2020 to 2021 Federal Judicial Clerkship Honors Program – Application Due 1/31
The application for the 2020 to 2021 Federal Judicial Clerkship Honors Program is open!
The FJC Honors Program is a 6 credit year-long experiential program in which students work for federal judges and participate in the practical aspects of jurisprudence. Students draft orders, research issues, prepare bench memoranda, and observe judicial proceedings. Students are expected to spend approximately ten hours a week in chambers and attend a bi-weekly classroom seminar taught by the Honorable Mitchell Goldberg. The seminar meets Wednesday mornings at the Federal Courthouse.
The Honors Program is open to rising 3L Day, 4L Part-Time Day, and 4L Evening Division Students. Students will be selected by a committee of law school faculty and administrators. Upon selection, you will be matched with a federal judge. Participating judges include those located in Philadelphia and Camden. Philadelphia and Camden judges are easily accessible via car or public transportation.
The application is due to Mai Le at mai.le@temple.edu by 12:00 pm on Friday January, 31, 2020.
Penn Law Symposium on Housing
This year’s Symposium, “Red Lines, Red Tape: Combatting the Housing Crisis and Ending Residential Segregation” will feature a keynote address by Matthew Desmond and Philadelphia Councilmember Helen Gym. The event will be held on Wednesday, February 5th from 10 am to 5 pm. There is no cost to attend the Symposium, although please register here by January 31st. For those interested, this program has been approved for 4.0 ethics CLE credits for Pennsylvania lawyers.
1L Diverse Law Student Summer Internships
Just a reminder that the deadline for the eight week 1L Diverse Law Student Summer Internship is February 1st. Click here for more information.
Conversations & Community
We welcome you to our first Conversations and Community for the Spring semester! Come talk about whatever is on your mind. There will be cookies! See you February 4th at 12:00 pm in room K7A.
Financial Aid Help Desk
Financial Aid Staff will be available at the Help Desk on the 2nd floor of Klein Hall on Wednesday, February 5th from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
Stop by the help desk to get information about summer 2020 work study and the financial aid process for next year.
Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts Writing Competition
Interested in winning $5,000? Enter PMC’s writing competition for 2L and 3L students. This year’s question is: “Should judges be permitted to speak out on their decisions?” The submission deadline is February 7, 2020 to writingcontest@pmconline.org. The winning student will receive a $5,000 prize and be honored at a reception in the spring.
Faculty Tenure & Promotions
The Law Faculty Review Committee makes recommendations to the Faculty and the Dean regarding tenure, promotions, and long-term contracts for faculty members. The Committee also evaluates the progress of faculty members toward promotion, tenure, and long-term contracts.
The Committee encourages members of the student body, the faculty, and the administration to express their views on the performance of individual faculty members under review. Student views and comments on the teaching performance of the faculty members under review are especially useful and important to the process. Although we read the regular student course evaluations for the faculty members under consideration, student comments and opinions sent directly to the Committee are welcome and appreciated.
Anyone wishing to express their views and comments on the faculty members under review should do so in writing addressed to Professor Richard Greenstein (Room 601), or by e-mail to richard.greenstein@temple.edu by February 17, 2020.
During the spring semester, the following faculty member will be considered for tenure:
- Seeking Tenure: Professor Kristen Murray
The following faculty members will be considered for promotion:
- Seeking Promotion to Associate Professor: Assistant Professor Bonny Tavares;
- Seeking Promotion to Full Professor: Associate Professor Leonore Carpenter
The following faculty members are being reviewed as to their progress toward tenure or promotion:
- Assistant Professor Erika Douglas and Assistant Professor Stephanie Didwania.
The following faculty member is being reviewed as to her progress toward tenure, promotion, or long-term contract:
- Assistant Clinical Professor Shanda Sibley
PABOLE Visit
We are delighted that the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners will visit the law school on February 11 at 12:00 pm in K2A and 5:00 pm in K1C (weather permitting). The lunchtime event will be live-streamed so that all can participate. The PABOLE will discuss the Pennsylvania Bar Exam and the admissions process. This is a helpful presentation that includes information about the character and fitness process and we hope you will attend. Questions? Please contact jennifer.bretschneider@temple.edu.
The Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys, Inc. Scholarship
The 2020 Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys Scholarship is open to all 2L and 2LE women of color. Applications are due February 14th. For more information please click here.
National Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame Inductee – Jayne Conroy
Temple Law is pleased to welcome 2019 Hall of Fame Inductee, Jayne Conroy to Philadelphia on February 25th. To RSVP and for more information please click here.
Camden County Bar Foundation – Scholarships
The Camden County Bar Foundation offers a variety of scholarships to help students achieve their educational dreams. Applications are now being accepted through February 28th for law student scholarships to be awarded in May 2020. You may find the application and awards criteria here.
The Sarita & Claire Wright Lucas Foundation Scholarship
The Sarita and Claire Wright Lucas Foundation Scholarship is a competitive scholarship program that makes annual monetary awards to qualified, outstanding graduating African American female law students. The scholarship was established in 2015, and is named after Sarita Wright Lucas and her daughter, Claire, in recognition of Sarita’s integrity and passion for justice. Like Sarita, applicants must have an interest in Public Service by pursuing careers in prosecution.
Students who are interested in applying for the Sarita and Claire Wright Lucas Foundation Scholarship are strongly encouraged to review the eligibility criteria and program description before submitting an application. The deadline is February 28, 2020. Click here for more information.
Mindful Mondays
Mindful Mondays is back at 12:00 pm in room K1A. 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.
Important Upcoming Financial Aid Deadlines
Application for Financial Aid for the 2020-2021 Academic Year – DUE 3/1/2020
Now is the time to begin the financial aid application process for the 2020-2021 academic year. The financial aid application process can be completed entirely online.
- STEP 1:Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available here. Click FAFSA Renewal if you would like your 2020-2021 FAFSA information to be pre-filled with basic information from your 2019-2020 FAFSA record. School code, 003371
- STEP 2:Temple Law School Financial Aid Request Form. This online should be completed by students who are interested in borrowing student loans for the 2020-2021 Academic Year. The application can be accessed here.
- STEP 3: Student Loans
o Unsubsidized Loan: If this is your first time borrowing student loans as a Temple Law Student you will need to complete an electronic Master Promissory Note or complete a new online entrance interview. Returning Temple Law borrowers are not required to complete these applications again.
o Graduate PLUS: A credit application is required regardless if you borrowed in previous semesters. The credit check application can be completed here. The 2020-2021 credit check application will not be available until May 1st, 2020. We will send an email reminder in early May letting you know when it is time to complete the application process. If you will be a new Direct Graduate PLUS loan borrower for 2020-2021, you should refer to the application instructions on the Federal & Private Loans page of the law school website for details on applying for this loan.
Summer 2020 Class Session – DUE 3/1/2020
Please review the Summer Financial Aid Options on the Law School website for detailed information about summer financial aid process and requirements. The Law School Financial Aid Office will contact you to schedule an appointment once you have completed all of the required forms. Summer financial aid appointments will start on March 6th and continue throughout the spring semester.
Summer Work-Study Grants – DUE 3/1/2020
If you plan to apply for summer work-study you need to complete the Summer Work-Study Request section of the 2020-2021 Temple Law School Financial Aid Application. All students who anticipate they will need summer work-study should be sure to read the information posted on the law school website here.
2020-2021 Temple Law School Financial Aid Request Form and Summer Work-Study Request which is available here. Please select the application for Returning Students, even if this is your first time applying for financial aid.
The Law School Financial Aid Office will have Help Desk hours in February and March where our staff will be available to assist you with questions regarding the financial aid application process and summer work study. The dates and times will be announced in an upcoming newsletter. Feel free to contact our office if you have any questions or if you need any additional information. Also, please remember that the Law School has its own Financial Aid Office which handles all financial aid and billing questions for law students. Many university communications will direct students to contact the University Student Financial Services (SFS) with questions, but as a law student, you should always contact the Law School Financial Aid Office with your questions. We are located in Barrack Hall, Suite 101. The phone number is 215-204-8943 and the email address is lwfinaid@temple.edu.
Bar Exam Tips – Week 5
For the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bars, there are separate applications to request testing accommodations. For the PA bar, the testing accommodations filing deadline is the same as the application to sit for the July exam (file by April 15, 2020 to avoid late penalties). For the NJ bar, the completed application and documentation for testing accommodations is due by April 30, 2020 for the July exam.
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.
- The test will be administered on Thursday, March 12, and Friday, March 13, 2020. 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. There will also be weekday administrations for the August and October MPRE administrations.
- 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.
- The registration deadline is February 12, 2020. 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 test in March and will be seeking 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.