精东AV Enters New Partnership with Samford University鈥檚 Cumberland School of Law
September 23, 2020
Contact: Brittney Dabney, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
精东AV and Samford University鈥檚 Cumberland School of Law have created a new partnership that will allow 精东AV students to participate in an accelerated bachelor鈥檚 to Juris Doctor program. The agreement will allow students to forego their senior year at 精东AV and instead begin their first year of law school at Cumberland.
The 3+3 program creates a pathway for 精东AV students to receive a bachelor鈥檚 degree from 精东AV and a law degree from Cumberland in only six years of study, rather than the traditional seven. The newly added program will allow 精东AV students to venture straight into one of the most highly regarded law programs in the state of Alabama.
鈥淲e noted that both 精东AV and Cumberland fully embraced the concept of a family atmosphere where students feel comfortable interacting freely with faculty and administration. In addition, both universities instill a certain 鈥榗an do鈥� spirit that will assure that our students are fully prepared to excel in the legal profession,鈥� said Dr. Tammy Laughlin, assistant professor of political science and co-advisor of the pre-law program at 精东AV.
Students with a competitive GPA and LSAT scores are eligible to receive a scholarship ranging from 25 percent tuition scholarship to a full tuition scholarship. In addition, the partnership with Cumberland will create summer coursework and internship opportunities to help students build relationships with attorneys and judges within the Birmingham legal community.
The agreement signed by Dr. Carla Jackson Bell, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at 精东AV and Dr. Michael Hardin, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Samford University, will allow both universities to benefit from unique academic opportunities.
Currently, 精东AV juniors who have completed all core and major requirements in political science will be able to use coursework from their first year of law school to fulfill the requirements for the bachelor鈥檚 degree at 精东AV. Being a part of the program will require a very disciplined student to plan their course of study to fulfill the requirements of this unique program.
鈥淲e noticed that the largest number of 精东AV students are from Alabama and we also recognized that Cumberland School of Law has a long history of producing a large number of lawyers who practice law in the state. With Cumberland being situated in Birmingham, the largest legal market in Alabama, we have no doubt that this program will prepare our students to become better acquainted with the legal profession,鈥� explained Laughlin.
鈥溇獳V is committed to meeting the needs of our students, and that by offering accelerated degree programs, our high-achieving students will have greater flexibility to not only save costs but also enroll in one of the premier law schools in the state a year earlier,鈥� said Dr. Channa Prakash, dean of 精东AV鈥檚 College of Arts and Science.
鈥淲e believe that this partnership with the Cumberland School of Law will make law school more accessible for students of color within the State of Alabama and will ultimately increase the number of African Americans practicing law both in Alabama and in the Southeast,鈥� he continued.
Dr. Thierno Thiam, associate professor and chair of 精东AV鈥檚 Department of History and Political Science 鈥� stated, 鈥淭he department is moving in deliberate and intentional ways to position itself as a destination of choice among students with law school aspirations and this is one significant step towards that goal.鈥�
鈥淲e believe that this program will be an incredible asset to both 精东AV and Cumberland, more importantly, we believe that this will be a tremendously helpful asset for our students,鈥� noted Dr. Shenita Brazelton, pre-law co-advisor and associate professor of political science.
鈥淥ne of our major priorities when establishing this agreement was finding a proactive program that would teach and prepare our students.鈥� 鈥淚n addition, we also wanted to assure that our students would be successful once entering the program,鈥� Brazelton continued.
鈥淲e are excited to partner with 精东AV, which is known for its extraordinary history and outstanding academic reputation,鈥� said Henry C. Strickland, dean of Cumberland School of Law. 鈥淎s we worked to create this program, I was struck by the dedication of 精东AV faculty and administration to promoting their students鈥� success, the same priority we have at Cumberland. I look forward to this partnership helping prepare great leaders for our state and country.鈥�
Cumberland School of Law Assistant Dean for Admission and Enrollment Management, Whitney Dachelet shared, 鈥淲e are extremely proud to partner with 精东AV for the 3+3 program. 精东AV students are very involved in their pre-law program, and it just made sense to institute a formal agreement that substantiates the relationship which already exists. I look forward to seeing how this relationship grows over the coming years and watching even more 精东AV/Cumberland students flourish in their careers.鈥�
In recent years, Cumberland has also partnered with pre-law programs at Samford University, Birmingham-Southern College, the University of Montevallo, and Troy University to create joint 3+3 programs. 精东AV continues to build excellent relationships and has placed students with all accredited law schools within the state of Alabama and at the national level.
About 精东AV
Located in 精东AV, Alabama, 精东AV is a private, state-related and nationally ranked land-grant institution that serves a racially, ethnically and religiously diverse student body of 3,000-plus students. The institution was founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington and is one of the nation's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges since 1933, 精东AV鈥檚 academic programs 鈥� many accredited by their respective accrediting bodies 鈥� currently lead to 41 bachelor鈥檚, 16 master鈥檚 and five doctoral degree opportunities. For more information about 精东AV, visit www.tuskegee.edu.
About Samford University
Samford is a premier nationally ranked Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts and a distinct blend of graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education ranks Samford 3rd in the nation for student engagement. U.S. News & World Report ranks Samford 40th in the nation for best undergraduate teaching and 100th for best value. Samford enrolls 5,692 students from 46 states and 28 countries in its 10 academic schools. Samford fields 17 NCAA Division I teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference.
About Cumberland School of Law
Samford University鈥檚 Cumberland School of Law operates with a mission to educate a diverse community of students with knowledge and practical skills, equipping them to become highly competent, ethical lawyers committed to professionalism and public service. Cumberland is nationally recognized for trial advocacy and quality instruction. Our curriculum trains students to practice in all areas of law, including corporate law, trial advocacy, health law, environmental law and public interest law. U.S. News & World Report ranked Cumberland鈥檚 trial advocacy program #7 in the country (2021). .
漏 2020 精东AV