SAMFORD UNIVERSITY / FALL 2020 / ALUMNI MAGAZINE
From the Dean
I write this note as our country nears its most divisive election in generations and continues to struggle with a catastrophic pandemic. All the while, we continue to witness new images of racial injustice that demonstrate how far we have yet to go to address race in our society.
The rule of law will be essential to our successfully addressing these issues and maintaining our democracy. So, Cumberland School of Law in this difficult year continues the important task of preparing tomorrow’s lawyers, albeit with a mix of online courses and masked, spaced face-to-face courses. Most of Cumberland’s classes continue to meet in person. To accommodate severely restricted classroom capacity necessitated by social distancing and still provide live interaction, many Cumberland faculty are teaching their classes in two or even three back-to-back subsections. To further accommodate the restricted capacity and to protect at-risk faculty, the law school is teaching some courses fully online. In addition, Samford University implemented countless safety protocols to minimize risk. These include initial testing of the entire university community, weekly random sentinel testing, virus reporting and quarantine procedures and contact tracing. On campus, directional signage was installed to minimize pedestrian congestion, classrooms and facilities were carefully arranged to enforce safe spacing, food service procedures were revamped to provide safe delivery of meals, and additional outdoor seating was added on all plazas and under tents on the lawn.
Since law school—especially the first year—is stressful on its own, I worry about students coping with the inherent pressure of law school in addition to the difficult societal issues that occupy everyone this year. I fear that stress is exacerbated by the necessity of restricting student social gatherings and interaction during the pandemic. I particularly worry about first-year students who are studying in a new city and do not have the usual opportunities to interact with classmates and assimilate into Cumberland’s supportive culture. I have been immensely impressed, though, with the efforts of Cumberland faculty, staff and student leaders who have reached out to students to support them. I am also impressed with the resolve and resiliency of our students. Based on observations in my first-year class and conversations with other students, I believe our students are adapting to the challenges remarkably well.
Despite the demands of adapting all operations to the pandemic, the law school continues to make important strides. This issue of the Cumberland Lawyer highlights some of these. Cumberland finalized a partnership with Tuskegee University to create an accelerated law degree program for Tuskegee students. This program lays the foundation for a robust relationship between Cumberland and Tuskegee’s prelaw program and promises to increase the diversity of Cumberland’s student body and the bar. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Professor LaJuana Davis, Cumberland launched its first ever live-client clinics this semester. These include C-VETS, a veterans assistance clinic directed by Judge John Carroll, and the Cumberland Innocence Clinic, an innocence project collaboration directed by Professor Davis. Cumberland’s advocacy program and trial teams meanwhile continue to excel while adapting to competitions conducted in virtual media.
By the time you read this message, election day will have passed. I hope lawyers will have successfully managed disputes and problems civilly and peacefully to achieve advantageous results, which, after all, is the core function of lawyers. I hope our country will be on the way to working together to overcome the pandemic and its economic impact as well as racial and other injustices. Public-minded and ethical lawyers will be integral to these and all worthwhile efforts. We are thankful for your service in this regard. Cumberland will continue to prepare such lawyers. May you have a safe and meaningful Thanksgiving.
Henry C. Strickland III
Dean and Ethel P. Malugen Professor of Law
Dean and Ethel P. Malugen Professor of Law
Distinguished Alumnus of the Year
Ted Leopold ’87 has been selected as Cumberland School of Law’s 2020 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. The recognition is awarded each year to a Cumberland graduate who has distinguished himself in the practice of law, service to the community, and leadership in the profession. In this interview, Leopold shares highlights of a successful legal career, professional advice for students and other attorneys, and suggestions for work/life balance.
Cumberland Ranks Third in the Nation
Cumberland School of Law’s National Trial Team has ranked 3rd in the nation in the Trial Competition Performance Rankings for the 2019-20 year. They also ranked 3rd for overall performance since 2016.
Cumberland Partners with Tuskegee University to Offer Accelerated Program
Cumberland School of Law and Tuskegee University have partnered to offer Tuskegee undergraduate students an accelerated bachelor’s to J.D. program. This partnership creates a pathway for students to receive a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee and a law degree from Cumberland in six years of study, rather than the traditional seven.
We’re excited that our spring 2021 issue of the magazine will highlight Cumberland lawyers in the arts. If you are a talented artist, or know of a fellow Cumberland lawyer who is, please let us know. Email lawalum@samford.edu with information.
