All posts filed under: Student Commentary

Queen Village

My Philly Neighborhood: Queen Village (And Bella Vista, Too!)

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Queen Village is the perfect neighborhood. Nestled just southeast of Center City, Queen Village is bordered by South Street to the north and Washington Ave to the south, and spans from 6th Street to the Delaware River. With tree-lined streets, historic brick homes, and plenty of shops and restaurants, Queen Village is the quintessential urban residential neighborhood. And if you’re interested in expanding your search closer to the Broad Street subway line, look no further than neighboring Bella Vista, which occupies the same latitude as Queen Village, but stretches to the west from 6th Street to 11th Street. It’s just as lovely, and perhaps more accessible to Temple for the car-free crowd.

Powelton Village West Philadelphia

My Philly Neighborhood: West Philadelphia

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I have lived in Philadelphia for the past three and a half years. During my first two years in Philly, I lived in Center City. While I enjoyed it there, I always thought that the rent prices were a bit of a rip off and, because I’m not much of a city girl, I missed being around trees. While visiting some friends who lived in West Philly, I noticed the charming old Victorian homes, and all of the gorgeous green space. I was delighted by how quiet the area was and decided to look into living there.

Emily Bock

Opening Doors for Students and Clients: Temple Law Students and Criminal Record Expungements in Philadelphia

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In Pennsylvania, there are 11.1 African Americans and 6 Hispanics in federal or state prison for every White prisoner.[1] Nationally, there are more than twice as many people on probation or parole than there are incarcerated.[2] One in three United States adults will have been arrested by the age of 23.[3] The magnitude of the problem of criminal records is hard to comprehend, especially when we factor in people who are arrested, charged with crimes, and never convicted. In many cities, low-income communities of color are disproportionately policed as compared to higher-income, white communities.[4] This means that residents of low-income neighborhoods often have more criminal records, adding more barriers to escaping poverty.[5] Around 87% of employers conduct criminal background checks during the hiring process, which makes any criminal record (conviction or otherwise) a potential barrier.[6] Philadelphia has the highest per capita incarceration rate of the 10 largest U.S. cities, with almost 7 out of every thousand citizens behind bars.[7] Additionally, Philadelphia is one of the poorest major cities in the United States, so when we …

Megan Moore Temple Law

The Temple Law and Public Policy Program

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Throughout my education, I have always had a strong inclination towards reading and research. I was encouraged to embrace my willingness to delve into a new book or use spare time to document my ideas. In college, I took advantage of the opportunity to take classes that involved literature and ethnic studies, environmental issues, and language translation. I wrote papers on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of post-South African Apartheid and the challenges and prospects of openness and democracy in Cuba. Other classes required formal papers in Spanish or gave me the opportunity to reach back to translations of philosophy from Plato. Books that shaped my life included a memoir and autobiography by President Barack Obama. These books left me questioning policy at the local level, and I found courage and authentic perspectives on community development through its pages. My interest in policy led me to attend college at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. There, I conducted guided research on water resources and interned at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of …

My Philly Neighborhood: North Philadelphia

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I came to Temple Law School from Houston, TX. I first discovered Temple after searching US News and World Reports’ best law schools for trial advocacy list. After being accepted, I decided to experience the school and the City of Brotherly Love before I paid my final seat deposit. When I arrived I was not sure this was the place I wanted to spend the next three years of my life. I grew up in New Orleans before moving to Houston, which was an easy move – the weather was still warm and it was only a five hour drive from home. Philadelphia was far from my family and, maybe more distressingly, had real winters. The mere thought of having to walk to class in the snow and wear layers to keep warm, made me want to run back to the South.

Alter Hall Flags

Embracing Cultural Competence to Enhance Legal Representation

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I sat listening intently to my constitutional law professor, engrossed in the lecture-induced dawning realization that the word “equality” did not in fact appear anywhere in the U.S. Constitution. My body leaned forward, as I unconsciously shook my head in agreement with my professor’s assessment that this celebrated document was flawed in many ways that continue to mar society today. Catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, my professor looked at me inquisitively and asked which part I disagreed with. Startled, I replied with fervor that I wholeheartedly agreed with him. Then I realized that I had been shaking my head from side to side instead of up and down, as I had often seen my Indian father do when he approved of an idea and wanted to express his support. Subtle body movements, vocal sounds and unconscious gestures, informed and molded by cultural norms, have entirely different significance based on the cultural lens through which they are observed. An incorrect reading could very quickly escalate to misunderstanding, offense, or a missed …

Hezbollah’s Empty Seat at the Syria Peace Talks in Vienna

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The recent attacks in Paris have added enormous world pressure for the United States, Russia, and Iran to decide the future of Bashar al-Assad and Syria. The US cites Assad’s alleged war crimes and lack of legitimacy as the reasons why his departure must accompany any political solution. Russia and Iran counter that it is not up to the US or its allies to determine the political landscape of a post-war Syria. But mention of Hezbollah is noticeably missing from most official statements on all sides, yet it may be the crux of the debate. And, as Western social media and news bickered over the disparate coverage that the terrorist attack in south Beirut received, they largely ignored the relevance of the target. The ISIS attack in Beirut was mainly directed not at Lebanon but at Hezbollah. The United States and Hezbollah, while united only in their struggle against ISIS, have the same public relations conundrum—how to portray a Hezbollah that is fighting takfiri terrorists instead of Israel? Hezbollah uses the word takfiri, or one …

Toys

Why Giving Is What Lawyers Were Meant To Do

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The thing about lawyers is that we fight for real human beings. By being advocates, we can alleviate someone’s worries, relieve someone’s stress, we can give. Every lawyer does it in a different way – whether through public interest work, through well-informed advice to a client, or through competence in litigation. We all give.

It’s important to recognize that this is a major part of this field. It is why so many lawyers do pro-bono work – not because they are encouraged or obligated to, but because it is rewarding to give back to the community that we live in.