Overview

Applicants
607
Acceptance Rate
74%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.32
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
145

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
149 - 155

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
May 1

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$0

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No

Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes

Deferred Admission
Yes

Other Admission Factors

Academic

LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
8:1
Total Faculty
58

33
Female
12
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

Students at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law say their school is “a little bit of a hidden gem” and “a great place to become a lawyer.” The bar-passage rate is stellar. There are eight joint-degree programs and a “diverse array” of available courses. “Practical skills are the strength” here, though. The legal writing program is reportedly outstanding. Students have an “incredible amount of opportunity to get experience in trial competition.” “As far as trial advocacy goes, you cannot find a better school in the country,” vaunts a 3L. “Practicing litigation attorneys train students in specialized trial advocacy programs, and the trial teams consistently win major national tournaments.” Externships and a wealth of community service programs also provide “unmatched” opportunities to gain practical experience.
Cumberland is a small school with small class sizes, and it is home to “a diverse faculty with impeccable credentials.” The professors are “an amazing group.” “There is always going to be that jerk who is a complete know-it-all and thinks he hung the moon in any law school,” and Cumberland is no exception. As a rule, though, these professors are “extremely knowledgeable” and “hilarious yet simultaneously intimidating.” They “have practice experience, which is helpful in class because it allows for personal experiences to be introduced,” and they “emphasize what will actually be useful and necessary” when you are representing clients. “A wonderful open-door policy” is another plus. “Professors are willing to meet with students and discuss the subject matter at any point outside of class,” and they “genuinely want to help students in whatever way they can.” “I don’t even know why they put ‘office hours’ in their syllabi,” adds a happy 2L. Students also rave about their “hands-on,” accessible, and “very personable” administration. “They actually know students’ names and want to help.” And if you want to “shoot the breeze” with the dean, you can.
Students report that “the campus is beautiful and is extremely convenient to all areas of Birmingham.” The “comfortable” and “awesome” library is “a great place to study.” “Also, the library resources are exceptional,” and the librarians are “wonderful” if you are in a bind. However, the “outdated” classrooms aren’t the greatest. They “can feel a little cramped,” and they are “windowless.” “In some ways, that is a good thing because it keeps you from getting distracted,” explains a 1L. “The technology in the classrooms isn’t the best,” either.
Students are pretty satisfied with their career prospects, although the “extremely helpful” Career Development Office “could do a better job marketing the school’s graduates outside of the Birmingham legal market,” laments a 2L. “The alumni network of this school is incredible,” beams a 2L. “Cumberland alums are always looking to hire the bright young Cumberland graduates. And if an alum can’t help you out, they are always willing to refer you to someone who can.”

Career overview

Median Starting Salary
$56,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
86%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
77%

Career Services

On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
Yes

On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes

# of Employers that Recruit on Campus Each Year
100

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Bradley, Arant, Boult & Cummings; Burr & Forman; Balch & Bingham; Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O'Neal; Sirote & Permutt; Alabama Attorney General's Office; Maynard, Cooper & Gale; Starnes Davis Florie, Carr Allison; Legal Services Alabama; Huie Fernambucq & Stewart; District Attorneys Offices for Jefferson, Montgomery and Mobile Counties; Baker, Donelson, Lightfoot, Franklin & White;

Graduates Employed by Area

52%
Private Practice
15%
Business/Industry
9%
Government
4%
Judicial Clerkships
3%
Academic

Graduates Employed by Region

95%
South
3%
South West
1%
International
1%
MidWest
1%
Pacific

Prominent Alumni

Joel F. Dubina
11th Circuit Court of Appeals

Cordell Hull
Founder of United Nations

Howell E. Jackson
U.S. Supreme Court

Horace H. Lurton
U.S. Supreme Court

Charles J. Crist, Jr.
Former Governor of Florida

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Mar 1

Financial Aid Statistics

% Students Receiving Some Aid
85%

Expenses per Academic Year

Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$0
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$10,800
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$2,000

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
426
Parent Institution Enrollement
5,509

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
1
Average Age at Entry
24

% International
0%

Demographics

16.00%
% Under-represented Minorities

100% are full time
0% are part time
49% female
51% male

Campus Life

Students Say

Politically, liberals are seen occasionally, but the overall population leans “pretty far to the right.” Academically, there may be “a behind-the-scenes competitiveness,” but the atmosphere looks and feels “cooperative and collegial.” “Most students are more than willing to help their classmates succeed.”
Socially, Cumberland is a decidedly “Southern school.” Hospitality is paramount, and “even the slightly awkward students are still warmly received.” “There is a real community at Cumberland,” relates a 2L. “We study together, hang out together, and have formed a tight bond with each other,” adds another 2L. “There is a friendliness and warmth that you just won’t find at other schools.” “We interact with each other like friendly colleagues; we compete with each other like sibling rivals; and we support each other through the trials of life and death like family,” reflects an already wistful 3L. “The school creates a ‘work hard’ culture but constantly has entertaining social events.” Weekly bar reviews around the affordable, growing city of Birmingham are reportedly well attended. In the spring, Cumberland celebrates Rascal Day in honor of its long-deceased canine mascot from the 1930s. There’s food and live music, and the dean and the school president lead a march through campus.

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Whitney Dachelet, J.D.
Director of Admission

Address
800 Lakeshore Drive
Birmingham, AL 35229

Phone
800-888-7213

Email
lawadm@samford.edu