As part of U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Law Schools rankings released April 8, Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law ranked fourth in the nation for Trial Advocacy, reflecting an increase of two spots from the previous year and affirming the school’s storied history of being a powerhouse for preparing trial ready lawyers. This is the highest U.S. News ranking received by the law school and the second time in the last three years the school has been ranked No. 4.

 

“Our trial advocacy program has always been one of the best in the nation,” Cumberland School of Law Dean Blake Hudson said. “We are proud to be in the top echelon of law schools preparing students to engage in trial advocacy from the moment they graduate and pass the bar.”

The success of the program has been displayed through the achievements of its National Trial Team from fall 2023 through fall 2024. A few highlights include:

• National Civil Trial Competition, National Finalist and Professionalism Award Fall 2023
• The Verdict Trial Competition, Semifinalists and Third place Fall 2023
• National Trial Competition, Regional Sweep Spring 2024
• American Association of Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, Regional Sweep Spring 2024
• American Association of Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, National Quarterfinalists Spring 2024
• Trials and Tribulations Competition, Semifinalists and Outstanding Advocate Awards Spring 2024
• South Texas Mock Trial Challenge, Final Four and Outstanding Advocate Award Spring 2024
• Top Gun National Mock Trial Competition, Professionalism Award Summer 2024
• Battle of the Experts, National Finalist and Two Outstanding Advocate Awards Fall 2024
• Syracuse Deposition Competition, Winner Fall 2024
• The Premiere, Second Place and Professionalism Award Fall 2024
• Tournament of Champions, Semifinalist Fall 2024
• William Daniel Trial Competition, National Finalist and Professionalism Award Fall 2024 

Adding to the success of the program are the faculty leaders, Sara Williams, JD ’06, visiting director of advocacy; Matt Woodham, JD ’15, assistant director of advocacy; and Judge Jim Roberts, JD ’94, director of National Trial Teams. Not only do they dedicate their time teaching and coaching students, but they also serve the national advocacy community. They serve on boards and committees for numerous mock trial tournaments across the country and are highly sought-after speakers for national and international conferences. 

• Hosted 2024 National Trial Competition regional competition
• Hosted 2024 American Association of Justice regional competition
• Hosted 2024 American Bar Association Mediation regional competition
• Hosted 2023 American Bar Association Negotiation regional competition
• Faculty member serves on the Tournament of Champions Board of Directors
• Faculty member served on the Educating Advocacy Teachers Conference planning committee
• Faculty member serves on the National Association of Legal Advocacy Educators/American Association of Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition committee
• Faculty member served as the liaison for the trial advocacy community to the Texas Young Lawyers Association and American College of Trial Lawyers
• Faculty member drafted Tournament of Champions case files, 2021-2024
• Faculty member served on problem drafting committee for all 2024 National Trial Competition regions
• Faculty member serves on Teaching Advocacy Conference planning committee
• Faculty member serves on American Association of Justice law school committee
• Multiple faculty members served as presenters at national advocacy conferences 

“It has been one of the greatest honors of my career to have had the opportunity to lead this group of talented, dedicated and hardworking students and coaches,” Williams said. “This ranking does not just reflect the talent that Cumberland consistently displays, but also the professionalism that our students and coaches carry themselves with while traveling the country and interacting with other programs.”

In addition to competition success and service to the advocacy community, recent curricular additions have expanded the reach of the program. Cumberland School of Law advocacy courses include:

• Basic Skills in Trial Advocacy (10 sections per year)
• Advanced Trial Skills—Criminal
• Advanced Trial Skills—Civil
• Jury Selection
• Motions & Objections
• Pre-Trial Practice and Procedure
• Deposition Skills & Technology
• Negotiation
• Mediation Advocacy
• Alabama Criminal Practice & Procedure
• Alabama Civil Litigation Practice & Procedure
• National Trial Team
• Foundations of Advocacy: Analysis & Storytelling—Criminal (Study Abroad)
• Foundations of Advocacy: Analysis & Storytelling—Civil (Study Abroad)

"We are blessed at Cumberland to have students and coaches who devote countless hours to learning and teaching the skills necessary for our students to be successful, practice ready professionals," Roberts said. "Our trial advocacy faculty’s dedication to a robust advocacy curriculum further enhances our program and this ranking would not be possible without the support of our administration and alumni. I am exceedingly proud that our program is grounded in the professionalism reflected in the six Professionalism Awards we received from the fall of 2023 to the fall of 2024. It is my honor to work with all those involved in our program, and we are grateful to have our work acknowledged through this ranking."

 

In addition to the 2025 U.S. News ranking, Cumberland is ranked No. 3 in the national Gavel Rankings and No. 4 in the Trial Competition Performance Rankings. But Cumberland’s advocacy program doesn’t stop at trial preparation. Growth of the program is represented by the No. 8 ranking by the American Bar Association for competition teams in arbitration, negotiation, client counseling, mediation and appellate advocacy. This growth is due to the support of the faculty and coaches as well as generosity from donors. Recently, esteemed trial attorney and alumnus Dee Miles, JD ’89, and his wife, Sandra, committed $1 million to the advocacy program.

 

Hudson thanked the leadership of Williams, Woodham and Roberts, along with program coordinator Kim Merritt, dozens of volunteer coaches and previous program leaders for their dedication to Cumberland’s advocacy program. He said, “We are grateful to our faculty, competition coaches and donors for their tremendous dedication to the program and look forward to continuing to expand our programs to make sure that we remain a pillar of trial advocacy training in the United States.”

 

In the 2025 overall law school rankings, U.S. News & World Report included Cumberland at No. 107.  Recent changes to the rankings focus more on outcomes such as bar passage and job placement. Because of this change, Cumberland School of Law jumped 25-30 spots in the rankings from previous years.

 

Support Cumberland School of Law’s advocacy program.

 

Join us for our international CLE conference, The Art of Advocacy, in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 29-July 1.