Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2008-10-21

Samford University's Cumberland School of Law will host one of 50 conferences to be held nationwide on the Rule of Law Friday, Oct. 24, in the moot courtroom of Robinson law building.

The forum, co-sponsored with Cumberland by the American Bar Association and Alabama State Bar, will seek to foster discussion and collaboration among various disciplines. Leaders from business, education, local government, human rights, media, public safety and religion will examine how and why the rule of law underpins the work of all.

Former Mississippi Gov. William Winter will give the keynote address at 9:30 a.m. Winter, who served as governor 1980-84 and is now a practicing attorney, is known for his support of public education, racial reconciliation and historic preservation. The William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi is named in his honor.

Panelists are James McManus, chairman and CEO, Energen Corporation; Russell Cunningham, president, Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce; Odessa Woolfolk, board chair emerita, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute; Phil Hammonds, superintendent, Jefferson County Schools; and Neal Wade, director, Alabama Development Office.

Cumberland dean John L. Carroll will moderate the discussion. Breakout sessions will follow at 11:15 a.m.

The ABA is sponsoring one conference in every state devoted to the topic. Cumberland was chosen as the site for the event in Alabama.

Friday's conference is open to the public. Persons interested in attending are requested to call (205) 726-2704 in advance.

 
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.