Cumberland School of Law Ranks 4th in the Nation FOR

TRIAL ADVOCACY BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

by Morgan Black

As part of U.S. News & World Report ’s 2023-2024 Best Law Schools rankings released May 11, Cumberland School of Law ranked 4th in the nation for Trial Advocacy.

Over the last year, the success of the program has been displayed through the achievements of its National Trial Team. In the fall, they placed 5th in the Flash Trial Competition, 3rd in the Battle of the Experts and were semifinalists in the Syracuse National Trial Competition. In the spring, the teams swept the regional round of the American Association of Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, which advanced them to the finals. During the finals, two Cumberland teams won 2nd and 5th place. Additionally, student advocates reached the quarterfinals of the Trials and Tribulations Competition and the final four of the South Texas Mock Trial Challenge. During many of these competitions, Cumberland students have been the recipients of outstanding advocate and professionalism awards.

In addition to competition success, recent curricular additions have expanded the reach of the program. A new experiential course, Alabama Criminal Practice and Procedure, teaches students to excel in the courtroom in non-trial contexts such as preliminary hearings, bond hearings, sentencing hearings and more. Additionally, more offerings of existing courses such as Jury Selection, Negotiation, Depositions, and Pre-Trial Practice and Procedure, and the addition of two sections to the Basic Skills in Trial Advocacy, has created an additional 80 seats in advocacy courses. These will prepare graduates to enter litigation fields ready to advocate for their clients effectively and ethically.

“This ranking is a true testament to the dedication of our students, faculty, staff and coaches,” said Blake Hudson, dean of Cumberland School of Law. “Our trial advocacy program has always been one of the best in the nation. We are proud to once again be in the top echelon of law schools preparing students to engage in trial advocacy from the moment they graduate and pass the bar. We look forward to continuing to build out our advocacy programs through new fundraising initiatives to make sure that we remain a pillar of trial advocacy training in the United States.”

Cumberland School of Law’s National Trial Team also ranks 4th in the nation in the Trial Competition Performance Rankings from 2016 to present, and 2nd in the nation since 2019 in the newly established GAVEL Rankings. ◗