Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law is proud to announce its inaugural Public Interest Fellow, Sydney Moore. Driven by a passion for public interest law, Moore’s commitment to the field has only grown during her time at Cumberland. She aims to inspire and engage her fellow classmates, fostering greater awareness and enthusiasm for public interest law within the school.
What will you be doing in your role as the first public interest fellow for Cumberland School of Law?
Moore: Cumberland School of Law emphasizes public interest and pro bono work by offering a summer stipend for students who volunteer with qualified public interest or public service organizations. This commitment is reinforced through the annual Public Interest Fair and various educational panels throughout the year, where students can engage with nonprofit organizations and learn from attorneys in the field. These opportunities support community service and help students build practical legal skills and professional connections, fostering a lifelong dedication to serving others in their legal careers.
As the law school’s public interest student fellow, I will help bridge the gap between the public interest law opportunities that Cumberland and the Birmingham area have to offer, and the students who are interested in them. I will be assisting Professor Emily Bonds Davey to bring more of those opportunities to Cumberland by partnering with public interest organizations and firms in our community. I will help raise funds for the stipend, which financially supports students choosing to spend their summer internships working in public interest law. Lastly, I will be working to promote an interest and participation in pro bono work amongst our students and future generation of young lawyers, by showcasing the importance of pro bono work in a legal profession, as well as organizing opportunities for our students to begin participating in pro bono work while still in law school.
What experiences, thus far, have you had in the public interest space?
Moore: My focus has been on public interest law since the start of my law school career. I have worked with the Jefferson County Public Defender's Office as both a summer intern and a student clinician in Cumberland’s Capital Defense Clinic. In these roles, I assisted with trial preparation on numerous cases, specifically capital cases, met with clients in the jail, attended trials and court proceedings, drafted motions, and observed mental health and veteran court proceedings. I have also worked with Black Warrior Riverkeeper, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. Here, I assisted in drafting public comments, participated in field research, and conducted legal research. I have also worked with Redemption Earned, a nonprofit focused on parole and post-conviction work for aged and infirmed individuals. I helped draft Rule 32 motions, researched parole institutions in various states, prepared cases for parole hearings, and successfully advocated in front of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles on behalf of an incarcerated person who was granted parole. This summer I worked with Legal Services of Alabama, an organization that provides legal services for lower-income individuals in a variety of civil law areas. I am the president of Cumberland Public Interest and Community Service Organization and vice president of the Environmental Law Society, both organizations that aim to provide awareness and opportunities to Cumberland students interested in public interest law.
How do your goals/career plans align with public interest?
Moore: As an undergraduate, graduate, and now law student, my career focus consistently has been directed toward providing helpful services for individuals, primarily those who are less fortunate. I came to law school not just to earn another degree or pursue a financially viable career path, but to truly make a difference. Public interest opens doors for me to use my law degree to help many individuals in a variety of ways. Whether I end up working in public defense, environmental advocacy, post-conviction work, or legal services for indigent individuals, I know my future career ultimately will be focused on this area of the law.