Cumberland Research Radio

Mike Papantonio, partner at Levin Papantonio and a 1981 graduate of Cumberland School of Law, talks with Dean Blake Hudson about the path to making an impact as a trial lawyer and the need for lawyers to use their license to practice law in a way that has meaning and impact.

Kerry McInerney, director of Graduate and International Programs at Cumberland School of Law, talks with Dean Blake Hudson about Cumberland’s online Master of Laws (LLM) and Master of Studies in Law (MSL) graduate programs and degrees. He discusses the focus on regulatory compliance, the future of our program, and how our students are having a real world impact in their professions through their pursuit of these degrees.

Maryam Stevenson, assistant professor of Law at Cumberland School of Law, talks with Dean Blake Hudson about her research on immigration law, and in particular high-skilled workers. She discusses the changes to the H1-B visa program and details concerns over a shortage of high skilled laborers in, for example, the medical field (doctors and nurses) in the coming decades.

Professor Uma Outka, the William R. Scott Law Professor of Law at the University of Kansas School of Law, speaks with Cumberland School of Law Dean Blake Hudson about the issue of energy affordability, particularly in the context of low-income households. She discusses current programs at the federal level to address energy affordability and some reasons these programs have not been enough to adequately address energy insecurity. 

Ramona Albin, associate professor at Cumberland School of Law, speaks with Dean Blake Hudson about her research on the persistence of rape mythology. She explains that while rape shield laws are supposed to protect rape victims, mythologies undermining victims’ claims continue to create injustices in the law. She compares rape shield laws in the U.S. with those in Canada and the U.K. and what we can learn from those comparisons, concluding with insights into the potential future impact of this work.

Kevin Patton, assistant clinical professor and director of the Cumberland School of Law Veterans Assistance Clinic (C-VETS) speaks with Dean Blake Hudson about one of Cumberland’s foundational clinics. Patton, a veteran himself, details the type of work C-VETS does, the assistance it provides, how C-VETS work has changed over time, and how students are impacted by their service in the clinic.

LaJuana Davis, the Judge J. Russell McElroy Professor of Law and director of the Cumberland School of Law Innocence Clinic and Leslie Coyne, clinical instructor in residence and owner of Coyne Counseling and Consulting, speak with Dean Blake Hudson about their work with Cumberland’s Innocence Clinic. We learn how the innocence clinic started, how students collaborate within the clinic, the challenges of modern technology, how wrongful conviction cases happen, and what everyday citizens can do to help the cause of the wrongfully imprisoned.

David Smolin, the Harwell G. Davis Professor of Constitutional Law at Cumberland School of Law, speaks with Dean Blake Hudson about his work on children’s rights. Professor Smolin directs the Center for Children, Law & Ethics, where he and Cumberland students have worked on parental rights, international adoption, religious freedom and children’s rights, protection of minors, surrogacy, and other important work.

Nationally recognized mediator Rodney Max, a 1975 Cumberland School of Law alumnus, speaks with Dean Blake Hudson about the evolving nature of mediation practice in the U.S., detailing how clogged court dockets and a push for efficiency in conflict resolution contributed to the rapid growth of mediation practice. He details his view that mediation should and will expand beyond the judicial branch to facilitate legislative and executive conflict resolution in the future.

Cumberland School of Law associate professor of advocacy and assistant director of advocacy programs Matt Woodham discusses his article “Gilded Executive Privilege: The Unstated Evidentiary Rule in Trump v. U.S.,” forthcoming in the St. John’s Law Review and co-authored with Cumberland associate professor Ramona Albin. He also shares an update on the successes of Cumberland School of Law’s trial advocacy program which is currently ranked No. 4 in the nation by U.S. News and No. 2 in the national Gavel Rankings.

Jonathan Rosenbloom, professor of law at Albany Law School, details his involvement in creating the Sustainable Development Code, helping local governments engage in more environmentally responsible land development. Rosenbloom also discusses how local governments can fill the gap in environmental and climate policymaking given the retreat of the federal government from that role.

Lane Woodke, assistant professor at Cumberland School of Law and former Assistant U.S. Attorney, explores the 8th Amendment’s deliberate indifference doctrine in her research on prison conditions. Woodke argues that courts may still find constitutional violations—even when prison systems seem to respond reasonably to claims of cruel and unusual punishment.

John Tolbert, a 2002 Cumberland School of Law alumnus and vice president and deputy general counsel at Fannie Mae, discusses his path from a law student facing unique challenges to a legal career focused on facilitating multifamily housing development.

Dean Blake Hudson connects with Troy Rule, a professor at Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. In this episode, Rule discusses how the recent election may and may not affect renewable energy development in the United States. He also briefly describes his current project focusing on the need for "electricity zoning" - a means of integrating risk mitigation (such as fire risk) into the cost of electricity through zoned electricity pricing.

Peter Mougey, a 1999 Cumberland School of Law alumnus, discusses his perspectives on how plaintiffs' work can assist in overseeing corporate conduct in the absence of sufficient regulatory oversight.

Cumberland School of Law assistant professor Will Dorton shares his perspectives on the need to develop common agreement on the meaning of basic corporate law terms. His research provides a conceptual framework for undertaking this task, long overdue. He also details his involvement in an equine nonprofit that provides substance abuse recovery opportunities for men.

How will Loper Bright, the case that overturned the Chevron Doctrine’s deference to administrative agencies, affect Veterans Law? Cumberland School of Law assistant professor Carlissa Carson analyzes how the Gardner case (which established a veteran-friendly approach to interpreting statutes) melds with the new reality of Loper Bright.

Jeff Coleman, a 1990 Cumberland School of Law alumnus, shares some of his experiences in the courtroom and how serving on a jury taught him valuable lessons about the importance of credibility in the practice of law.

Alicia Gilbert, visiting assistant professor of law at Cumberland School of Law, discusses the role of Certificates of Public Advantage (COPAs) in helping struggling rural hospitals combine resources to survive and serve their populations.

Thomas Hannahan, a member of Cumberland School of Law's class of 2024, discusses his recently published article detailing how the Supreme Court’s distortion of a word’s meaning can have significant consequences for future caselaw.

What happens when a bank mistakenly transfers billions of dollars to other banks? Cumberland School of Law associate professor Layne Keele discusses his research on the remedies available when parties make big (and costly) blunders.

Students Cameron Bledsoe and Malik Howard, along with alumnus Jeff Friedman, tell us what it is like to receive a Cumberland School of Law education and how it prepares you for a legal career.

Starnes Professor of Law Brannon Denning discusses his recent book detailing the history of American citizens’ relationship with guns and recent Supreme Court jurisprudence on gun rights.

How can we create a tool that law students can use to better manage time for all that law school requires? Cumberland School of Law professors Ramona Albin and Lynn Hogewood join us to discuss their student time management study, with a view toward helping students manage the challenges of “too much to do and too little time to do it” in law school.

Renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe sits down to chat about bridging the gap between climate science and the Christian faith, the complex relationship between religion and politics, and overcoming political and religious gridlock to tackle humanity’s greatest environmental threat.

Given the soaring costs of higher education and legal textbooks, can we find a better, more cost-effective way to educate students? Ed Martin, professor of law at Cumberland School of Law, talks with us about using a cheaper, flexible alternative in the classroom: ChartaCourse.

Ted Leopold, a Cumberland School of Law alumnus and attorney working on a variety of mass tort and complex class action matters, discusses the background, current status, and future of the Flint, Michigan water crisis cases.

Currently the primary federal anti-kickback statute, which helps combat health insurance fraud, only applies when kickbacks are given for services provided by government health insurance plans like Medicare and Medicaid. Cumberland School of Law’s Chinelo Dike-Minor discusses why these consumer protections should be extended to private health insurance programs.

Former slave Mary Ann Cord recounted an oral history to Mark Twain about her tragic experiences while enslaved. Twain subsequently published A True Story, Repeated Word for Word as I Heard It. But Cord never received any credit for the work, nor a dime of the proceeds from the sale of the book. Through the lens of common law copyright law, Cumberland School of Law’s Tim McFarlin takes a close look at whether Cord should have been considered a co-author of Twain’s book, entitling her (and her heirs) to both credit and compensation.

Did you know that you can be dead in one state but alive in another? Cumberland School of Law's Professor Alyssa DiRusso talks about how this creepy quirk of state law affect trust and estate law, such as when property can be handed down at one's death.