Called to the Bar

First-year students participate in Called to the Bar, a professionalism seminar designed to give students a competitive edge as they enter the legal job market. Through Called to the Bar, students create a professional portfolio with a résumé, cover letter, reference page and writing sample cover page built specifically for legal employers. Students also get the opportunity to engage with Cumberland School of Law alumni and other lawyers at networking events and improve their interview skills through the first-year mock interview program.

Called to the Bar also helps students understand the entry-level legal job market and provides an introduction to the many unique career paths available to law students and graduates. Students will learn about various methods of legal recruiting, including on-campus interviews, legal job fairs and targeted networking, and will have the opportunity to participate in interactive workshops designed to help them identify their specific career goals and create strategies for professional success.

Topics covered in Called to the Bar include:

• The current legal job market and employment trends
• Résumé small group workshops
• Networking with lawyers
• Interviewing and professional dress
• LinkedIn, social media and e-communications
• Cover letters and personal narratives

Programs

Rascal Talks

Rascal Talks bring alumni and other attorneys to campus to share the practical aspects of their work with interested students over a casual lunch. Popular Rascal Talks have covered practice areas such as Sports Law, Family Law, Federal Judicial Clerkships and many others. These intimate sessions are ideal for networking with attorneys from a wide variety of professional and personal backgrounds.

Mock Interview Program

Each year, the CDO recruits approximately 60 local attorneys to act as mock interviewers for our first-year students. Through these interviews, students practice their skills, receive individual feedback and establish connections with members of the local legal community.

Networking Events

Research consistently shows that networking is the number one way law students find summer internships and full-time attorney positions. The CDO provides numerous on-campus networking opportunities for students throughout the year. These include:

Meet the Market (Fall)
During this event, Cumberland School of Law students network with legal professionals in different practice areas, including lawyers, judges and J.D.s in alternative legal careers, while also learning more about the state of the local job market.

Path to Success (Fall)
Co-hosted with the Birmingham Bar Association’s Women Lawyers Section, students attend break-out sessions with local female attorneys of diverse backgrounds, including attorneys at firms of all sizes, public officials, in-house attorneys, and non-traditional legal professionals, then network over a casual meal.

J.D. Advantage Speed-Networking (Spring)
Students who are interested in career options beyond litigation and transactional legal work are encouraged to attend this networking event where they will meet multiple professionals currently working in alternative careers, learn about their career paths and explore the diverse opportunities beyond traditional law practice.

Public Interest Networking Lunch (Spring)
Together with Cumberland’s Public Interest and Community Service student group (CPICS), the CDO hosts lawyers from numerous public interest organizations to discuss their work and share information about employment opportunities. Past attendees have included GASP, the Georgia Innocence Project, Impact America, district attorneys, public defenders, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Safe House and more!

Skills Seminars
Throughout the year, students can hone their professionalism and job search skills through seminars hosted by the CDO. Topics include professional goal setting, engaging out-of-state employers, targeted networking and many others.

External Career Fairs
Cumberland School of Law regularly participates in some of the largest legal career fairs in the nation. Students are encouraged to utilize these fairs to network with employers and pursue diverse job opportunities. These external career fairs include:

• Equal Justice Works Career Fair (Washington, D.C.)
• Southeastern Minority Job Fair (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Loyola Patent Fair (Chicago, Illinois)
• Southeastern Intellectual Property Fair (Atlanta, Georgia
• Denali Booker 1L Minority Clerkship Project (Nashville, Tennessee)

Career Counseling Services

Individual Career Counseling and Coaching
Students are encouraged to meet individually with members of the CDO staff to discuss their career-related questions. Students can easily schedule in-person, telephone or virtual appointments through 12Twenty, the CDO’s online hub for all things career-related, and drop-ins are welcome any time a staff member is available. Topics covered during counseling sessions include career exploration, résumé and cover letter drafting and editing, interview preparation and skills, job search strategies, resources and tools, networking, career redirection and more.

Résumé and Cover Letter Review
Students and alumni may email their résumés, cover letters and other application documents to the CDO for review. The documents will be evaluated and returned within a few days. In many cases, a one-on-one meeting is necessary to ensure application documents are properly tailored to an individual’s specific career goals.

Mock Interviews
The CDO staff are experienced interviewers and encourage students and alumni to schedule mock interviews to hone their skills and gain confidence. A mock interview allows the interviewee to acclimate to various interview environments, gain experience answering common and specialized interview questions, and improve verbal and non-verbal communication skills in a low-pressure environment. Mock interviews can be tailored to simulate specific professional settings as requested by the interviewee.

Peer Counseling with the Career Development Advisory Board
Each first-year student is paired with a member of the Career Development Advisory Board (CDAB), a group of upperclassmen who act as professional development mentors. Each CDAB member has a unique educational, professional, and personal background, which allows first-year students to experience diverse perspectives. Members assist with a variety of career-related issues, including preparing a professional portfolio, networking with attorneys, and identifying and securing legal employment.

Resources

Career Resource Guide

The Career Resource Guide provides timelines, templates, tips and other resources for Cumberland students. The Resource Guide can be found in the 12Twenty Resource Library and hard copies are available in the Career Development Office.

Summer Employment Book
Each year, students complete a Summer Employment Survey and provide the CDO with information about where they worked, how much they were paid, whether the employer is seeking for next year and other data to help you with your legal job search.

Practice Area Sheets
Students interested in learning more about various practice areas can find informational sheets covering a variety of topics, including transactional law, litigation, public interest, government, corporate, and sports and entertainment, in the CDO and on 12Twenty. Each sheet has a quick overview of the practice area, professional resources, faculty contacts, class suggestions and more information to help you pursue your chosen career.

Career Development Library

The CDO Library includes books, directories, periodicals and videos on a wide range of topics related to legal employment and career development. The library also contains four large, comfortable chairs for students seeking a quiet place to study during our regular office hours.

Interview Rooms

Students are welcome to use the CDO’s two interview rooms if they need a quiet and professional place to make an employment-related telephone call or conduct a virtual interview. One interview room is equipped with a large-screened computer, high-quality webcam and speaker system perfect for video calls.

12Twenty

12Twenty is the CDO’s online hub for job postings, OCI management, appointment scheduling, event registration and virtual career resources. All students are registered in 12Twenty under their Samford email address. Please direct your 12Twenty-related questions to lawcar@samford.edu.

Job Postings
The 12Twenty job board includes positions posted directly from employers, positions referred by faculty and alumni and positions sourced by the CDO team. These opportunities may be for postgraduate positions, summer positions or part-time jobs during the academic year. To search for current job postings, log in to 12Twenty and click on the "OCI and Job Listings" tab.

On-campus Interviews (OCI)
Each fall and spring, employers participate in our on-campus interviewing (OCI) programs. Registered firms and organizations will be listed on 12Twenty. To apply (or "bid for") an interview, simply upload the required application materials and click "Apply." More information on procedures and deadlines will be sent to students before each interview season.

Virtual Resource Library
Students and alumni can access several career-related virtual resources on 12Twenty, covering topics like resumes, cover letters, networking, interviewing, legal career paths and more.

Employer Relationships

Cumberland’s Career Development Office maintains relationships with a variety of legal employers across the country, ranging from small local firms to large national firms, as well as a variety of public interest and government employers. Representatives from these organizations engage with our students through on-campus interviews, networking events hosted by the CDO, alumni events and more. Cumberland students regularly interview and secure clerkships and jobs in major cities across the U.S., including hot spots such as Atlanta, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Chicago, Houston, Nashville and Washington, D.C.

Our students and alumni have worked at organizations such as:

• Baker Donelson
• Baker Hostetler
• Balch & Bingham
• BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama
• Bradley Arant
• Burr & Forman
• Butler Snow
• Campbell Partners
• Capell & Howard
• Carr Allison
• Christian & Small
• Cory Watson
• Delta Airlines
• Dentons Sirote
• Encompass Health
• Fortif Law Partners
• GEICO
• Georgia Power
• Greenberg Traurig
• Hand Arendall
• Hibbett Sports
• Huie Fernambucq & Stewart
• Jones Walker
• Kelley Kronenberg
• Lightfoot, Franklin & White
• Marshall Dennehey
• Maynard Cooper
• McDowell, Knight, Roedder & Sledge
• Mercedes
• Methvin Terrell
• Nixon Peabody
• Phelps Dunbar
• PNC Bank
• Protective Life
• Regions Bank
• Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell
• Rushton Stakely
• Schulte Roth & Zabel
• Shipt
• Smith, Spires & Peddy
• Southern Company
• Spotify
• Starnes Davis Florie
• Tanner & Guin
• Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis

Reciprocity

Current Students
The CDO has reciprocal arrangements with career services offices at other ABA-accredited law schools. These arrangements typically allow graduates and third-year students to use the resources of another law school, subject to limitations set out in that school's reciprocity policies. If you are interested in seeking reciprocity from another law school, please email lawcar@samford.edu stating the law school that interests you and providing your current address and telephone number. We will copy you on any emails sent to the other law school and will contact you when we know whether your request was granted.

Non-Cumberland Students and Alumni Seeking Reciprocity: All requests for reciprocity may be directed to lawcar@samford.edu. View Cumberland School of Law's Reciprocity Policy.

Cumberland School of Law alumni are encouraged to utilize the Career Development Office beyond graduation. To schedule an in-person, virtual or telephone appointment, please email lawcar@samford.edu or schedule online through 12Twenty.

12Twenty

12Twenty, our online job bank and on-campus interview management system, is a virtual resource library where alumni can find templates, handouts, videos and other resourcesto assist with all aspects of professional development.

Alumni may access 12Twenty using their Samford email address.

To search for current job postings, log into 12Twenty and click on the "Job Listings" tab. Follow the prompts to upload your application materials and apply for available positions.

To access our virtual resource library, log in to 12Twenty and click on the "Resource Library" tab.

Please direct 12Twenty-related questions to lawcar@samford.edu.

Individual Career Counseling

Cumberland CDO staff members are happy to offer individual career counseling to alumni at all stages of their careers. Topics covered during counseling sessions include career exploration, résumé and cover letter drafting and editing, interview preparation and skills, job search strategies, resources and tools, networking, career redirection and more. Alumni may also email their résumés, cover letters and other application documents to the CDO for review. The documents will be evaluated and returned within a few days. In many cases, a one-on-one meeting is necessary to ensure application documents are properly tailored to an individual’s specific career goals.

Recruit at Cumberland

The CDO encourages alumni to recruit from Cumberland School of Law to meet their staffing needs. Recruitment options include 12Twenty job posts, résumé collects, on-campus interviews and targeted placement by the CDO staff. We are always happy to speak with you regarding your hiring goals and strategies so that you obtain a strong applicant pool. To learn more, see the section for Employers on this page.

Get Involved

Mock Interviews
Each year, the CDO recruits alumni to serve as interviewers for our first-year mock interview program. Through this program, students hone their interview skills and receive feedback from practicing attorneys, and attorneys can identify emerging talent for future clerkship opportunities.

Presentations and Event Collaborations
We encourage alumni from all practice areas to participate in our educational programs and networking events, including panels, mixers, skills seminars and roundtables.

If you would like to participate in mock interviews or other networking and professional events with our students, please email lawcar@samford.edu.

Stay Connected

We love keeping up with our alumni! When you make a career move, please remember to contact us, or update your employment in 12Twenty. This helps us maintain accurate records and better advise students and graduates seeking work in various locations and practice areas.

Reciprocity

The CDO has reciprocal arrangements with career services offices at other ABA-accredited law schools. These arrangements typically allow graduates and third-year students to use the resources of another law school, subject to limitations set out in that school's reciprocity policies. If you are interested in seeking reciprocity from another law school, please email lawcar@samford.edu stating the law school that interests you and providing your current address and telephone number. We will copy you on any emails sent to the other law school and will contact you when we know whether your request was granted.

Thank you for considering Cumberland School of Law students and graduates for employment. The Career Development Office is committed to making the hiring process productive and efficient for both employers and applicants, and we are eager to facilitate the hiring process. To become a part of our network and to receive updates on programs and schedules, you may register on our online 12Twenty system by visiting the 12Twenty employer page. The most common methods employers use to hire Cumberland School of Law students and graduates are explained below.

Recruit Cumberland Students and Alumni

The CDO utilizes 12Twenty to post jobs, schedule on-campus interviews (OCI), and facilitate résumé collects. We can also assist with targeted promotion of available positions through direct contact with eligible candidates on your behalf. We are happy to speak with you regarding your hiring goals and strategies so that you obtain a strong applicant pool.

Post a Job
To post a job on 12Twenty, employers may register for a 12Twenty account and choose “Employer Sign Up.” From there, follow the prompts to post your position. 

Register for On-campus Interviews
Any employer with a 12Twenty account may follow the prompts to register to participate in on-campus interviews (OCI) during our fall and spring OCI recruitment periods.

Collect Résumés
Employers may request that the CDO staff collect résumés from interested students and forward them in one packet, allowing the employer to select candidates and schedule interviews at their convenience.

Please email lawcar@samford.edu to schedule a call with a member of our staff, post a job without registering for 12Twenty, to be notified of OCI registration periods, or to arrange a résumé collect.

Get Involved

Mock Interviews
Each year, the CDO recruits approximately 60 Cumberland alumni to serve as interviewers for our first-year mock interview program. Through this program, students hone their interview skills and receive feedback from practicing attorneys, and attorneys can identify emerging talent for future clerkship opportunities.

Presentations and Event Collaborations
We encourage employers from all practice areas to participate in our educational programs and networking events, including panels, mixers, skills seminars, and roundtables.

On-campus Events
The CDO hosts numerous events throughout the year designed to connect Cumberland students and employers. These include Meet the Market (fall), Path to Success (fall), Market Mixer (spring), J.D. Advantage Speed Networking (spring), Public Interest Networking Lunch (spring) and many others.

Off-campus Career Fairs and Events
Cumberland students participate in several off-campus career fairs and events listed below.

• Equal Justice Works Career Fair (Washington, D.C.)
• Southeastern Minority Job Fair (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Loyola Patent Fair (Chicago, Illinois)
• Southeastern Intellectual Property Fair (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Denali Booker 1L Minority Clerkship Project (Nashville, Tennessee)

Please email lawcar@samford.edu to participate or learn more about the ways to get involved as mentioned above.

Non-discrimination Statement
Cumberland School of Law firmly expects employers who use the services of Cumberland’s Career Development Office to observe the principles of non-discrimination and equality of opportunity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability in regard to hiring, promotion, retention and conditions of employment. An employer’s request to use the facilities or services of the Career Development Office shall be taken as assurance that the employer conducts its business in a manner that does not contravene this policy of non-discrimination.