Prosecution of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombers - The Cumberland Connection

One of the most horrific events of the civil rights movement was the bombing of the Sixteeth Street Baptist Church here in Birmingham on September 15, 1963 which resulted in the death of four little girls. The killers were brought to justice over 30 years later thanks to the work of a determined graduate of the Cumberland School of Law.

When Doug Jones of the Cumberland Class of 1979 became United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama in 1997, he vowed to bring the perpetrators of the bombing to Justice even though almost 40 years had passed. He was successful in obtainng convictions of the bombers in 2001 and 2002. He was joined on the prosecution team by Don Cochran who is now a Professor of trial advocacy at the law school.

There are other Cumberland connections as well. Judge James Garrett of the Cumberland Class of 1971 presided over the trial and John Robbins of the Cumberland Class of 1987 was one of the lead defense attorneys. Judge Garrett and John received universal praise for the professionalism and competence which they displayed throughout the difficult trials.

We run a year long orientation for members of our first year class entitled "Called to the Bar". The orientation is designed to expose our students to the notion that the law is a calling rather than simply a business of a profession. Every year, the opening program is a presentation by Doug Jones about the prosecution of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombers. That presentation highlights the power of our profession and shows that skilled lawyers can make sure that justice is done even if it takes decades. The case is a powerful symbol of the power of the law to do good.