Starnes Davis Florie is proud to announce that Averie Armstead has been named Cumberland School of Law’s 2025 Young Alumna of the Year. Each year, Cumberland School of Law honors accomplished alumni through its Distinguished Alumni Awards. This particular award recognizes an alumnus or alumna who graduated within the past 15 years and has distinguished themselves in the practice of law, service to the community, and leadership in the profession. The honorees were celebrated at the law school’s alumni reception on October 24, 2025.
Averie is an associate at Starnes Davis Florie, LLP, where she is an employment litigator, collegiate sports attorney, and professional liability and higher education adviser. She represents both public and private employers and universities.
A proud graduate of Cumberland School of Law, Armstead has remained deeply connected to the Birmingham legal community. She completed the Birmingham Bar Association’s 2024 Future Leaders Forum, and she was recognized by the National Black Lawyer’s “Top 40 Under 40” for the state of Alabama consecutively for two years. Armstead currently serves on the Young Supporters Board of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, where she was recently honored with the director’s award in recognition of her outstanding leadership, service and commitment to cancer awareness, and fundraising initiatives.
Armstead’s professional excellence is matched by her heart for service and mentorship. She is passionate about empowering the next generation of legal professionals, and she continues to invest time mentoring young lawyers and aspiring law students. This is evidenced by Armstead’s service as the mentoring co-chair of the James Edwin Horton Inn of Court, an adjunct professor at Cumberland, and member of the core leadership team of the city of Birmingham’s women’s initiative.
While a student at Cumberland, Armstead was senior class president, a member of the American Journal of Trial Advocacy, a Judge Abraham Caruthers fellow, a member of the career services advisory board, graduate student council representative, an admission ambassador, and a leader in the Student Bar Association. Cumberland imparted in Armstead a commitment to servant leadership and a love for litigation.
