October 16, 2023
In an education system that is heavily criticized for not adequately preparing students for the workforce, Temple Law has taken a proactive approach, offering students a variety of opportunities, beginning in the first semester. Over the past 12 years, Temple Law has given students an unparalleled and unique view into the world of transactional law through its Introduction to Transactional Skills (ITS) program. This innovative program, the brainchild of former Temple Law professors Eleanor Myers and David Hoffman, was specifically designed to address this pressing need and has seen thousands of Temple Law students through its transformative journey, first as eager participants and later returning as teaching assistants (TAs), judges, and instructors.
According to faculty coordinator Professor Andrea Monroe, this year 185 students participated, with 19 dedicated faculty members leading small section classes. Additionally, 16 upper-level students served as TAs for these small section classes, and a dedicated team of faculty, IT personnel, staff, and administrators from every corner of the law school collaborated seamlessly to make this enriching experience possible.
ITS, for those unfamiliar, is Temple Law’s comprehensive immersion into the intricacies of interviewing, negotiating, and drafting, all within the context of a business transaction. Students are paired up to represent either a chef, “Emeril Starr,” or his financial partner, “Carly Whitman,” as they work to open a restaurant in Philadelphia. Throughout the program, students engage in client interviews and negotiations, encountering a surprise issue unveiled on the last day of negotiations, which challenges their problem-solving abilities. Throughout ITS, students acquire the skills to identify and address issues effectively, employing various strategies to assist their clients in achieving their objectives.
For first-year law students (1Ls), this experience serves as a valuable glimpse into the potential trajectory of their careers. As Robert Quaye (LAW ’ 26) aptly puts it, “ITS has honestly been a great experience. Getting a chance to simulate negotiations in this setting has taught me and really given light a lot of skills that will be necessary to be successful in the law field.” Kristyn Drummonds (LAW ’ 26), had a similar experience, sharing, “ITS has given me an opportunity to explore an important facet of the legal profession I probably would not have touched on until out working in the real world. This experience feels unique because I did not expect to be simulating this sort of work early on in my law school career. However, its uniqueness feels very on-brand for Temple Law in how seamlessly they incorporated an overlooked and important skill for future lawyers to perform. ITS has been a great way to practice understanding and manifesting client needs into a contract, and it has truly been a fun way to engage with fellow 1Ls I otherwise might not have met in the first month of school.”
While ITS is rooted in transactional practice, it instills in students a fundamental reminder to zealously advocate for their clients while upholding courtesy and embodying the collegiality expected within the legal profession—values that transcend all legal disciplines. Lio Correa (LAW ’ 25), a second-year law student this year, expressed, “it was such a cool opportunity to get a peek behind the curtain and make a meaningful difference in the 1L experience. When I look back at my ITS class, I am shocked to see how much my class has learned in a year. I’d be a TA for ITS again in a heartbeat.” First-year ITS instructor and former participant and TA, Chloe Mullen-Wilson (LAW ’19) remarked, “I took ITS as a law student during 1L, served as a teaching assistant for the course during 2L and 3L and currently have a practice where I engage in a mix of transactional work and litigation. ITS provides a good sense of what type of work students will enjoy most as attorneys; those students who are thrilled with the exercises may be interested in taking additional courses to develop their transactional skills, whereas for others, their feelings during ITS may give them clarity that transactional work does not suit their personalities.”
When discussing this program and its role in preparing Temple Law students for the future, Professor Monroe shared, “Our goal in ITS is to incorporate the soft skills essential to legal practice—problem solving, interviewing, negotiating, and drafting—into the first-year curriculum right from the beginning. It takes the entire Temple Law community to make ITS work, and the course highlights how strong, generous, and extraordinary our community is.” ITS has had a profound impact on all those involved, and we look forward to its continued growth.
ITS would not have been possible without the unwavering support of former law school Dean and Temple University president, JoAnne Epps. We mourn her loss and hope to continue her legacy.
For more information about the program, listen to our Temple 10-Q Podcast featuring an interview with Professors Eleanor Myers and Andrea Monroe here.