Each year, Cumberland School of Law announces faculty and staff award recipients. The below faculty and staff members were honored with these awards for their work during the 2022-23 school year.

The Lightfoot, Franklin & White Faculty Scholarship Award is given to a faculty member based on law review articles or other scholarly work published in the past year. When choosing the recipient, the selection committee considers clarity of expression, thoroughness of research and analysis, scope and depth of subjects covered, difficulty and complexity of analysis, originality of study, and the actual or likely impact of the work.

 

Jeff Anderson, associate professor and director of the Lawyering and Legal Reasoning (LLR) program, was the junior faculty recipient based on his article, The Principle of Party Presentation, 70 Buffalo L. Rev. 1029 (2022). 

 

David Smolin, the Harwell G. Davis professor of constitutional law and director of the Center for Children, Law and Ethics, was the senior faculty recipient based on his article, Kids are Not Cakes: A Children’s Rights Perspective on Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, 52 Cumberland Law Review 79 (2022).

The Harvey S. Jackson Excellence in Teaching Award is awarded annually to faculty members for their mastery of subject matter, their ability to convey information effectively to students, their demonstrated enthusiasm for teaching, their commitment to excellence in the classroom, their innovation in teaching techniques, and their commitment to students.

 

Associate Professor Ramona Albin received the award for her teaching in first-year courses. The nominations highlighted the professionalism, engagement and experience Albin brings to teaching Criminal Law and Evidence. 

 

LLR Instructor Emily Price received the award for her efficient and professional breakdown of legal writing and the excitement she brings to her class, LLR III, a new upper-level course focusing on legal analysis and writing. 

The award for outstanding adjunct went to Jim Phillips who teaches Criminal Procedure I. Phillips was a career federal prosecutor, deputy criminal chief, and first assistant United States attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. He was also an FBI Special Agent in the St. Louis area, Chicago and New York City, and executive vice president and corporate bank secrecy officer for Regions Bank. In the nominations, students expressed praise for the extent of preparation he goes through to help them succeed, not only in his class but when taking the bar.

Rachel Martin was this year’s recipient of the Staff Appreciation Award, which is voted on by the student body. Martin, a 2013 alumna, serves as Cumberland’s director of career development. In her role she works tirelessly to ensure that Cumberland students and alumni have the resources they need to meet their professional goals. In addition to her staff role, she teaches Domestic Relations.