All posts filed under: Student Commentary

Here & Queer: My Experience Presenting at the University of Texas Law School Annual Civil Rights Conference

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Walking up the steps to the University of Texas Law School, I didn’t know what to expect. The weather was warm and the sun shining, a welcome reprieve from the harsh Philadelphia winter climate. After wandering through the halls, I finally found where I was supposed to be. I nervously walked up to the check-in desk, stating who I was. Hearing my name, the person did a double take, and said “oh! You’re one of our panelists! This is you, right?” Picking up a pamphlet from the pile in front of them, they pointed to a picture of me on the back cover. “Yep, that’s me!” I said, feeling awkward and out of place, still not believing that I was actually qualified to be speaking at a conference at one of the top law schools in the country. I put on a name tag, picked up a few extra pamphlets for my family, and headed to get a breakfast taco, a seemingly very appropriate introduction to Texas cuisine. When I sat down at a table, …

Temple Law Makes History by Designating Election Day as a Day of Civic Service

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The American Constitution Society (ACS) is the premiere Progressive Legal Network, with over 200 law school chapters and fifty lawyers’ chapters nationwide. ACS organizes forward-thinking law students and legal professionals to use the law as a force for positive change Did you know that Temple Law students have Election Day off this year? As we all know, democratic institutions in America and around the world are facing unprecedented challenges. It is our duty, and our right, as citizens to rise to face this challenge. The scope of the difficulties can seem overwhelming at times, but the beauty of Democracy is that it rests on the strength of The People as a whole, not any one of us individually. All that Democracy requires to thrive is enough people making a small positive contribution. Our contribution at the American Constitution Society Temple Law Chapter (ACS) in spring, 2022, was leading a campaign to give every Temple Law student the day off on Election Day. We wanted to make it easier for students and faculty to vote, volunteer, …

More Than a Seat at the Table

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More Than a Seat at the Table – Meaningful Multistakeholder Engagement yet to be Seen at UN Cybercrime Treaty Negotiations The Colonial Pipeline is one of the largest oil pipelines in the United States, spanning over 5,500 miles and supplying nearly half the fuel for the East Coast. On May 6, 2021, Eastern European hacker group DarkSide initiated a ransomware attack on the pipeline’s digital system, demanding 75 Bitcoin while holding the company’s data hostage. In response to the attack, Colonial temporarily halted all pipeline operations, causing jet fuel shortages for airlines, and leading to consumer panic buying and spiking gas prices. The Colonial Pipeline attack was not an isolated incident, ransomware attacks are rising in frequency and scope and have targeted critical infrastructure like healthcare and education systems. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) stretch across political borders, connecting societies like never before, and can increase opportunities for social and economic benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated dependence on digital infrastructure in myriad ways, facilitating drastic changes in work, education, and industry patterns. While digital connectivity …

Putting Lawyering Skills Into Practice Through Community Legal Services’ (CLS) Youth Justice Project

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This summer, I worked with Community Legal Services’ (CLS) Youth Justice Project (YJP) under the supervision of Temple Law alum Tracie Johnson LAW ’18. YJP works with young people across the range of legal needs they experience. This allowed me to learn about and work on a variety of issues, from helping clients get probation fees waived to researching the legal standard for “recklessness.” What made the work particularly impactful was getting to help clients solve their individual legal problems while also working towards structural change to address the injustices at the heart of those needs. One of my main assignments was representing a client in a hearing to determine whether they could continue to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. This allowed me to put crucial lawyering skills such as client interviewing, analyzing records, case strategy, and oral advocacy into practice. However, this work went beyond addressing one client’s needs. I also assisted with a roundtable that allowed community organizations who help people apply for SSI benefits to share their experiences directly with congresspeople …

In their own words: Law students praise Temple Rome summer program

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Upon the conclusion of the 4-week study abroad program in Rome, students from Temple University Beasley School of Law, as well as other participant students from partnering law schools, reflected on their personal, professional, and academic experiences in Rome. Among the major benefits of the program, students attested to the professional advantages gained by enrolling in international law courses, arriving at Temple’s Rome campus each morning for class lectures, and living in the “Eternal City.” Emphasizing the value of networking with professors and guest lecturers, Alison Maser (a 2L Temple student) mentioned, “I feel like I have gained invaluable mentors through this experience.” Mariah McGuirk from Albany Law School articulated the intrinsic benefits of studying law abroad, as she experienced advantages inside and outside the classroom: “regardless of what the content is in the classes that we take, the skills we are developing and learning will help us through the rest of our educational career as well as our professional careers.” During the summer term, students engaged with guest lecturers, completed written assignments, delivered oral …