Melina Lettieri, JD ’26, was named an Academic All-American Trial Advocate by the National Association of Legal Advocacy Educators (NALAE), recognizing excellence in academics, advocacy and leadership.
Now in its second year, the Academic All-American Advocate distinction highlights a select group of law students across the country who excel in and out of the classroom. Lettieri is one of only 20 law students nationwide to receive this year’s honor for trial advocacy. This marks the second consecutive year a student from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law was recognized, following John West in 2025.
NALAE is composed of law professors, advocacy program directors, coaches, adjunct professors and educators dedicated to preparing students for successful entry into the legal profession. The organization’s national selection committee evaluates candidates across three criteria: competition achievement in trial advocacy, appellate advocacy or dispute resolution; academic performance, with a minimum 3.2 GPA required; and leadership and service within their law school and community.
Lettieri said the recognition reflects the strength of Cumberland’s advocacy program and the people behind it.
“I am beyond honored and grateful to have been named an Academic All-American Trial Advocate,” Lettieri said. “This recognition truly would not have been possible without the incredible support, guidance and dedication of my coaches and Cumberland’s trial advocacy program. Their commitment to cultivating an encouraging environment that allows for the development of skilled, practice-ready advocates has had an unbelievable impact on me. I am so thankful to have learned so much from the program, and even more thankful to have been a part of it.”
Lettieri has excelled academically and in advocacy, maintaining a GPA well above the required threshold, earning Dean’s List honors each semester and serving as the student materials editor for the Cumberland Law Review. A leader within the Cumberland community, she has served on the Executive Board of the Trial Advocacy Board, directed the Dean Parham Williams 1L Trial Competition and contributed as an academic success adviser, Career Development Advisory Board member and participant in the Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic.
A member of Cumberland’s nationally ranked trial team for two years, Lettieri has competed in six interschool competitions and will compete at the prestigious Top Gun competition at Baylor University Law School in late May. She and her teammates have twice finished as national finalists and advanced to semifinal and quarterfinal rounds, while she individually earned Outstanding Advocate honors at the 2025 South Texas Challenge and helped secure a Professionalism Award at the 2025 National Civil Trial Competition.
Judge Jim Roberts, JD ’94, director of Cumberland’s national trial teams and co-directory of advocacy programs, said Lettieri’s impact extends well beyond competition results.
“I am thrilled that Melina Lettieri has been recognized as an Academic All-American Trial Advocate by the National Association of Legal Advocacy Educators,” Roberts said. “Melina has been an integral part of our trial advocacy program at Cumberland for two years and has contributed not only to our success, but also to our reputation in the advocacy community. It has been my honor to work with Melina these past two years and she is most deserving of this recognition.”
Lettieri’s recognition continues Cumberland’s tradition of excellence in advocacy and underscores the law school’s national reputation for producing skilled, ethical and practice-ready attorneys.
Cumberland’s advocacy programs are nationally recognized for excellence: No. 9 for Trial Advocacy by U.S. News & World Report (2026), No. 2 in the Gavel Rankings overall since 2019, No. 3 in the Trial Competition Performance Rankings overall since 2016, and No. 6 for ABA law school competition teams in arbitration, negotiation, client counseling, mediation and appellate advocacy (2025).
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