Posted by William Nunnelley on 2009-08-04

Samford University's Cumberland School of Law will welcome a class of 180 first-year students for orientation week Aug. 9-14.  The students hail from 17 states and are graduates of 66 universities.  Their average age is 24 and a few are Iraq war veterans.

Following an orientation picnic Sunday, Aug. 9, the class will hear from Cumberland administrators and faculty Monday, Aug. 10, on the law school's history, how best to approach legal studies and opportunities that await them in law practice.

Birmingham attorney Lenora W. Pate of the Sirote and Permutt law firm will speak at Monday's orientation luncheon.  She is president of the Cumberland National Alumni Association.

Students will spend Tuesday-through-Thursday, Aug. 11-13, meeting in small sessions learning how to analyze cases for class assignments.

Friday, Aug. 14, is Public Interest Day, when students learn about value-based lawyering and public interest programs at Cumberland.  The day concludes with volunteer projects at Glenwood Autism Center and Kings Ranch/Hannah Home.

Law school classes begin Monday, Aug. 17.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.