Samford University, Cumberland School of Law Admission
Samford University, Cumberland School of Law Undergraduate Program
Samford University, Cumberland School of Law Application

The Facts

Samford University is a rather small, private institution located in the city of Birmingham, Alabama, and is affiliated with the Southern Baptist church. The university has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 4,365 students, however, the university's Cumberland School of Law is significantly smaller, and is home to about 540 graduate law students. The average age of enrollment is around 24, and it is fairly rare for any of the students to enter the school directly from their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its diverse curriculum, its wonderful research resources, as well as for producing tough trial lawyers. The school offers degrees in the 3 year JD, the 3 JD in comparative law, as well as joint degrees in the JD/MA in accountancy, the JD/MBA in business administration, the JD/MDivinity, the JD/MPA in public administration, the JD/MPH in public health, as well as the JD/MS in environmental management. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of trial advocacy, as well as practical lawyering skills.

Admission to Samford University's Cumberland School if Law is quite competitive among the relatively few students who apply; last year, over 1,400 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 386 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 174 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average LSAT score ranging from 154 to 157, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.2. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and there is currently no early application program in place.

The Cumberland School of Law has 45 faculty members, all of whom come from very diverse legal and professional backgrounds. Students rave about their expertise, their accessibility and their approachability, saying that they do everything they can to make sure students get what they should out of class. The school has a fairly manageable student to faculty ratio of 20:1, and the small classes allow for plenty of discussion and interaction between students and their professors.

Employment Facts

Students at Samford University's School of Law don't seem terribly concerned about finding jobs after graduating, nor should they be. Over 97% of the most recently graduating class were able to find jobs within a few months of receiving their degrees, and had an average starting salary of about $54,377. Students are most frequently hired by employers such as Bradley Arant Rose and White, Burr and Forman, Balch and Bingham, Adams Reese, Cabaniss Johnston Gardner Dumas and O'Neal, Sirote and Permutt, as well as the Alabama State Attorney General's Office.

What's Good

"I absolutely love the professors here. They have a huge amount of experience between them, but they are really down to earth."

"The school really prepares you for the real world of lawyering. You graduate feeling very prepared."

"All of the students have a lot of opportunities to participate in legal clinics, which is an excellent way to gain experience."

What's Bad

"There are some classes that could be a touch smaller in order to facilitate more conversation."

"There aren't very many options in terms of specializations."

"There is never enough on campus graduate housing available."

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