“[While applying to law schools,] I saw that Temple Law is highly regarded for its international law program. It felt like fate when I saw that they have a campus in Italy and many exchange partnerships with other universities worldwide.” As an undergraduate, I initially decided not to participate in study abroad, opting instead for a solo trip to Italy following graduation. When I got to Italy, I found myself alone without a clear plan, which caused me to start thinking seriously about my goals for both the trip and my future. It was during this time that I decided to reconsider law school. When it came time to research different law programs, I saw that Temple Law is highly regarded for its international law programs. It felt like fate when I saw that they have a campus in Italy and many exchange partnerships with other universities worldwide. I applied to Temple Law knowing that I wanted to go back to Italy. I did not know that my studies at Temple would take me all …

I applied to law school knowing I wanted to work as a public defender, which is a relatively low-paying job compared to other legal career paths. That’s the main reason I chose Temple: the school’s generous financial aid, plus student loans, helped me feel secure in my plans to pursue this career after I graduate. I knew that the pressure of $300,000+ in loans might (reasonably!) pull me away from doing the job I am sure I want to do. Financial stress will always be there, but this clear goal helped me make big decisions about law school – where to apply and attend, what loans I could handle, and what opportunities to pursue in school. At Temple, I’ve found a supportive community of students and faculty who care about public interest work. The summer after 1L, I interned in the public defender office in Wilmington, DE which was a great learning experience. 2L spring, I participated in a clinic with the Defender Association of Philadelphia, which was the first time I got to represent clients …

I am currently a Justice Catalyst Fellow at the Legal Action Center (LAC), an organization that combats discrimination, builds health equity, and restores opportunities for people with arrest and conviction records, substance use disorders, and HIV or AIDS. My project aligns closely with LAC’s mission and builds on their legacy of advocacy for people who use or have used drugs. Funded by the Justice Catalyst Fellowship, which supports innovative, high-impact social justice projects, I am leading a project aimed at dismantling discriminatory barriers to healthcare for people who use or have used drugs. The primary objective of this initiative is to broaden healthcare access by enforcing anti-discrimination protections through a multi-faceted approach that includes educational trainings, policy development, direct legal services, and litigation. Temple Law played a pivotal role in equipping me with the legal skills and expertise necessary to achieve my goal of advocating in the public interest field. As a Fellow, I’m working on multiple aspects of my project simultaneously. I’m developing community partnerships to identify individuals recently denied health care due to …

In a world increasingly shaped by digital conversations and global connectivity, the role of accurate information is paramount. On October 10, 2024 Professor Amy Sinden hosted a panel discussion featuring Dr. Michael Mann, a renowned climate scientist and member of the National Academy of Sciences, alongside Pete Fontaine and Amorie Hummel of Cozen O’Connor, who represented him in a defamation suit that offered a compelling narrative on the intersection of climate science, disinformation, and the law.   Dr. Mann—known for his work on the “Hockey Stick” graph, which illustrates the rapid rise in global temperatures that has accompanied industrialization—was at the center of a controversial battle over scientific integrity and public trust. His story highlights the persistent challenges faced by those advocating for climate action.   The panel addressed the notorious “Climategate” incident, where stolen emails were used out of context to discredit climate scientists, including Dr. Mann. This incident, just weeks before the 2009 Copenhagen International Climate Negotiation, aimed to undermine public trust in climate science. The well-coordinated disinformation campaign generated doubt and skepticism, illustrating the …

Ramadan is a holy month practiced by Muslims worldwide. It is a month of reflection, prayer, and self-restraint. Beyond fasting from dawn to sunset (yes, water, too), it’s a transformative period promoting charity, togetherness, and spiritual growth.  Muslims are called to abstain from backbiting, lying, overconsumption, and other negative behaviors. It’s a time focused on giving to charity and fostering togetherness, evident in the frequent gatherings for “Iftar” (the meal to break the fast at sunset). Additionally, there’s an emphasis on prayer, with Muslims already performing five daily prayers and adding an extra “Taraweeh” prayer at night, typically an hour after Iftar, often performed in mosques.   As a law student, my day-to-day life varies, but I strive to maintain a balance between my studies, work, and spirituality. This year, my schedule was vastly different from 1L, which required a more rigid routine. Additionally, during Ramadan, the timing for fasting changes throughout the month, affecting both the start and end times of fasting. Towards the end of Ramadan, I began waking up earlier and breaking my …

Summary: Richard Winchester delivered this year’s Beck Lecture titled “A Simple Tax Case Complicated by Race” where he highlighted why Judges, including those deciding tax cases, must be sensitive to any implicit racial biases that might cloud their thinking. Intersections between race and the law persist intensely within the U.S. legal system. Dorothy Brown famously writes in her book, The Whiteness of Wealth, that she pursued a career in tax law to “get away from race.” On its face, being a tax professional could be exactly what she wrote — a way to get away from all biases including those rooted in race. From the outside, tax looks simply like writing or typing dollar values into forms or advocating for the legitimacy of tax planning in a court room. The 2024 Beck Lecture at Temple Law though pointed to a clear example of how racism is still forcing its way into tax issues that should be decided solely on the merits of the tax planning that took place. The case, Pontchartrain Park Homes, Inc. v. Commissioner, …

“Be open to learning about new areas within the law” was one of the first pieces of advice I got upon being accepted to law school. I of course came to law school knowing education law was the specific area of law I wanted to go into after graduation. For a myriad of reasons, I also knew that my academic career would require a mix of courses that were not necessarily education-based but rather, education-adjacent. This left me wanting to attend as many events as possible. Which is hard to do considering I am an evening student who works a full-time job and many of these events are during the day. And while I was open to exploring various areas of the law, there were some I just knew were not up my alley. Technology was one such area that I had zero interest in. The emails from the Institute for Law, Innovation & Technology (iLIT) were ignored. Like I said, with limited time, it was important to be selective in what I invested time …

In the last decade, states have come together to address the lack of rules in cyberspace via multilateral meetings such as the Open-Ended Working Group on Developments in the Field of Information Telecommunications in the Context of International Security (OEWG). As a Fellow at Temple Law’s Institute for Law, Innovation & Technology (iLIT) I, along with the iLIT team, have been tracking the evolving landscape of cyberspace rule formation through iLIT’s National Statements project. National statements are a state’s published views as to which laws of international law apply to cyberspace. Publication of national statements is a recent phenomenon. In fact, until about ten years ago there was no consensus as to the application of international law to cyberspace and states did not share their positions on the topic. Now, as more nations continue to publish their statements, areas of consensus, disagreement, and silence are emerging, and iLIT is analyzing these trends. iLIT’s National Statements project identifies and analyzes the various state positions regarding cyberspace through a lens of equity, inequality, and diversity.  Technology and …

Getting to attend Temple Law’s Fogel Lecture every year is one of my favorite parts about our tax program. Hosted by our Center for Tax Law and Public Policy, the Fogel Lecture is an opportunity for students to hear first-hand from leading tax policy-makers, tax administrators, and judges who are grappling with some of the most pressing tax issues of the day. For students like myself, it is also an opportunity for me to learn about tax law issues that are typically not directly addressed in our regular curriculum and are best taught by current practitioners. With the visit from Tom West, the icing on the cake was that the lecture was hosted by a Temple Law alum, and he shared how his Temple Law experience built the foundation for his awesome experience at Treasury.   ————————————————————————————————  On February 21. 2024, Tom West (LAW ’99), former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Treasury Department’s Office of Tax Policy, delivered this year’s Fogel Lecture at Temple Law School, titled “Tax Regulators, Mount Up!: How Tax Policy Is Taking …