History. Tradition. Heritage. The longer you live, the more important those concepts become. 

Among the many valuable persons and programs that have contributed to the foundation of Cumberland School of Law, the Cumberland Law Review and the American Journal of Trial Advocacy are two pillars! With a total of 300 printed books and a century of dedicated work by thousands of alumni, the Law Review and Trial Journal continue to establish their legacies for the generations of Cumberland lawyers to come.

Founded in 1970 as Cumberland School of Law’s flagship publication, the Cumberland Law Review is a place where the legal community’s brightest scholars share their insight. True to its duty, the Law Review provides intelligent and hard-working law students with opportunities to assist in putting together thought-provoking literature for publication to attorneys everywhere. Along with Cumberland professors and advisors, the Law Review continues to go above and beyond that duty to allow students to put together their own literary work. The creativity and thoughtfulness engraved into students by this process is something that will continue to distinguish them in their careers long after graduation, as it continues to distinguish Law Review alumni across the country.

The American Journal of Trial Advocacy was established in 1977 by late Dean Donald Corley to satisfy the need for scholarly analysis of the day-to-day issues experienced by legal professionals inside and outside the courtroom.  The Trial Journal was the first scholarly law journal in the nation to collect substantive legal analysis geared toward practical application in the various stages of litigation.  The mission of the Trial Journal also expanded the scope of a more traditional law review from a regional to national audience.  Student members contribute to this utility with their own written recent developments and blog posts aimed at identifying new and changing litigation trends within the practice of law.  Today, the Trial Journal solidifies Cumberland’s place as an institution producing intelligent and respected trial lawyers.

As Cumberland students continue to dedicate their time and effort to these two publications, the issues they face are as old as the organizations themselves:   increasing subscription support, obtaining articles for publication, and maintaining morale in a membership that is stressed out with arguably less tangible reward than ever before.  The more recent addition to those challenges is fighting the death of the print publication.

The Trial Journal and the Law Review are a proud part of the history and the future of Cumberland School of Law.  We invite all alumni—but especially those who value the publication because you were once a member—to invest in the future of Cumberland via the Law Review, the Trial Journal, and their students. 

One of the best ways to leave your own legacy is to carve a path for others to leave theirs!  Here are a few ways you can help today:

Connect with the Journals