A historical law school, Cumberland School Law witnessed and survived the Civil War, was presumably burned down, and was later on rebuilt and strategically reorganized to produce notable and skillful lawyers. Cumberland School Law, founded in July 1847, was originally a part of the Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, and it was during its early years when the law school experienced massive success. (1) The Civil War, however, adversely affected Cumberland School Law, and it took it a while to recover and implement changes, until finally, in 1961, Cumberland School Law was sold to the Samford University located in Birmingham Alabama.
Academic Culture
Cumberland School of Law holds the honor of being the training ground of various celebrated and brilliant law professionals, with Cordell Hull, the father of the United Nations and a recipient of Nobel Peace Prize, being one of the most notable. (2) Cumberland School Law alumni, in fact, include senators, representatives, governors, and judges, all of whom reflect Cumberland School Law’s exceptional educational system.
Cumberland School of Law has ever since placed great emphasis on practical skills, which normally include writing, researching, and persuasion. This, of course, influenced the design of the law school’s academic programs. (3) The three-year curriculum of Cumberland requires students to attend pre-selected classes in their first year and to choose and take up specializations in the second and third years, which include Family Law, Criminal Procedure, Real Estate Transactions, and Basic and Advanced Trial Skills.
Aside from Juris Doctor (J.D) and Master of Comparative Law, Cumberland Law School also offers joint programs such as JD/Master of Accountancy, JD/Master of Business Administration, JD/Master of Public Administration, JD/Master of Public Health, JD/MS in Environmental Management, and JD/Master of Divinity. (3) And like any other law schools, Cumberland School of Law runs journals, namely Cumberland Law Review and American Journal of Trial Advocacy.
Cumberland overall organization has been exhibiting exceptional training, which is manifested by the employment status of its graduates. As a matter of fact, among the graduates of Class 2004, around 93% is presently holding a job in private organizations, academe, business, and government. (5)
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_School_of_Law
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_School_of_Law
(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_School_of_Law
(4) http://cumberland.samford.edu/cumberland_registrar.asp?ID=7
(5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_School_of_Law