June 29 – July 1
Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland

Cumberland School of Law's second annual international CLE conference, The Art of Advocacy, will be held at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 29-July 1, 2025. 

Why Attend?

  • Sharpen your persuasion and advocacy skills through a unique combination of experiential sessions and workshops
  • Hear presenters from the U.S., U.K. and Iceland
  • Sample Edinburgh’s incredible history and culture
  • Launch your own global excursion from Edinburgh
  • Secure 12 CLE hours, including one ethics hour, from Alabama, New York, Mississippi and other jurisdictions.  Attorneys admitted in mandatory CLE states who wish to use this course toward fulfilling the state’s mandatory CLE requirement should complete a Uniform Certificate of Attendance available at the registration table on the day of the seminar and self-report to their respective state bar association.
  • Registration for the Art of Advocacy is limited to 30 attendees. 
  • Cost: $1,750 until April 15, 2025 ($1,950 after) including a $500 non-refundable registration fee 

Confirmed Speakers

Chris Daw, KC
One of the most sought-after barristers in the U.K., Chris Daw KC has been involved in some of the most complex and high-profile cases in the nation. He has represented many high-profile individuals, corporations, entrepreneurs and professionals facing serious allegations. Daw will present "How to Tell the Story of the Client the World Sees as the Villain.”
 
Andrew Todd
Scottish attorney Andrew Todd is the general counsel and company secretary for Springfield Properties, Scotland’s only publicly listed house builder. He also serves as co-senior tutor of Commercial Awareness at the University of Glasgow and is the author of several books and articles. Todd will share his expertise on how to communicate with in-house counsel and elevate your advocacy skills effectively. He will serve on a panel titled "From the Watercooler to the Headlines, Controlling the Narrative." 
 
Benedikt Bogason
Benedikt Bogason is the president (chief justice) of the Supreme Court of Iceland and a part-time member of the faculty of law at the University of Iceland. President Bogason is also an author and a highly respected and frequent lecturer on legal issues in Iceland and mainland Europe. President Bogason will sit on a panel of distinguished international jurists who will share their unique perspectives on effective persuasion in their courts.
 
Rhona McNair
Rhona McNair is a dual-qualified commercial contracts lawyer in Scots and English law with nearly 20 years of experience across private practice, in-house legal roles, academia, and consultancy. From 2022 to 2024, she co-led a team at Thermo Fisher Scientific, streamlining commercial contracts. She now serves as Head of Legal & Compliance at Leyton UK, a leading innovation funding consultancy. McNair has also taught postgraduate law at the University of Glasgow. She will serve on a panel titled "From the Watercooler to the Headlines, Controlling the Narrative." 
 
Nalini Prasad
Nalini Prasad is the chief strategy officer at BluShark Digital. ​Passionate about helping law firms grow, Prasad designs and implements cutting-edge strategies in digital marketing. She frequently speaks at legal events across the country, sharing her expertise on various topics such as growth strategies for small law firms, Google local updates, AI trends in digital marketing and ethics in digital marketing for law firms. Her session will be titled "Leveraging Your Website to Tell Your Story and Capture Clients." 
 
Jill Rothstein
 Jill Rothstein has returned to the South Carolina Bar as general counsel, bringing extensive experience and enthusiasm to the role. She previously served the Bar for 17 years, advising on ethics, risk management, and practice management. Rothstein has also held positions in the general counsel departments of two AMLaw 100 firms.  She is a proud graduate of Cumberland School of Law's online Master of Laws program. She will present "Ethics: Persuading Without Crossing the Line." 
 
Marc Ayers, Cumberland School of Law Class of 1998
Marc Ayers, partner at Bradley Arant, is a seasoned appellate attorney with extensive experience representing clients in state and federal courts across the U.S., including arguments before multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals and state appellate courts. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, board certified in appellate practice by the Florida Bar and has served in numerous leadership roles, including as general counsel to the Alabama Senate Republican Caucus. He has written and lectured widely on appellate law and was cited in Justice Antonin Scalia’s treatise Reading Law.  He will present "Reframe the Refrain: Strategies on Appeal". 
 
Ricardo Woods, Cumberland School of Law Class of 2004
Ricardo A. Woods is a partner at Burr & Forman LLP, where he serves on the Executive Committee and as Managing Partner of the Mobile, Alabama office. He focuses on product and toxic tort liability, insurance litigation, and government liability, representing clients in complex cases involving wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, and civil rights claims. Ricardo has extensive experience defending manufacturers and distributors in product liability matters, especially those involving industrial machinery and chemical agents. In addition to his legal work, Ricardo previously served as City Attorney for Mobile. Woods will present "Cross to Close: Telling the Client’s Whole Truth."
 
Ashley Peinhardt, Cumberland School of Law Class of 2010
Ashley Peinhardt is a partner at Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton, LLP, where she focuses on personal injury law, including medical malpractice, wrongful death, and catastrophic injury cases. Known for her dedication and skill in the courtroom, Ashley secured a $6 million verdict in 2024 for the family of a woman who died due to medical negligence. That same year, she was honored as one of B-Metro Magazine’s Top Women Attorneys in the Metro. Peinhardt is widely respected for her commitment to her clients and her strong advocacy in complex legal matters. She will present "Storytelling in Voir Dire."
 
Kameron Monet Buckner, Cumberland School of Law Class of 2019
Leveraging her years of expertise in the influencer marketing industry and her law degree, Kameron Monet Buckner founded her consulting firm, The Legal Tea™, to bridge the gap between the creator economy and the law. In 2025, she wanted to focus more on educating creators by providing helpful resources, practical tools and simplified legalese for the creator economy, so she created an app called Social Docket Dialogue. Her session will be titled "The Esquire Brand Bluebook: Cite Your Story, Build Your Brand.”
 
Rodney Max, Cumberland School of Law Class of 1975
Rodney Max, principal at Upchurch, Watson, White & Max in southern Florida, will present “Meaningful Paths to Resolution Through Mediation.” Max, who has helped resolve thousands of disputes throughout the nation, will emphasize how mediation is the humanization of the justice system and will expound upon empathy and objectivity as keys to successful mediation.
 
Carolyn Lam, Cumberland School of Law Class of 2006
Carolyn Lam is the global chief compliance officer and general counsel for Europe at Ecobat, the world’s largest lead battery recycler. She oversees legal operations across Europe while driving global compliance initiatives for the company. In her session titled “From the Watercooler to the Headlines, Controlling the Narrative”, Lam will share her expertise and insights on legal strategy, corporate governance and compliance. She will serve on a panel titled "From the Watercooler to the Headlines, Controlling the Narrative."