Author: Beckie Schatschneider

A Roman Holiday for Trial Lawyers: Launching the LL.M. Capstone in Temple Rome

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It began with a simple idea: what if we ended the Temple LL.M. in Trial Advocacy program not in a classroom, but in the Eternal City? What if we could connect the dots between Ancient Roman law and modern American litigation? What if the conclusion to a year of study in evidence, advocacy, and professional identity was not an exam, but an immersive global experience?  In May 2025, that vision became a reality. For the first time ever, the LL.M. in Trial Advocacy program launched a Capstone trip to Temple’s Rome campus, welcoming eleven graduates from the Class of 2025 to four unforgettable days of legal education, professional connection, and cultural exploration.  The group included seven trial lawyers sponsored by Temple University Health System (TUHS), who handle medical malpractice litigation at some of Philadelphia’s most prominent firms: Cozen O’Connor, Blank Rome, Buchanan Ingersoll, and the Tucker Law Group. Through the generosity and vision of John C. Ryan—Executive Vice President, Chief Counsel, and Corporate Secretary for TUHS, and Chair of the Board of Visitors at Temple …

Judge Tamara W. Ashford of the U.S. Tax Court: Spring 2025 Fogel Lecture

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As we navigate through the many challenges that law school provides, it becomes increasingly easy to focus entirely on the immediate next step and lose sight of the opportunities that will come down the road. When it comes to thinking about post-graduation work, that often means preparing oneself for a rank-and-file “first job” and forgetting all about what amazing career opportunities await just a few years ahead. The annual Fogel Lecture is an incredible reminder of what a legal career has to offer when we remember to raise our sights and look past the next step to focus on the entire picture.  On February 26, the Honorable Tamara W. Ashford of the U.S. Tax Court delivered the 2025 Fogel Lecture, joining the long list of former and current government officials who have shared their views and career trajectories with the Temple Law community since 2011. Standing in front of nearly 200 law students, faculty, and other legal professionals, Judge Ashford discussed her journey in tax in a lecture titled “For the Love of Tax.”  Tax …

Hope through Action – Reflections on Justice and Becoming a Lawyer

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Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), recently spoke at the annual Honorable Nelson A. Diaz Professor in Law Lectureship at Temple Law. He shared invaluable insights on how advancing advocacy can thrive through litigation and public engagement even in challenging times. While his advice was informative and practical, what resonated most with me was his story about his father’s experience with discrimination and how that shaped Mr. Romero’s perspective. His account prompted me to reflect on my own motivation for pursuing law.    Mr. Romero, having just completed his first year at Princeton, went home for the summer to assist his father at the hotel where he worked. Upon clocking in, Mr. Romero was handed his father’s name tag, which read “Chico” instead of his father’s actual name, Demitrio. Confused, Mr. Romero asked his father about the mislabeled name tag and was shocked to learn that his father’s boss had misnamed him on his first day 30 years ago, leading that to become his name at work. Mr. Romero pushed …

Reflections on the “Ethics in Practice” Course: My Immersive Experience in U.S. Legal Culture

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This semester, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in Temple Law’s “Ethics in Practice” course. I gained practical legal skills training during the course, and it was a defining highlight of my one-year study visit to the United States. “Ethics in Practice”, taught by Professor Sara Jacobsen, is a one-credit course available to students in their second semester of the LL.M. for Foreign-Trained Lawyers program. Students of the course are placed short in observational externships with a lawyer or legal advocacy organization. Attorney John McMeekin of Rawle & Henderson LLP served as my mentor during the program. His meticulously designed 12-hour observation program, structured into three comprehensive modules, allowed me to gain a deep understanding of the essence of legal practice in the United States. The modules included Arbitration Observation, Mediation Practice Study, and Post-Judgement Procedure Observation. During an arbitration hearing led by Attorney Jennifer Seme, we witnessed an efficient dispute resolution performed by a team of seasoned lawyers. Attorney Seme stood out for her passionate and professional responses to questions, and she demonstrated …

Emboldened Anti-Abortion Faction Wants Women Who Have Abortions To Face Criminal Charges

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Emboldened Anti-Abortion Faction Wants Women Who Have Abortions To Face Criminal Charges A fringe group calling for women who have abortions to be prosecuted is gaining influence. “With the reversal of Roe v. Wade, now states can pass the most severe abortion bans, which has galvanized the anti-abortion movement as a whole, including this part of it,” said Dean Rachel Rebouche. “Certainly the fall of Roe has brought abortion abolitionists one step closer to what they want – banning abortion nationwide.”

Trump is Trying to Cut the Public Out of Federal Rulemaking

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Trump is Trying to Cut the Public Out of Federal Rulemaking President Trump issued three executive orders that, if upheld, will restrict public input into government rules and increase executive power to make them unilaterally despite SCOTUS’s decision to the contrary in Loper Bright. Prof. Craig Green warns that “he is trying to use Loper Bright as a mask or as a chess piece to try to push deregulatory policies” and “any judicial safeguards or backstops might not occur for a year, a year and a half- long after the politics have moved on to something else.”

Inside Philly’s hidden foster care system, where parents ‘voluntarily’ give up their children

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Inside Philly’s hidden foster care system, where parents ‘voluntarily’ give up their children Philadelphia’s Dept of Human Services often removes children from their families under so-called “voluntary safety plans.” Prof. Sarah Katz warns they are anything but voluntary. “Legally, these voluntary safety plans are a much greater concern, because they can go on indefinitely, the parents are often not made aware of their rights, and the government takes as much control of the child as they would if they had them in their custody. It’s essentially a total denial of parental rights.”

As Trump seeks systemic change, does the US have an obligation to refugees?

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As Trump seeks systemic change, does the US have an obligation to refugees? In a move experts say will test the reach of executive power, President Trump has placed the US Refugee Admissions Program, created by Congress with bipartisan support, on indefinite suspension. While what happens next is unclear, Prof. Jaya Ramji-Nogales thinks “the long-term ramifications for both the United States and the rest of the world will be unfortunate, to say the least.”