All posts filed under: Student Commentary

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, …

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

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

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, …