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From orientation to graduation and beyond, Cumberland students have numerous opportunities to participate in Cumberland’s Public Interest and Pro Bono Program.

1L Orientation Serve Day

Each year, 1L orientation concludes with Serve Day, where the incoming class, together with Cumberland faculty and staff, spends the afternoon volunteering in the greater Birmingham area. Past students have built houses with Habitat for Humanity, organized donations at local food banks, assisted elderly Birmingham residents with yard work and home repairs, and volunteered with the Birmingham Humane Society. Established in 2007, Serve Day is now a beloved tradition that supports Cumberland’s mission of service and fosters camaraderie among new classmates.

Cumberland Public Interest and Community Service Organization (CPICS)

The Cumberland Public Interest and Community Service Organization (CPICS) is Cumberland’s premier student organization dedicated entirely to promoting, encouraging, and supporting public interest and pro bono work, both during law school and in practice. CPICS works throughout the year to provide service opportunities in both legal and non-legal settings, to support local non-profits through fundraising and resource drives, and to facilitate meaningful student participation in direct advocacy and policy development impacting public interest causes.

Volunteer Network

Cumberland students benefit from access to an expansive network of legal and non-legal nonprofits, volunteer organizations, and community partners committed to advancing justice and serving those in need. Whether volunteering independently, through student organizations, or as part of a structured program, Cumberland students engage in a wide range of service opportunities, deepening their understanding of the communities they serve and developing long-term public interest involvement.

Clinics

Cumberland’s civil and criminal legal clinics offer students the opportunity to earn academic credit by serving real clients who might not otherwise have access to legal representation. Working pro bono, student clinicians build critical lawyering skills across a wide range of legal issues, including criminal defense, parole advocacy, estate planning, family law, housing and criminal defense. These clinics not only prepare students for practice but also reflect Cumberland’s deep commitment to expanding access to justice.

Externships

Through externships with government agencies, legal aid organizations, nonprofit advocacy groups, and other mission-driven legal employers, Cumberland students apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world legal work. With placements available locally, statewide, and beyond, students gain practical experience while growing as ethical and service-minded attorneys.

Public Interest Fellow

Cumberland’s Public Interest Fellow plays a vital role in advancing the law school’s commitment to service by developing and promoting meaningful public interest and pro bono opportunities for Cumberland students. Open to rising 3Ls with a demonstrated passion for public interest law, the Public Interest Fellow position offers hands-on experience in public interest programming and community engagement while providing valuable support to Cumberland’s broader mission of cultivating service-minded legal professionals. The Fellow serves a one-year term and receives a stipend for their work.

Cumberland supports students pursuing public interest careers through a range of opportunities and resources, including panels and networking events, experiential learning programs, and structured hiring programs for during-and post-graduation public interest jobs.

Panels and Networking Events

Throughout the year, the Public Interest Program, student organizations, and community partners host public interest panels and networking events that connect students with attorneys working in government, nonprofit, and advocacy roles. These events offer valuable insight into public interest career paths and provide opportunities to build professional relationships with potential employers.

Public Interest Fair

Each spring, the Public Interest Program, Career Development Office (CDO), and CPICS collaborate to host the Public Interest Fair. The Fair brings together employers from legal aid organizations, government agencies, and nonprofits to meet with students interested in service-focused careers. It’s an excellent opportunity for students to explore job and internship options while expanding their professional network.

Public Interest Employment Resources

Cumberland’s Career Development Office supports students pursuing public interest careers with targeted job postings, personalized application guidance, and mock interviews. The CDO also facilitates structured on-campus interviewing for internships and post-graduation positions with government and nonprofit employers.

Summer Stipends

Cumberland’s Public Interest Program, in coordination with generous donors, offers stipends for qualifying rising second- and third-year law students to fund uncompensated public interest summer internships. To qualify, students must perform at least six weeks of unpaid public interest legal work with demonstrable educational and community benefits. The public interest stipends are an integral part of Cumberland’s mission to cultivate lawyers committed to public service.

Cumberland celebrates public interest work in a variety of ways throughout the year. From school-wide celebration of Pro Bono Month each October to individual awards for exceptional student volunteers, Cumberland proudly pursues its mission to develop attorneys committed to serving others with integrity and purpose.

Pro Bono Month

Each October, Cumberland joins the statewide celebration of Pro Bono Month, recognized by the Governor of Alabama and led by the Alabama State Bar in coordination with the American Bar Association’s National Pro Bono Week. Throughout the month, students have expanded opportunities to participate in legal clinics, educational events, and community service projects that help meet the legal needs of underserved Alabamians. It’s a time to highlight the importance of volunteerism in the legal profession and to actively engage in meaningful public service.

Pro Bono Pledge

As part of Pro Bono Month, Cumberland encourages students to take the Pro Bono Pledge—a personal commitment to make pro bono work a priority both during law school and throughout their legal careers. In 2024, Cumberland proudly led all Alabama law schools with the highest number of first-year students signing the pledge, reflecting the strong culture of service that defines the Cumberland experience.

Awards

Each year, Cumberland students who have completed at least 20 hours of pro bono legal work and/or community service are recognized with the Spirit of Service Award. Students track the hours they perform eligible pro bono and volunteer work during the Fall and Spring semesters, and the Award is presented during Cumberland's annual Awards Day held during the Spring semester.