Published on April 19, 2023 by Morgan Black  
L to R: Driskill, Papantonio, Holland, Hudson
L to R: Driskill, Papantonio, Holland, Hudson

Renowned trial attorney Mike Papantonio, J.D. ’81, generously hosted Cumberland School of Law students and faculty at his Mass Torts Made Perfect conference in Las Vegas, April 12-17.

As founder of the cutting-edge conference, Papantonio personally invited Cumberland School of Law National Trial Team members Elise Driskill and Teylor Lavin Holland to attend. Dean Blake Hudson and Cat Miaoulis, director of alumni engagement, also attended.

The students engaged with thousands of plaintiff attorneys from across the nation, having an incredible opportunity to both network and learn more about the practice of mass torts. During the event, the group enjoyed attending a discussion on how to better integrate training on mass torts into the law school curriculum.

Papantonio, a 1981 Cumberland School of Law graduate, is a senior partner with the law firm of Levin Papantonio Rafferty, in Pensacola, Florida. His award-winning work handling thousands of mass tort cases throughout the nation has helped make Levin Papantonio Rafferty one of the largest plaintiff law firms in the country. Among his many career accolades, he is a board certified Civil Trial Lawyer by the Florida State Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers, a member of The National Trial Lawyers (past president), the American Board of Trial Advocates, the American Association for Justice, the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, and the Florida Justice Association, and has been inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. He is listed as one of the best lawyers in America in the publications Leading American Attorney and Best Lawyers in America. 

Additionally, Papantonio is the host of the YouTube show America’s Lawyer with over 900,000 subscribers where he provides in-depth investigations into major corporate and government corruption. He is the founder and former host of the nationally syndicated radio program Ring of Fire and the author of four motivational books for lawyers, a series of legal thrillers, and the co-author of Air America: The Playbook, a New York Times bestseller. 

Dean Blake Hudson said, “Mike has made Cumberland very proud. He is a tireless advocate who cares deeply for the most vulnerable in society. The opportunity he has given our students to participate in this conference and learn about the mass torts process will no doubt have a positive impact on their careers. We thank Mike for continuing to give back to his alma mater in such meaningful ways.” 

 
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.