more and register at samford.edu/go/cle.

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, 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 enrolls 6,324 students from 44 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. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 35 Most Beautiful College Campuses, Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.