CUMBERLAND SCHOOL OF LAW

AT SAMFORD UNIVERSITY

800 LAKESHORE DRIVE

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA 35229

Telephone: (205) 726-2704

URL: http://www.cumberland.samford.edu

 

ABA Approved Since 1949

Founded 1847 in Lebanon, Tenn., Cumberland School of Law at Samford University is one of the oldest law schools in the United States. In its 160 years, Cumberland has produced a long list of distinguished graduates, including two Supreme Court justices, numerous judges and outstanding lawyers, and a U.S. Secretary of State known as the father of the United Nations.

 

In 1961, the law school was purchased by Samford University in Birmingham, AL, a city of more than one million residents. The move to Birmingham established for Cumberland students a keen advantage: close proximity to a full range of federal courts, state courts, administrative agencies and nationally recognized law firms, where many Cumberland lawyers have found rewarding work before and after graduation.

 

Cumberland School of Law has attracted a faculty of 30 full-time professors, including a former federal judge, numerous former federal law clerks, prominent legal historians and many professors with extensive practice backgrounds. Although the faculty produces an impressive amount of quality legal scholarship, Cumberland remains committed to its original purpose: training people to be exceptional lawyers.

 

That commitment helps Cumberland recruit an outstanding and diverse student body from the southeast and beyond who consistently are ahead of the pack in their summer clerkships and first year of practice. Cumberland’s innovative first year Lawyering & Legal Reasoning Program prepares students to interview clients, engage in settlement negotiations, write concise and compelling briefs, and argue persuasively in court. Their classroom studies are enhanced by participating in Cumberland’s nationally recognized mock trial and moot court teams two academic journals, the Cumberland Law Review and the American Journal of Trial Advocacy; and an advocacy program that has won a reputation for success against the best teams in the nation. Courses ranging from the technical and practical to the highly theoretical and a rich set of extracurricular activities help prepare students for productive and satisfying careers in the legal profession. Mindful of the need for a global view of the law, Cumberland offers programs in international and comparative law in Cambridge, England.

 

A gift from one of Samford University’s most generous friends has provided an inspiring sanctuary for law students, legal scholars and practicing attorneys: The Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library, a state-of-the-art center for research and study, which opened in 1995. With a comprehensive collection of books and materials, 12 conference rooms, 474 study spaces, the latest online legal research tools, and a staff of seven professional librarians-three with law degrees-the four-story Beeson library is both visually stunning and superbly functional.

 

Dean and Ethel P. Malugen Professor of Law: John L. Carroll (205) 726-2704

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Henry C. Strickland III (205) 726-2411

Assistant Dean for Admissions: M. Giselle Gauthier (205) 726-2702

Assistant Dean for Continuing Legal Education and Asst. Prof:

LaVone R. Warren (205) 726-2779

Director of Student Services: Pamela J. Nelson (205) 726-2222

Vice Dean, Financial Aid/Development: James N. Lewis (205) 726-2887

Law Librarian and Professor of Law: Gregory K. Laughlin (205) 726-2714

Director, Career Services: Jeffrey B. Price (205) 726-2797

Director of Alumni Affairs: Mary T. Miller

 

FULL TIME FACULTY

 

JOHN L. CARROLL, (Law Professor), born Washington, D.C., October 19, 1943; admitted to bar, 1974, Alabama. Education: Tufts University (B.A., 1965); Samford University Cumberland School of Law (J.D., 1974); Harvard University (LL.M., 1975). COURSES: Complex Litigation, Federal Jurisdiction, Evidence, E-Discovery and Evidence, Mediator Practice. Email: carroll @ samford.edu

 

THOMAS BRAD BISHOP, (Law Professor), born Roanoke, Alabama, January 7, 1940; admitted to bar, 1971, Alabama. Education: Samford University (B.A., 1961); University of Alabama (M.A., 1962); Cumberland School of Law at Samford University (J.D., 1971). COURSES: Contracts, Uniform Commercial Code, Municipal Courts. Email: tbbishop @ samford.edu

 

JOSEPH W. BLACKBURN, (Law Professor), born Mayfield, Kentucky, February 24, 1947; admitted to bar, 1974, Alabama. Education: University of Kentucky (B.S., 1969); University of Virginia (J.D., 1974). COURSES: Federal Income Tax, Estate and Gift Tax, Law and Accounting, Business Planning, Corporate Tax, International Tax. Email: jwblackb @ samford.edu

 

DONALD QUINTON COCHRAN, (Law Professor), born March 31, 1958; admitted to bar, 1992, Georgia; 1993, Alabama. Education: Vanderbilt University (B.A., 1980; J.D., 1992). COURSES: Trial Advocacy, Advanced Trial Advocacy and Criminal Law. Email: dcochran @ samford.edu

 

LAJUANA DAVIS, (Law Professor), born Atlanta, Georgia, January 5, 1966; admitted to bar, 1990, Alabama; 1992, Georgia; 1993, Minnesota. Education: Georgia State University (B.A., 1987); Harvard Law School (J.D., 1990). COURSES: Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Appellate Advocacy. Email: lsdavis @ samford.edu

 

MICHAEL E. DEBOW, (Law Professor), born Tupelo, Mississippi, May 3, 1956; admitted to bar, 1981, District of Columbia. Education: University of Alabama (B.A., 1977; M.A., 1978); Yale University (J.D., 1980). COURSES: Antitrust, Administrative Law, Corporate Finance, Property. Email: medebow @ samford.edu

 

BRANNON P. DENNING, (Law Professor), born October 13, 1970; admitted to bar, 1995, Tennessee. Education: University of the South (BA, 1992); University of Tennessee (JD, 1995); Yale University (LLM, 1999). COURSES: Constitutional Law & Professional Responsibility.

 

ALYSSA A. DIRUSSO, (Law Professor), born Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, August 15, 1974; admitted to bar, 1999, Massachusetts. Education: Carnegie Mellon University (B.S., 1996); The University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 1999). COURSES: Charitable Organizations, Decedent Estates and Trusts, Property. Email: aadiruss @ samford.edu

 

JILL E. EVANS, (Law Professor), born Cleveland, Ohio, October 29, 1957; admitted to bar, 1984, California; 1985, Illinois. Education: Pomona College; University of California, Irvine (B.S., 1979); Northwestern University (J.D./M.M., 1983). COURSES: Contracts, Environmental Law. Email: jeevans @ samford.edu

 

MICHAEL D. FLOYD, (Law Professor), born Atlanta, Georgia, July 24, 1953; admitted to bar, 1987, Georgia. Education: Princeton University (A.B., 1975); New York University (M.S., 1977); Emory University (J.D., 1987). COURSES: Secured Transactions, Negotiable Instruments, Consumer Protection, Federal Income Tax. Email: mdfloyd @ samford.edu

 

ROBERT J. GOODWIN, (Law Professor), born St. Louis, Missouri, February 18, 1949; admitted to bar, 1974, Missouri; 1988, Alabama. Education: University of Missouri (A.B., 1971); Washington University (J.D., 1974). COURSES: Criminal Law, Evidence, Advanced Evidence. Email: rjgoodwi @ samford.edu

 

ANDREW ROBERT GREENE, (Law Professor), born El Paso, Texas, May 4, 1944; admitted to bar, 1970, District of Columbia; 1972, Georgia; 1992, Alabama. Education: Georgetown University (A.B., 1966); Columbus School of Law of the Catholic University of America (J.D., 1970). COURSES: Environmental Law, Natural Resources, Maritime Law, International Environmental Law, Torts. Email: argreene @ samford.edu

 

DORIS WENDY GREENE, (Law Professor), born Columbia, South Carolina, March 18, 1977; Education: Xavier University of Louisiana (B.A., 1999); Tulane Law School (J.D., 2002). COURSES: Employment Discrimination, Race and the Law, Remedies, Property. Email: degreene @ samford.edu

 

PAUL KURUK, (Law Professor), born Bawku, Ghana, December 8, 1957; admitted to bar, 1986, New York; 1989, California. Education: University of Ghana (LL.B., 1981); Ghana Law School (B.L., 1983); Temple University School of Law (LL.M., 1985); Stanford Law School (J.S.D., 1989). COURSES: Commercial Transactions, International Law. Email: pkuruk @ samford.edu

 

GREGORY KENT LAUGHLIN, (Law Professor), born Poplar Bluff, Missouri, July 27, 1961; admitted to bar, 1986, Missouri. Education: Three Rivers Community College (A.A., 1980); Missouri State University (B.A., 1982); University of Missouri (J.D., 1986); University of Illinois (Library Science) (M.S. in L.I.S., 1995). COURSES: Cyberlaw. Email: glaughli @ samford.edu

 

EDWARD C. MARTIN, (Law Professor), born Nashville, Tennessee, October 24, 1948; admitted to bar, 1976, Tennessee. Education: University of Tennessee (B.S., 1970; J.D., 1975). COURSES: Torts, Products Liability, Damages, Professional Responsibility. Email: ecmartin @ samford.edu

 

LEONARD J. NELSON, III, (Law Professor), born Spokane, Washington, July 31, 1949; admitted to bar, 1974, Washington; 1979, Oklahoma. Education: Whitman College; University of Washington (B.A., 1970); Gonzaga University (J.D., 1974); Yale University (LL.M., 1984). COURSES: Torts, Health Law, Lawyering Skills and Legal Reasoning. Email: ljnelson @ samford.edu

 

WILLIAM G. ROSS, (Law Professor), born Orlando, Florida, December 22, 1954; admitted to bar, 1980, New York. Education: Stanford University (A.B., 1976); Harvard University (J.D., 1979). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Professional Responsibility. Email: wgross @ samford.edu

 

DAYNA B. ROYAL, (Law Professor), born Sunrise, Florida, October 21, 1979; admitted to bar, 2006, Georgia. Education: University of Florida (B.S., 2002); University of Michigan (J.D., summa cum laude, 2005). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Media Law, Criminal Procedure. Email: droyal @ samford.edu

 

DAVID MARK SMOLIN, (Law Professor), born New York, New York, December 12, 1958; admitted to bar, 1986, Ohio. Education: New College of the University of South Florida (B.A., 1980); University of Cincinnati (J.D., 1986). COURSES: Criminal Law, Family Law, Constitutional Law, Juvenile Law, Law and Religion. Email: davdes @ juno.com

 

JOSEPH A. SNOE, (Law Professor), born Conroe, Texas, February 7, 1949; admitted to bar, 1981, Texas. Education: University of Texas (B.B.A., 1971; J.D., 1981). COURSES: Federal Income Taxation, Property. Email: jasnoe @ samford.edu

 

BELLE H. STODDARD, (Law Professor), born Hopewell, Virginia, February 24, 1943; admitted to bar, 1978, Alabama. Education: University of South Carolina (B.A., 1964); Cumberland School of Law (J.D., 1978). COURSES: Lawyering and Legal Reasoning, Conflict of Laws. Email: bhstoddard @ samford.edu

 

R. THOMAS STONE, (Law Professor), born April 5, 1945; admitted to bar, 1971, Florida. Education: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (B.S., 1965); Emory University (J.D., 1969); University of Tennessee (Ph.D., 1975); University of Illinois (LL.M., 1978). COURSES: Contracts, Business Organizations, Government Regulations. Email: rtstone @ samford.edu

 

HENRY C. STRICKLAND, III, (Law Professor), born Atlanta, Georgia, October 4, 1958; admitted to bar, 1984, Georgia; 1985, North Carolina. Education: Presbyterian College (B.A., 1980); Vanderbilt University (J.D., 1983). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Remedies, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Conflict of Laws. Email: hcstrick @ samford.edu

 

HOWARD PHILIP WALTHALL, (Law Professor), born Birmingham, Alabama, November 11, 1941; admitted to bar, 1967, Alabama. Education: Harvard University (A.B., 1964; LL.B., 1967). COURSES: Uniform Commercial Code, Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Remedies, Corporations, Constitutional Law, State Constitutional Law. Email: hpwaltha @ samford.edu

 

LAVONE RICKMAN WARREN, (Law Professor), born Tokyo, Japan, August 14, 1951; admitted to bar, 1981, Mississippi. Education: Enterprise State Junior College (A.A., 1971); University of Alabama (B.A., 1973); University of Mississippi (J.D., 1981). COURSES: Business Organizations, Lawyering Skills and Legal Reasoning, Securities Regulation.

 

DEBORAH YOUNG, (Law Professor), born Louisville, Kentucky, May 18, 1956; admitted to bar, 1983, Kentucky; 1988, District of Columbia. Education: University of Kentucky (B.A., 1978); University of Michigan (J.D., 1982). COURSES: Evidence, Trial Practice. Email: dyoung @ samford.edu