Spring 2020 Exam Information
Spring 2020 Exam Schedule
The Spring 2020 exam schedule is posted here. If you do not see your course on the scheduled exam list, please check the take-home list and the free-slot exam list. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact jennifer.bretschneider@temple.edu.
Free Slot, Deferred & Saturday Exams
Please remember that it is your responsibility to check in to the Exam Central Zoom a half hour before the time you would like to take your free slot, deferred, or Saturday exam. Please contact britt.walden@temple.edu with any questions.
Handwriting Exams
If you are looking to hand write your exams, please contact Britt Walden at britt.walden@temple.edu.
Virtual Events
Law Practice in the Time of COVID-19
Law practice, COVID-19, and work-life balance – an “ask me anything” opportunity for Temple Law students! The Temple Law Library invites you to join Jennifer Fehrenbach Taylor, owner of Fehrenbach Taylor Law Office, for a discussion of how she started her own law practice, how her practice has changed in the face of COVID-19, and how she balances practice and personal life. If you’re wondering what your summer internship or first job after graduation may look like, this is a good chance to talk to a practicing attorney who is navigating client contact, court closures, and other COVID-19 issues.
Friday, April 17th at noon, via Zoom: https://temple.zoom.us/s/96182302193. If you cannot attend at that time, feel free to send your questions to tulawlib@temple.edu and we’ll ask them for you. The session will be recorded.
National Library Week Study Break Quiz – Prizes!
To celebrate National Library Week, Temple Law Library challenges you to prove your trivia chops with a study break quiz. Lexis has generously sponsored Amazon gift cards for the top scorers. The quiz will be available on the class Canvas pages from April 17 to 23. Good luck!
Graduating Student Forum
Professor Shellenberger and Dean Bretschneider invite all graduating students to an open forum on Tuesday, April 21st at 12PM (Zoom link: https://temple.zoom.us/j/98573975220.) Please come with thoughts and questions concerning the July 2020 PA bar exam, concerns about any other issues that might be on your mind, or stop by just to say hello!
School Designed Practicums
Fall 2020 School Designed Practicum Courses
We are pleased to announce the Fall 2020 School Designed Practicum Courses. A Practicum combines an experiential learning project with supervision and evaluation by a member of the full time faculty. There are a wealth of meaningful learning opportunities in a variety of fields including compliance, employment law, immigration, and tax. Please see each individual description to learn what material to submit, to whom you should submit the material, and the respective deadline. Questions? Contact Mai Le at mai.le@temple.edu. We look forward to seeing your applications!
Community Reminders
Additional Student Loans
A reminder that the window to apply for additional student loans closes April 30th. Please feel free to reach out to Temple Law School Financial Aid at lwfinaid@temple.edu if you would like to apply for additional loan funding.
JD Spring Semester Abroad Program in Japan
For over 26 years, Temple University’s international law program in Japan has offered law students a unique opportunity to study in Tokyo for an entire spring semester. The law program in Japan is designed to educate the next generation of lawyers to practice in the global marketplace and to provide aspiring lawyers with the opportunity to become intimately familiar with the international practice of law and legal community. The program also provides participants with an invaluable chance to experience Asia and an opportunity to become distinguished in a competitive legal market. The Spring 2021 application is due October 15, 2020. You may find details here.
Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
LCL continues to remain available for virtual student hours via Zoom or FaceTime. You are welcome to contact Ms. Laurie Besden directly at laurie@lclpa.org. Please also refer to LCL’s law student brochure, which outlines LCL’s safe, free, confidential, and supportive services.
Student Wellness Association – COVID-19 Wellness Newsletter
Our Student Wellness Association has put together a wonderful COVID-19 Wellness Newsletter with fantastic tips and resources for taking care during this time. Thank you to SWA for providing this helpful information!
Learn a New Language FREE with Babbel
Babbel is currently offering 3 months of language lessons for free (no credit card required).
Ardmore Food Pantry
The Ardmore Food Pantry serves Lower Merion. They provide a weeks worth of groceries gratis on Mondays to all in need, no questions asked, for Ardmore and Lower Merion residents. For more details see here.
Law Library – Virtual
As a reminder, virtual library service is available Monday through Thursday 8 am to 6 pm and Fridays 8 am to 5 pm. During this time you can contact us via Zoom at https://temple.zoom.us/j/921213209. We are closed on the weekends, but you can still email us a request on a weekend day.
Additionally, Interlibrary Loan (ILL) will not be available during this time. You can still put in requests for purchases of physical materials during this time, but we will not be able to get them to you until operations resume to normal. Please contact us to see if we can find an electronic version of any resource you may need during this time.
Information on resources available from other Temple Libraries during this closure is available here.
FREE Xfinity Wifi Hotspots
Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers for the next 60 days. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots and then launch a browser.
Parking Pass Refunds
Temple will refund students for parking passes. Details are in the process of being sorted out and will be released soon.
SEPTA Refunds
SEPTA is offering credits for unused and partially used passes valid for specific time periods. Get more information on which periods are covered and how to receive your refund at this link: http://septa.org/pass-refund-info.html
Wolters Kluwer Casebooks & Study Aids – Electronic Access
In partnership with VitalSource, Wolters Kluwer is providing free digital e-textbooks for students who lost access to their purchased book or library resources due to a shift from in-person to online classes. For more information regarding the VitalSource Helps Program, please read the full press release.
1. To get started, students should visit bookshelf.vitalsource.com and log-in or create a Bookshelf account with their institution-provided email address.
2. Here are instructions on creating a Bookshelf account for both students and instructors.
3. Once students create an account with an institution-provided email address, they should log in and click on the “Explore” tab in the upper left corner of the screen. This tab provides access to the freely available e-textbooks.
For a complete list of VitalSource frequently asked questions regarding access to the VitalSource Helps Program, please visit their site to learn more. Please note that at this time, student downloads are limited to 7 titles and trial access will expire on Monday, May 25th, 2020.
For courses where a Connected Casebook has been adopted, we will also provide students access to the e-book, learning tools, and study center for their textbook on CasebookConnect.com. Student access will include:
• Digital e-textbooks with search, highlighting, and note-taking capabilities
• Additional learning materials and practice questions from leading study aids such as Examples & Explanations and Glannon Guides, including: Video explanations, Flashcards, Multiple choice, Hypothetical short answer, Essays, Issue-spotting exercises
• Outlining and Case-briefing tools to help students work more efficiently
An online study aid library is also available through mid May and includes Examples & Explanations, Glannon Guides, videos on fundamental legal concepts, and more. Contact the library (tulawlib@temple.edu) for a user name and password. Then register a personal account to add and save notes, highlights, and bookmarks. Read ebooks online or download an app to download materials for off-line reading. This video walks through the features of the site.
Campus Resources
- Student Emergency Aid Fund (application and information)
- Student Health Services
- Tuttleman Counseling Services: Closed for in person meetings but continuing to offer remote services
- Cherry Pantry: Moving to the Temple Police substation in Morgan Hall South on Broad Street near Oxford – the service will be open twice a week on Tuesdays from 10 am to 12 pm and Fridays from 3 pm to 5 pm, and students will be given a bag of food after showing their ID
Please note that campus recreation is closed until further notice.
And as always, please feel free to reach out to Student Affairs with any concerns.
Mindful Mondays
Mindful Mondays is back at noon via Zoom: https://temple.zoom.us/j/472765393. Everyone can participate in a 20-minute guided mindfulness meditation practice. Mindful meditation involves paying attention on purpose to the present moment without judgement. No experience is necessary.
FREE Philadelphia Bar Association Memberships
The Board of Governors for the Philadelphia Bar Association is sponsoring free memberships for local law students. If interested, please email Membership Director Andria Morris-Tracey at amorris@philabar.org
Job Opportunities
Law Library Research Assistant – Summer 2020
The Research Assistant will work in the Temple Law Library’s Public Services department, providing research assistance for faculty scholarship and participating in special projects that support reference activities. Students are expected to work approximately 15 hours/week, but scheduling is flexible. Work study students are preferred. The Law Library may opt to renew this position for future semesters. Interested students should contact Julie Randolph at julie.randolph@temple.edu with a cover letter and resume.
Summer Research Assistant Jobs – Paid
Professor Cary Coglianese is seeking law students to work as research assistants this summer on a major project on regulation of the U.S. economy. If you want to learn more about how economic activity is regulated in the United States, are interested in public policy issues, or simply wish to prepare yourself better for a career in nearly any field of law today, we want to hear from you! 1Ls are especially encouraged to apply to be part of this engaging research team at the Penn Program on Regulation, directed by Prof. Coglianese. Full-time commitments for the summer are preferred, but interest in a part-time position may be considered. We can provide stipends of about $7,500 per position for full-time work throughout the summer due to an outside funding source. To be considered for a position, please send your resume and a cover letter explaining your background and interests to regulation@law.upenn.edu.
Bar Exam & MPRE Information
Bar Exam Tips – Week 16
Applicants to the Pennsylvania bar will be able to upload and send electronically their character and fitness documentation to the Board. The only exception will be for original transcripts, which are not required of bar examination applicants, except those seeking Non Standard Testing Accommodations (NTA). For the NTA files, applicants should upload an unofficial transcript and have an original mailed.
Keep a look out for bar tips delivered to you each week this semester in the Post!
Important Changes to the 2020 MPRE
There are some important changes to the 2020 MPRE that all students should know about.
- August and October are the next available MPRE administrations. The MPRE is no longer administered during a single two-hour period on Saturday. Instead, students will select one of several two-hour appointment times on one of the two weekday test dates.
- The test will be administered on a computer at a Pearson VUE testing center. This is a new location compared to past administrations. Students will select a testing center when they schedule their test appointment.
- There is no late registration deadline. The earlier students register with NCBE and schedule their appointment with Pearson VUE, the more likely they will be to get an appointment with their desired location, date, and test time.
- If students plan to seek accommodations under the ADA, they should apply for accommodations as soon as possible to allow NCBE time to review their application. Those applying for accommodations should check their NCBE File Cabinets frequently for updates on their accommodations applications.
Any questions should be directed to NCBE at 608.280.8550 or by email to mpreregistration@ncbex.org (for questions about registration) or mpre.ada@ncbex.org (for questions about accommodations). You may visit their website here.
Scholarships & Writing Competitions
Notre Dame Law School Smith-Doheny Legal Ethics Writing Competition
The competition is open to all law students. Entries should concern any issue within the general category of legal ethics. A prize of $2,500 will be awarded for one winning entry. All entries must be received by 5 pm, Friday, April 24th.
$2500 PIDC Fall Scholarship & Internship
Scholarship recipients will be offered a paid PIDC fall internship in 2020 as well as a scholarship of up to $2,500. The application deadline is Thursday, April 30th. Please find details here.
$500 Intellectual Property Writing Contest
The PBA Intellectual Property Law Section is offering $500 to the law student winner of the section’s 2020 writing contest. This is an opportunity for law students attending any law school in the United States who intend to sit for the Pennsylvania bar exam, to express in writing their insight and knowledge in the areas of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets or trade dress. In addition to the cash award, the winning entry will be published in the section newsletter and on the section page of the PBA website. Applicants are asked to submit a statement describing your plans after graduating from law school. Read more about the contest and the submission process here. For additional information and to view past winning entries, visit the section’s webpage here. Entry Deadline Extended to May 4th.
ABA Real Property & Trust & Estate Law – Writing Contest
The goal of the Real Property and Trust and Estate Law Writing Contest is to encourage and reward law student writing on the subjects of real property or trust and estate law. Articles submitted for judging are encouraged to be of timely topics and have not been previously published. This contest is open to all law and LL.M students currently attending an ABA-accredited law school. The first-place winner will receive a number of awards including $2,500. A second and third place winner will also be selected. The contest deadline is May 31, 2020.
Alternative Dispute Resolution – Law Student Writing Competition
$10,000 prize! The purpose of this competition is to heighten interest in, and competence related to, student writing on the subject of Alternate Dispute Resolution. Aside from the $10,000
cash grand prize, and $1,000 prize for best NY paper, winning entries may be published in NYSBA’s New York Dispute Resolution Lawyer publication and/or the American Journal of Mediation. Papers initially prepared for class, journals, etc. are eligible for submission. There aren’t strict page count guidelines, however 15-30 pages, double-spaced is recommended. Email papers to:
nysbaacctmjournalcontest@gmail.com (any questions and inquiries can be sent here as well.) Submission Deadline: June 1, 2020.