Published on October 26, 2022 by Morgan Black  
SyracuseTeam 2022

Cumberland School of Law’s National Trial Team competed in the Syracuse National Trial Competition, Oct. 21-23, 2022. Cumberland was represented by six students making their first appearance in a national competition: Christian Bayas, Ashlan Kelley, Riley Kate Lancaster, Jonathan Reese, Hannah Dillashaw and Ally Timm.

Cumberland entered the semifinal round 4-0 after defeating Chicago-Kent College of Law, Cardozo School of Law, George Washington University Law School and Pace Law School. Riley Kate Lancaster was awarded the Best Advocate award for her performance in the preliminary rounds. In the semifinals, Cumberland fell by one point to eventual champion Stetson University College of Law.

The team was coached by Julie McMakin ’09, Michael Eldridge ’12, John Banks ’21 and Bella Colombo ’21. “We went into the competition with a young team and four first-time advocates,” McMakin said. “We finished the preliminary rounds as the top seed which is a testament to our team's hard work and dedication to the program. We are so proud of this team and their accomplishments and cannot wait for the spring.”

 
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.