All posts filed under: Student Commentary

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.

Fishtown, Philadelphia

My Philly Neighborhood: Fishtown

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After living outside of Pittsburgh for the past few years, I moved to Philadelphia to attend Temple Law. With only an outside knowledge of the city and its neighborhoods, I searched through Craigslist for something that was within walking distance of the law school. I knew my first year would be insane, and I figured I’d spend most of my time in the library anyways. The result: I ended up on 13th and Diamond, at the edge of Temple University’s campus. Surrounded by undergrads with — how should I say this — different social schedules than me, little to no restaurants, and no good cafes, I ended up spending most of my time in the library without much regret.

My second year, all that changed.

James Shygelski Moot Court

A Day in the Life of a Moot Court Finalist

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It’s Monday. 7a.m. I am 33 hours away from the final round of the Samuel Polsky Moot Court Competition. These days, my mornings start a little earlier than normal. I pace my apartment floor, still in my pajamas, practicing my presentation and carefully plotting every detail of a complex legal argument. My thoughts on the cases and the policies supporting my plea are interrupted only by pauses where I anticipate questions will fall and by the subtle hum of coffee brewing in the background.

Secretary of State John Kerry

Hindsight is Blurry — Iran and the Danger of Assuming Sanctions Beget Diplomacy

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With the achievement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the P5+1, the power of diplomacy is being celebrated worldwide. However, behind the applause for successful negotiations some policymakers are giving credence to the long history of US sanctions against Iran for their ability to bring the Islamic Republic to the negotiating table. As Saam Borhani recently wrote, ‘proponents of the United States using sanctions as a tool of statecraft are in a triumphant mode’. But history repeats itself and this is not the first time defenders of sanctions have jumped to conclude their efficacy. After the invasion of Iraq, as the proponents of the existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) were backed further into a corner, they retreated to the logic that if WMDs were in fact not present it was only because sanctions had prevented them. Rather than confuse correlation for causation it would behoove US policymakers to consider the real motives and effects of sanctions in light of recent history. Unilateral sanctions by the US must be …

Emily Bock

Agent of Change: Why I Empower Those Marginalized by the Criminal Legal System

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I have been fortunate to work with many different social justice organizations in my short career, but some of the experiences that have been most dear to me are those that I have had while working with people who are charged with crimes, people who are incarcerated, and people who live with criminal records. I co-founded and currently chair the Temple National Lawyers Guild (NLG) Expungement Project. I coordinate with Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS) to staff intake clinics throughout the city. With my student committee, I recruit, train, and organize law student volunteers to assist the advocates from CLS with their criminal record expungement cases. I also serve as an external coordinator for the Restorative Justice Project at the State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Graterford. In this role, I partner with Haverford College students, faculty, staff, and a committee of brilliant men who are incarcerated at SCI-Graterford. I coordinate volunteers on the “outside,” serve as a liaison between Graterford and the Pennsylvania Office of the Victim Advocate (OVA), and participate in two-day and …

Philadelphia Art Museum

My Philly Neighborhood: Fairmount (aka the Art Museum Area)

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Living in Fairmount is like living in the city, but with training wheels.

Fairmount—often referred to as the “Art Museum Area” due to its proximity to the Philadelphia Art Museum—is located just a mile and a half from the heart of Center City, but has all the perks of living in a small neighborhood. For example, there are less people, more parking spaces, and a variety of housing options for a fraction of the cost. I have lived in Philadelphia for over six years, and I spent five of those years living in Fairmount.

Baseball in Mitt

Major League Baseball, Law Review, and Forging Your Own Path

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I have been searching for the intersection of sports and law since beginning law school in 2013. I’ve always been fascinated by the legal, business, and transactional nature of professional sports, and I knew that to increase my opportunities after graduation, I needed to graduate from Temple with a marketable and tangible work product in that area. Fortunately, I found that opportunity during my second year as a member of The Temple Law Review. All of Temple’s academic journals have a unique scholarship component. Students are asked to explore and write an article on a novel or changing area of the law and establish a practical solution. I recognized that this would be an arduous task that would take significant time, effort, and energy. Therefore, I knew I had to research a topic that I was passionate about. My advisor, Professor Ken Jacobsen, helped me bounce around a few ideas. Our dialogue focused on the labor market in professional baseball—an area of the law that was constantly litigated throughout the 20th century. Additionally, I knew …