Published on September 26, 2025 by Morgan Black  
Jacob Powell Supreme Court of Alabama
Jacob Powell pictured at the Supreme Court of Alabama
For a select group of Cumberland School of Law students, the first stop in a legal career will not be a law firm or a business or a district attorney’s office but a judge’s chambers in a courthouse. Recent graduates have once again secured highly competitive judicial clerkships, continuing Cumberland’s tradition of placing graduates in these formative positions.
  • Richmond Maddox, JD ’25, will clerk for U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Chris Hawkins in the Middle District of Alabama
  • John West, JD ’25, will clerk for Magistrate Judge Chad W. Bryan in the Middle District of Alabama
  • Taylor Neill, JD ’24, will clerk for Senior Judge Ed Carnes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • Brian Belveal, JD ’25, will serve a two-year position in the Staff Attorney’s Office of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • Jacob Powell, JD ’25, will serve with Chief Justice Sarah Stewart of the Supreme Court of Alabama
  • Victoria Stocks, JD ’25, will clerk for Judge Terry Moore of the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals
  • Madison Clark, JD ’25, will clerk with Judge Matt Fridy of the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals
 
“During my time at Cumberland, I’ve been fortunate to have had amazing mentors,” Jacob Powell, JD '25, said. “In fact, I know that I’ve learned from the best—both inside and outside the classroom. I’m excited to continue learning from Chief Justice Sarah Stewart, and I’m confident that my experiences at Cumberland have prepared me for the job.”
 
In recent years, Cumberland alumni have earned federal and state clerkships, from trial courts to supreme courts.
 
Cumberland School of Law faculty and staff advisers encourage students to consider judicial clerkships and provide assistance in preparing application materials. To learn more, contact professor Jeff Anderson,  judicial clerskhip coordinator, or Paige Yarbrough, director of career and professional development. 
 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, 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 6,324 students from 44 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 is widely recognized as having one of the most beautiful campuses in America, featuring rolling hills, meticulously maintained grounds and Georgian-Colonial architecture. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second-highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.