Published on October 14, 2024 by Morgan Black  
Trophy Case

Samford University Cumberland School of Law’s national trial team has been ranked 4th in the nation in the 2023-24 Trial Competition Performance Rankings (TCPR), up one from the No. 5 spot the team held for 2022-23. This places Cumberland 3rd overall since the rankings were first released in 2016, also up one spot from the previous year.

The objective rankings are a snapshot of achievement in interscholastic law school trial competitions for the academic year.

Judge Jim Roberts, JD ’94, director of national trial teams at Cumberland School of Law, said the rankings validate Samford’s commitment to student development. 

“The Trial Competition Performance Rankings would not be possible without the hard work of our incredible coaches who dedicate so much of their time and energy to helping our students realize the potential we saw in them when they were selected to be a part of our program,” Roberts said. “Our ranking would also not be possible without each and every one of our students and the contributions they make to our program through their willingness to learn and put in the work necessary to excel in our profession.”

Cumberland’s trial advocacy program focuses on helping student-advocates reach their individual potential by unlocking each student’s true, authentic voice and providing the skills necessary to compete at the highest levels of law school competition. In addition to the TCPR rankings, Cumberland School of Law ranks 6th for Trial Advocacy by U.S. News & World Report  for 2024 and 5th in the Gavel Rankings for 2023-24 (2nd overall since 2019).

 
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.