Published on October 24, 2022 by Morgan Black  
Driskill, Roberts, Sexton
Driskill, Roberts, Sexton

Samford University Cumberland School of Law was one of eight schools selected to participate in the inaugural National Flash Trial Competition  coordinated and hosted by UC Berkeley School of Law. The competition is unique in that competing students receive a different case file before each round and have no more than one hour to prepare for a full trial. 

Cumberland School of Law was represented by Elise Driskill and Alexandra Sexton.  Driskill and Sexton competed in two rounds as co-counsel and defeated the University of South Carolina School of Law and Chicago-Kent College of Law.  The advocates further competed in two rounds without co-counsel, after receiving only 45 minutes to prepare their entire case.  At the end of the competition, Cumberland was awarded the Professionalism Award. 

The team was coached by Judge Jim Roberts '94, head of Cumberland's National Trial Team. 

Judge Roberts said, “It was an honor to be one of the few national trial team programs chosen to participate in the inaugural National Flash Trial Competition hosted by UC Berkeley School of Law; a testament to the national respect our program has earned. This competition was unique in that each round involved a completely different case file with a limited time in which to prepare for trial. Our students did an excellent job in this difficult format but most importantly, our students were recognized with the Professionalism Award for exhibiting the ethical and professional conduct demanded in our program. I'm very proud of both Alexandra and Elise for their contributions to the continued excellence of our program.”

 
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.