A good law school does not stop shaping lawyers on graduation day. It keeps showing up in the way they prepare for trial, treat clients, and hold themselves to a standard long after the diploma is framed. For a lot of lawyers in Birmingham, that school is Cumberland.
So when Cumberland School of Law gathered its alumni last week for its Annual Alumni Reunion, Heninger Garrison Davis was glad to do its part. HGD hosted the reception for the law school’s Advisory Board, welcoming Cumberland leadership, board members, and our own attorneys and support team for an evening of conversation, good food, and a shared interest in where the school is headed next.
What was happening at Cumberland School of Law last week?
Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law held its Annual Alumni Reunion on Friday, October 2, 2026, at The Club in Birmingham. The reunion brings together alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the law school each year, and this year’s gathering carried a few milestones:
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Distinguished Alumni honorees. The school recognized its 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients: Sharon D. Stuart (JD ’90), Distinguished Alumna of the Year; Ruby Villalobos Adams (JD ’20), Young Alumna of the Year; Benjamin Warren (JD ’18), Volunteer of the Year; and Gaynor L. St. John, Friend of Cumberland.
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The Class of 1976. Fifty years since they walked across the stage.
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The Class of 1986. Celebrating their 40th reunion.
It is the kind of week when a law school takes stock of the people it has produced. Hosting the Advisory Board reception alongside it felt like the right fit for a firm that has drawn so much from that community.
Who attended the Advisory Board reception?
The reception brought together the people who help steer Cumberland’s future, including:
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Dean Blake Hudson, who has led Cumberland School of Law since 2022
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Anne Marovich, the law school’s senior advancement officer
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Becky Stroud, Cumberland’s director of alumni engagement
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Members of the Cumberland Advisory Board, including HGD’s own Erik Heninger
Attorneys and support team members from HGD joined them throughout the evening. That mattered to us. The work our firm does for clients is never the product of one lawyer, and we wanted our guests to meet the people who make it happen, from the attorneys who stand up in court to the team members who return the calls, track the deadlines, and keep every file moving.
Why does HGD stay involved with Cumberland?
Because the courtroom is only as strong as the lawyers who walk into it. HGD’s ties to Cumberland run deep. HGD senior partner Steve Heninger previously served on Cumberland’s Advisory Board and is now teaching a course at the law school, teaching the next generation of trial lawyers while continuing to practice law. Erik Heninger carries that commitment forward as a current member of the Advisory Board. Each year, our firm also hosts In Summation, a closing argument competition for law students now in its tenth year, because we believe the craft of persuading a jury deserves real practice and honest feedback.
Supporting a law school is not about putting a name on a banner. It is about investing in the next generation of advocates, the people who will one day sit across the table from an insurance company on behalf of someone who was hurt and needs a lawyer who is ready.
Who catered the evening?
The Happy Catering Company handled the food, and our guests noticed. Founded in 1993 by Bill Bouloukos, who now runs it alongside his son Alex, Happy Catering has been feeding Birmingham’s weddings, offices, and community gatherings for more than three decades. Our thanks to their team for taking such good care of everyone in the room.
What does a reception have to do with our clients?
More than it might seem. HGD is a team of 15 attorneys and a 30-person support staff, and the standard we hold ourselves to was shaped, in part, by places like Cumberland: rigorous preparation, respect for the people we represent, and a commitment to seeing every case through from the first phone call to the final resolution.
Evenings like this one keep us connected to the institutions that train Alabama’s lawyers, and to the colleagues who share our belief that clients deserve excellent work and genuine care at the same time.
Thank you
We are grateful to Dean Hudson, Anne Marovich, Becky Stroud, and the members of the Cumberland Advisory Board for spending part of reunion week with us. Congratulations to this year’s Distinguished Alumni honorees and to the Classes of 1976 and 1986. And thank you to the HGD attorneys and support team members who helped welcome our guests.
We look forward to the next time Cumberland brings its people home to Birmingham.
