All posts filed under: Student Commentary

Four law students at a center table with laptops in deep discussion, a fifth student observes the conversation.

Discovering Temple’s Hidden Transactional Lawyers through ITS

When most people think of lawyers, they think of litigators. We are constantly exposed to zealous litigators in shows like Lincoln Lawyer, For the People, and Law & Order. Even rare portrayals of supposed “corporate lawyers,” as seen in characters like Harvey Specter from Suits, somehow manage to blur the lines, making them quasi-litigators.    The reality is, however, that most law school graduates will find themselves doing some form of transactional work after law school, whether as a traditional M&A attorney, in-house counsel, or compliance professional. Even those who become litigators or hot-shot trial lawyers often find themselves in transactional situations, including negotiating civil settlements or plea deals.   My journey to law school began with the aspiration of becoming an education lawyer. Yet, as is the case for many first-year law students, I discovered that my interest was piqued by classes different from those I expected. Rather than being captivated by Constitutional and Criminal Law, I was engrossed in courses many lawyers and law students often describe as mundane––Contracts, Property, and Tax.   The first glimmer …

Three law students discussing a contract

How ITS Has Guided My Legal Journey

When I first decided to attend law school, I knew that I learned best by doing. I hoped to gain the practical skills required to advocate zealously for my clients, whether in the boardroom or the courtroom. I never imagined that I would learn right from my first semester and that’s why I am a huge believer in Temple Law’s Introduction to Transactional Skills (ITS) course for first year students.    ITS is a multi-week session for first year students that immerses students in the art of dealmaking. Working in teams of two, students represent either the chef or the financier, tasked with negotiating terms and drafting contracts to create a hypothetical restaurant that aligns with their client’s needs. Through my participation in ITS, first as a student and then as a Teaching Assistant (TA), I have learned many skills that have tremendously helped in my legal career so far and continue to shape me into the lawyer I wanted to be coming into law school.    As a student in the ITS program during my …

Ivy League Faces Federal Class Action Lawsuit over refusal to award athletic scholarships

In the ever-evolving landscape of college sports, one tenet remains the same: the Ivy League’s refusal to award athletic scholarships. However, they may be forced to forgo tradition pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by current and former student athletes at Brown University. A class-action lawsuit filed March 2023 claimed eight Ivy League universities unlawfully colluded to reduce financial aid and compensation for student-athletes. Grace Kirk ‘24, a current student-athlete on Brown’s women’s basketball team, and Tamenang Choh ‘21, a former member of Brown’s men’s basketball team, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Connecticut on March 7. Both Plaintiffs turned down athletic scholarships at non-Ivy League schools and claim that the Ivy League schools colluded to “refuse to provide any athletic scholarships or other compensation/reimbursement for athletic services.” The Plaintiffs’ claims are based on the pivotal NCAA v. Alston decision handed down in 2021, in which the Supreme Court ruled that the NCAA’s restriction on education-related compensation was a violation of antitrust law. The decision led to the NCAA instituting the Name, …