Cumberland School of Law is founded at Cumberland University

Background. Cumberland University, a private institution in Lebanon, Tennessee, was founded by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1842. In 1847, church leaders added a law school to the university. This addition marked the first law school in Tennessee and the first west of the Appalachian Mountains. Prior to this official founding, the university had already facilitated legal study and admitted diverse students.

Early Growth and Status. At the end of 1847, there were only 15 law schools in the United States. Cumberland emerged from its local Tennessee origins to achieve national status. By 1859, Cumberland, Harvard, and the University of Virginia School of Law were the three largest law schools in the country. The school is recognized as the 11th oldest law school in the United States.

Historical Context. Before the establishment of formal law schools, legal education primarily relied on apprenticeship. Cumberland Law School is distinct from the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky. The school's history is documented in reviews of American legal education development, noting its emergence from local origins to national status.