The Supreme Court at Cumberland

On Thursday, the Alabama Supreme Court held oral arguments at the Wright Center here on campus along with the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Two members of the Supreme Court, Justice Bolin '73 and Justice Shaw '82 are Cumberland graduates. The oral aguments are a yearly event here at the law school and a fantastic opportunity to see an appellate court in action. This year's oral argument was particularly well done and an outstanding learning experience for our students.

The event was also attended by over 600 high school students from the Birmingham area. The learning of these students was enhanced through the tireless efforts of the Birmingham legal community. In advance of the oral argument, volunteer lawyers go to the participating high schools and discuss the case which is going to be argued. Thus, the students come to hear the oral argument with real knowledge about the case making their experience very meaningful.

I was also reminded this week of another connection the law school and our students have with a Supreme Court only this connection is with the United States Supreme Court. There is a reception for the Alabama Appellate courts the night before the oral argument. At the reception , I had the good fortune to run into Kevin Newson and John Neiman. Kevin and John practice with the Bradley Arant firm here in Birmingham. Both are former Supreme Court clerks. John clerked for Justice Kennedy and Kevin clerked for Justice Souter. They teach a wonderful Supreme Court practice seminar at the law school. It is course about which our students absolutely rave and expectedly so. It is a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn about Supreme Court practice from two outstanding lawyers who actually clerked on the court. In addition, John and Kevin are also really nice people.

We are honored to have John and Kevin teach our students. They are but two examples of the countless other outstanding lawyers from the Birmingham legal community who take time from their busy practices to teach our students. We are very fortunate to have our law school in Birmingham which has such an outstanding and generous legal community.