COMMUNITY REMINDERS
Welcome Back Help Desk – Monday, January 13th
Welcome back, Temple Law Owls! Stop by the Help Desk on Monday, January 13th for some snacks, coffee, to check the location of your classes, or just to say hi.
Mock Jurors Needed for Temple Trial Ad – 1L Student Invited!
Several times over the course of the year, the master’s program at Temple Law School hosts “performance weekends” where the students’ advocacy is critiqued by veteran litigators and judges. The next of these performance weekends will take place on Friday and Sunday, February 14 & 16, 2025. The master’s students will focus on trying cases before jury panels. We are now in need of jurors, and we cordially invite you to participate in this jury trial exercise. Jury focus groups will take place on Friday, February 14, and full jury trials on Sunday, February 16.
Why Attend as a 1L?
If you’re interested in trial advocacy or litigation, this is an excellent opportunity to see practicing lawyers in action as they hone their advocacy skills. It’s also a great chance to network with experienced attorneys and judges.
As a 1L, you can also get a firsthand look at what advocacy education looks like at Temple Law, which is ranked #1 in the country for trial advocacy. If you’re considering registering for Temple’s Integrated Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP) in your second year, this is the perfect way to learn more about it.
When and Where…
Friday, February 14, 2025, 3:00-6:00 PM
Temple Law School, 1719 N. Broad Street (directly across from the Liacouras Center)
Sunday, February 16, 2025, 8:30 AM-5:30 PM
The Stout Center for Criminal Justice, 1301 Filbert Street, Center City Philadelphia
Will there be food?
YES! Pizza will be provided on Friday. Gift cards for you to buy your own lunch will be provided on Sunday.
The Numbers…
- Friday, February 14: We need approximately 30-35 students from 3:00-6:00 PM.
- Sunday, February 16: We need up to 100 student jurors for a full-day commitment (8:30 AM-5:00 PM, though trials may finish earlier).
What do you need to do to prepare?
- Friday: Nothing!
- Sunday: You’ll receive a juror questionnaire to fill out beforehand.
Questions? Email Professor Marian Braccia at tud23980@temple.edu.
To sign up, please complete the form found here: https://forms.office.com/r/8FtLPTYztL
Judges Needed – UPenn Undergrade Mock Trial Team
The University of Pennsylvania Undergraduate Mock Trial Team is hosting our annual high school Mock Trial Tournament on the weekend of January 18th–19th on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. The tournament is attended by hundreds of high schoolers from across the state of Pennsylvania, and we’re looking for judges to help educate the next generation of young lawyers.
There will be four rounds in total. We expect each round will be about a three to four-hour time commitment, including the judge’s meeting and full trial. If you are available to judge for any of our four rounds, please fill out the following form at your earliest convenience.
The round times are as follows:
Round 1: Saturday, January 18th from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Round 2: Saturday, January 18th from 3:00pm to 7:00pm
Round 3: Sunday, January 19th from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Round 4: Sunday, January 19th from 3:00pm to 7:00pm
If you have any questions, please reach out to Nishanth Bhargava at pennmocktrial.judging@gmail.com or over text at 732-742-8078.
Bar Association Student Memberships – Join for Free Today!
Join the Philadelphia Bar Association Today!
The Philadelphia Bar Association makes an important investment in students’ professional development by paying for your membership. To get started, fill out this online form. You must use your temple.edu email address. Questions? Contact membership@philabar.org or (215) 238-6300.
Pennsylvania Bar Association – Free Membership for Law Students
Law students can join the Pennsylvania Bar Association for benefits such as networking, scholarships, job posting, writing competitions, and leadership opportunities. For more information: PBA 2024 Law School Membership Flyer
Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania – Free Student Membership
Law student membership to the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania is completely FREE. The HBAP has a robust Legal Education Fund organization which provides generous scholarship opportunities for Latinx law students. For more information, go to https://www.hbapa.net/.
Free ABA Law Student Membership
ABA Law Student Membership is FREE and includes many extremely valuable resources. For more information: ABA Law Student Membership Brochure
UPCOMING EVENTS
Grade Roll Open Zoom Room – Monday, January 13th from 6-8PM
Questions or concerns after grades roll? Join us on Monday, January 13th from 6-8pm on Zoom to meet with members of Student Affairs and Career Services. Zoom link: https://temple.zoom.us/j/93242067580
1L ACE Session – What to Do After First Semester Grades – Friday, January 17th at 12PM and 5:30 PM via Zoom
Join us as we discuss using your experience from last semester to help plan for success in the spring.
Friday, January 17, 2025 at 12 PM via Zoom (Day Zoom Link: https://temple.zoom.us/j/92597657272)
Friday, January 17, 2025 at 5:30 pm via Zoom (Evening Zoom Link: https://temple.zoom.us/j/96745087878)
Diverse Student/All Faculty Reception – Thursday, January 23 at 4PM
Temple Law School’s annual diverse student/all faculty reception is an opportunity for students from historically excluded communities to meet and connect with each other and members of the Temple Law faculty and staff outside of a classroom or administrative setting. Take a well-deserved break from work and get to know your Temple Law community over hors d’oeuvres and conversation.
For more information or to register: https://law.temple.edu/events/diverse-student-all-faculty-reception-january-23-2025/
Complimentary Webinar for Law and Compliance – Friday, January 24th at 3PM
The Investment Company Institute, the Washington, DC-based association representing regulated funds globally (e.g., mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and closed-end funds), is offering a free webinar on Friday, January 24, from 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET, to introduce students to legal and compliance career opportunities in the asset management industry.
You can register for the event here. At the conclusion of the webinar, attendees will be encouraged to upload their resumés into ICI’s resumé repository, which is accessible for review only by ICI member firms (i.e., asset management companies), seeking to hire interns and new talent.
APALSA’s Lunar New Year – Friday, February 7th at 5PM – Tickets Available January 13th
Temple APALSA welcomes you to our Lunar New Year Banquet! Join us on Friday, February 7, 2025, to celebrate the Year of the Snake. We’ll kick off the night with a networking hour and a cash bar, then transition to a 9-course meal (please be aware that due to the restaurant’s menu there are limited vegetarian options, and many courses include pork and/or shellfish) and entertainment from Philly-area dance troupes. As dinner winds down we’ll have some speeches from community members and offer time to connect with students, professors, practitioners, and other members of the Philly law community. Please reach out to apalsa@temple.edu with questions. Be sure to buy tickets in advance here! This is a popular event every year and there are limited spots available.
Date: Friday, February 7, 2025, from 5:00–9:00
Location: Ocean Harbor (1023 Race St Fl 7, Philadelphia, PA)
Ticket Website: https://www.mytlawconnection.com/s/706/c21/interior.aspx?sid=706&gid=1&pgid=2924&content_id=2204 (ticket sales will go live on Monday 1/13 and end 2/6)
WRITING COMPETITIONS, CONTESTS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND TOURNAMENTS
Scholarship Opportunities: New opportunity; next deadline March 1st
Information on available scholarships, writing competitions, contests, and tournaments is posted here: Student Post Scholarship Page. The scholarship opportunities currently available include:
- NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Law School Writing Contest – Deadline March 1st
- 2025 Sovereignty Symposium Law Student Writing Competition – Deadline March 24th – NEW
- Public Investors Advocate Bar Association James E. Beckley Writing Competition – Deadline March 28th
- Meltzer Fellowships through the Sheller Center for Social Justice
AccessLex Scholarship Databank
Students seeking additional financial support during law school can also access the AccessLex Scholarship Databank.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS REMINDERS AND EVENTS
TUSafe App – download today!
Temple University’s Department of Public Safety has a one-stop personal safety app that is available on your mobile device. Please visit the university’s Public Safety website for the new application.
Bike Temple: Register your Bicycle; Free U-locks
Students can register bicycles online using Campus Safety’s Bike Registration Form. Just complete and submit the online form, and then visit one of the Campus Safety locations.
Temple Campus Walking Escort Program
To request an escort, call: 8-WALK (8-9255) from a campus phone, or call: 215-777-9255 from a cell phone. Escort service is available daily from 4 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.
Temple Flight Program
Flight is Temple University’s nighttime fixed-route shuttle loop service. Flight-branded shuttles circulate throughout the areas within and surrounding the main campus patrol zone, and pick up and drop off students at each of its over 40 stops. Flight shuttles can be tracked in real time.
BAR EXAM & MPRE
“Esquire Bound”: Virtual Information Series on Admission to Practice and Bar Exam Success
Join us for “Esquire Bound” – our series of virtual information sessions on admission to practice and how to pass the bar exam. These sessions will be held on Sunday evenings from 6 – 6:45 pm via Zoom. You can access the Zoom link for every session here: https://temple.zoom.us/j/96046427589. These sessions will be recorded.
Information on Spring semester dates will be released soon. Slides from the Esquire Bound events for the fall semester are below:
- September 15th: Admission to Practice: Overview of the Bar Exam – Recording – Slides
- September 29th: Admission to Practice: Other Requirements – Recording – Slides
- November 10th: Planning for the Bar Exam: Courses, Schedules, and More – Recording – Slides
2025 MPRE Dates and Registration Deadlines – Register for March MPRE by January 23rd, 2025
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a two-hour, 60-question multiple-choice examination administered three times per year. It is required for admission to the bars in almost every jurisdiction in the United States. The 2025 test dates for the MPRE have been released, and can be found below:
| Test Administration | Recommended Submission Date to Apply for Accommodations | Registration Deadline Fee: $160 |
|---|---|---|
| March 26 or 27, 2025 | December 4, 2024 | January 23, 2025 |
| August 20 or 21, 2025 | April 30, 2025 | June 18, 2025 |
| November 13 or 14, 2025 | July 30, 2025 | September 25, 2025 |
For more information, or to register, please go to the MPRE Registration Information page of the NCBE website here: https://www.ncbex.org/exams/mpre/registration/
Information on Free MPRE Review Courses
MPRE review courses are a great opportunity to get a sense of which commercial bar prep course might be best for you. Information on the MPRE prep courses for some of the most popular bar prep companies are linked below: BARBRI, Helix, Kaplan, Quimbee, Themis.
Bar Exam – Information on UBE Passing Scores by Jurisdiction
NextGen Bar Exam – Coming to a Jurisdiction Near You Beginning July 2026!
Are you planning on taking the bar exam on or after July 2026? If so, you might be taking the NextGen Bar Exam! Beginning in July 2026, UBE jurisdictions will begin to adopt the NextGen bar exam. For more information on this new generation of the exam, scan the QR code above.