Published on July 13, 2023 by Morgan Black  
Turner Rolanda

Cumberland School of Law student Rolanda Tina Turner has been selected as one of two recipients of the 2023 Justice Janie L. Shores Scholarship. Administered annually by the Alabama Bar Foundation, the  scholarship was established by the Women’s Section of the Alabama State Bar in honor of the first female Alabama Supreme Court Justice, Janie Shores, a former Cumberland School of Law professor.  

Each year, the $5,000 scholarship is awarded to one or more female Alabama residents attending an Alabama law school.  

"The Women’s Section is proud to be able to award scholarships to deserving women law students in Alabama," said Jennifer B. Bates, executive director of the Birmingham Bar Association and Chair of the Women's Section of the Alabama State Bar. "Since 2008, we have been able to provide scholarships that have helped women realize their dreams of becoming attorneys. Our scholarship recipients have gone on to successful legal careers and are leaders in their communities. They truly reflect the spirit of the Women’s Section and of the attorney after whom the scholarship is named."  

At Cumberland School of Law, Turner is a member of the National Mediation Team, is president of the Cumberland Society of Arts, vice president of the Cumberland Health & Wellness Society, and serves on the Career Development Advisory Board. Her honors include inclusion on the Dean’s List, selection as a Merit Scholar and membership in Phi Alpha Delta and she is a recipient of the Stone/Parker Award. 

Turner earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Alabama, where she majored in political science and psychology. She is employed at Encompass Health as a compliance student intern and SRS Acquiom Holdings LLC as a law intern. She envisions a career as a corporate lawyer who focuses on transactional matters involving data privacy and security, advising clients on corporate formation, contract negotiations, and strategic acquisitions. Her dream is to also create a nonprofit organization to help at-risk young people. 

"If there is one thing I believe, it is that a lawyer must be present in the courtroom, classroom, and community they represent to tackle injustice and inequality," Turner wrote in her scholarship application. "I am eager to take my passion and drive to the next level by becoming an attorney who serves and embraces individuals of every outlook and background." 

Dawn Hathcock is the executive director of the Alabama Law Foundation. She said,  "Justice Janie L. Shores Scholarship recipients have the vision for growing the profession into the future and will help ensure access to justice remains within reach for all who need legal help. Providing scholarships to help students on their path to becoming a lawyer is one of the most rewarding things we do."

 
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.