Sharon D. Stuart Receives Cumberland School of Law 2026 Distinguished Alumna Award

Christian & Small is pleased to announce that Partner Sharon D. Stuart has received Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law’s 2026 Distinguished Alumna Award. Each year, Cumberland School of Law recognizes alumni and friends whose professional achievements, leadership, and service exemplify the values of the Cumberland community.

Sharon grew up as a child of the Cumberland School of Law, where her father was a law professor. She graduated from Samford University in 1987 and from Cumberland School of Law in 1990. While at Cumberland, she served as associate editor of the Cumberland Law Review and competed on the ABA National Trial Team.

Over the years, Sharon has judged countless mock trials, mentored students, spoken in law school classes, and co-chaired class reunions. In 2004, she and her siblings established the Frank W. Donaldson Scholarship in Law. Sharon served on the Dean’s Advisory Board for years before joining the Samford University Board of Trustees, where she currently serves. She also served on the formation committee for Cumberland’s Chapter of the Judge James Edwin Horton American Inn of Court.

Sharon remains active in the legal community, serving on the Alabama State Bar Board of Bar Commissioners, chairing the Alabama Supreme Court Standing Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure, and serving as a member of the Alabama Board of Legal Specialization. She is a past president of both the Birmingham Bar Association and the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association. In 2025, Sharon received the Alabama State Bar’s Tony McLain Professionalism Award.

About Christian & Small

Christian & Small LLP serves a diverse client base across Alabama, the Southeast, and nationwide, including individuals, closely held businesses, and Fortune 500 companies. By pairing highly experienced lawyers with clients' specific needs, Christian & Small delivers innovative, effective, and efficient solutions tailored to each client. With offices in Birmingham, metro-Jackson, Mississippi, and the Gulf Coast, Christian & Small specializes in litigation and business law and is a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms. Our corporate social responsibility initiatives focus on education, and diversity remains one of Christian & Small's core values.

No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.