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Temple University Beasley School of Law

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Temple University Beasley School of Law
TypeState-related
Established1895
DeanJoAnne A. Epps
Location
Philadelphia
,
Pennsylvania
,
USA
CampusUrban
Websitewww.law.temple.edu
Klein Hall

The Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law (known as Temple Law School) is the law school of Temple University. The school is located at Temple's main campus in Philadelphia. It has operated continuously since its founding in 1895.

Originally named the Philadelphia Law School of the Temple College, the Law School was renamed the Temple University School of Law in 1910. In 1999, in recognition of a major endowment gift by James E. Beasley, Sr., a Temple Law graduate and distinguished Philadelphia lawyer, the Temple University Board of Trustees changed the official name of the school to the James E. Beasley School of Law of Temple University.

Student body

In Fall 2014, the Law School enrolled 180 students in the full-time day division program, and 37 students in the part-time evening division program. The total enrollment is approximately 800, although this number fluctuates slightly with transfers and various visiting students. The admission for the Fall 2014 entering class was highly competitive, with 2,127 applicants for an entering class of 217. The class represented 99 different colleges, and came from 20 states and countries.

In the 2014 entering class, women represented 53% of the class, 29% were minority students and the average age was 25. The median GPA was 3.49 and the median LSAT score was 160. The 25th/75th percentile of entrants had GPAs of 3.18/3.66, and LSAT scores of 159/162.[2]

Faculty

Temple Law School currently employs 68 full-time faculty members and retains numerous local attorneys as adjuncts. The faculty is well balanced and diverse. JoAnne A. Epps, a professor at Temple Law since 1985, has served as Dean since July 2008. Robert J. Reinstein served as Dean of the Law School from 1989 to 2008.

Rankings

The 2017 version of U.S. News & World Report ranks the Beasley School of Law as currently tied for 50th place.[3] The 2014 QS World University Rankings ranks Temple's Law and Legal studies program 151-200 in the world.[4] Super Lawyer ranks Beasley School of Law 6th in Highest Caliber Graduate and Most Prepared to Practice.[5][6] As of July 2013, Temple's Pennsylvania Bar Examination passage rate is 92.38% for first time takers[7] The Beasley School of Law's International Law program and Legal Writing program were listed as 14th and 11th. Temple Law also maintained its top-five national ranking in trial advocacy (2nd) in the most recent rankings.

Career Placement

Barrack Hall

For 2010 Graduates:

Employment Sector Breakdown:

  • 39% Private Practice
  • 16% Public Interest
  • 12% Judicial Clerkship
  • 12% Government
  • 12% Business
  • 7% Academic
  • 2% Unknown

Employment Rate Within 9 Months: 93.2%
Overall Average Starting Salary: $62,525
Private Practice Average Starting Salary: $87,520

Employment

According to Temple's official 2014 ABA-required disclosures, 65% of the Class of 2014 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding solo practitioners.[8] Temple's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 23.4%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[9]

ABA Employment Summary for 2014 Graduates[10]
Employment Status Percentage
Employed - Bar Passage Required
 
 65%
Employed - J.D. Advantage
 
 15%
Employed - Professional Position
 
 6%
Employed - Non-Professional Position
 
 1%
Employed - Undeterminable
 
 1%
Pursuing Graduate Degree Full Time
 
 2%
Unemployed - Start Date Deferred
 
 1%
Unemployed - Not Seeking
 
 2%
Unemployed - Seeking
 
 20%
Employment Status Unknown
 
 4%
Total of 253 Graduates

Costs

The estimated cost of attendance (which includes the cost of tuition, fees, books and living expenses) at Temple for the 2014-2015 academic year is $44,110 for a Pennsylvania resident and $57,430 for a non-resident.[11] The average amount borrowed for law school by members of the 2013 graduating class was $89,798. The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for a non-resident for three years is $212,027.[12] Its tuition is full-time: $21,646 per year (in-state); full-time: $34,772 per year (out-of-state); part-time: $17,466 per year (in-state); and part-time: $27,918 per year (out-of-state).

Juris Doctor (J.D.) Curriculum

First year (1L) day division students follow a mandatory curriculum both Fall and Spring semesters. The Fall courses are Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law, Litigation Basics, Introduction to Transactional Skills, and Legal Research and Writing I. The Spring courses are Constitutional Law, Property, Civil Procedure I (Jurisdiction), Legal Research and Writing II, and one elective. Evening division students take these courses over their first three semesters in residence.

The only other mandatory course requirements for graduation are a serial writing course (consisting of several short paper assignments), a research writing course (consisting of a single lengthy and scholarly work), and Professional Responsibility. However, students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the many experiential offerings and every student is guaranteed a spot in a clinical by their third year of study.

Students choose electives in the second (2L) and third (3L) year (or fourth year for evening division students). Popular electives include Business Associations (Corporations), Taxation (Federal), Political and Civil Rights, Intellectual Property, and International Law. Students also have the opportunity to enroll in classes at the Rutgers School of Law - Camden when a comparable elective course is not offered at Temple during a given academic year.

A student must earn a total of 88 credit hours in order to receive the degree of Juris Doctor.

Graduate Law Program (LL.M., S.J.D., Certificate, Teaching Fellowship)

The Law School offers several advanced degree programs, including Master of Laws Degree (LL.M.) in Trial Advocacy, Transnational Law, Asian Law or Taxation. Certificate programs in Estate Planning and Employee Benefits are offered through the Taxation program. International lawyers also have the opportunity to design their own curriculum through Temple's General LL.M. program. In addition to the LL.M., Temple offers an advanced degree for aspiring scholars, the Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.), and a Graduate Teaching Fellowship program.

LL.M. in Trial Advocacy

The LL.M. in Trial Advocacy curriculum integrates the development of theory and theme, confidence in presentation, extemporaneous speech and persuasion in the court room.

LL.M. in Transnational Law

The Transnational LL.M. is designed for recent law school graduates who wish to specialize in international law, and for established attorneys who wish to develop or expand an international legal practice. Candidates for the LL.M. degree must complete the 3-credit International Law course plus 24 credits of advanced course work in international and comparative law, including one course in which a scholarly paper is produced. Some or all of the credits of the credits may be earned at Temple's international campuses in Tokyo and Rome. All courses counted toward the degree must be completed within a four-year period. A grade point average of 2.5 is required to earn the degree.

LL.M. in Taxation

The Graduate Tax Program is designed to provide understanding of complex taxation issues. The program provides candidates with a strong foundation in tax law, as well as the opportunity to develop expertise beyond the level of study offered in J.D. programs. A degree candidate must satisfactorily complete 24 credit hours of course work, including all core curriculum requirements and a writing seminar. Candidates may study on a full-time or part-time basis and all coursework must be completed within four years of matriculation. Applicants must have satisfactorily completed a basic income tax course in law school or demonstrated comparable work experience. An applicant who cannot meet this requirement must take the basic course in taxation offered in Temple's J.D. program in the student's first term after admission to the LL.M. program.

LL.M. in Asian Law

Temple's LL.M. in Asian law is designed for J.D. holders and students who wish to focus on the law of Asian countries, particularly China, Japan and India, the more powerful economies of the region. Students complete the first of two semesters at the Philadelphia campus, taking foundational courses such as Chinese Law, Japanese Law, and Law in Asia. Students are then required to spend the second semester at one of either Temple University Japan in Tokyo, Jindal Global Law School in the National Capital Region (Delhi) of India, or Tsinghua University Law School in Beijing, China. Students must maintain a G.P.A. of at least 2.50 (out of 4.0) over the course of the 24 credits they must earn to graduate.

General LL.M. for International Lawyers

Temple offers a general studies LL.M. program for foreign-trained lawyers. With the exception of two required research and writing courses, students can design their own curriculum from more than 180 courses offered annually in American and International law. General LL.M. degree candidates must successfully complete 24 credit hours of course work with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (out of a possible 4.0). The program can be completed in two semesters beginning in August and continuing through May. In addition to the main campus in Philadelphia, the General LL.M. is offered in Tokyo and Beijing. Students can also earn up to 6 credits at Temple's six-week summer law program in Rome, Italy. Students in this program must complete classes at the main campus.

Doctor of Juridical Science

The Doctor of Juridical Science is a research-oriented degree program designed for those seeking to pursue careers as law teachers and scholars of law. Candidates enrolled in the S.J.D. program are required to spend their initial academic year in residence at the main campus in Philadelphia.

Estate Planning and Employee Benefits Certificates

An Estate Planning Certificate and Employee Benefits Certificate is offered through the Graduate Tax Program for practitioners who do not wish to pursue an LL.M. degree. The Estate Planning Certificate (EPCERT) exposes students to federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxation issues, as well as federal income taxation of trusts and estates.

Integrated Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP)

The Integrated Trial Advocacy Program, or ITAP, is a sequence of four classes designed to give students the knowledge and practice experience needed to be effective advocates in the courtroom. Law students in the ITAP program are generally in their second year of schooling, although evening or part-time students take the program in their third year.

During the Fall semester, students take Evidence and Trial Advocacy I concurrently. Evidence classes are typically large in size (50-60 persons) while Trial Advocacy classes are typically 12-person sections designed to allow each student adequate time to practice their skills. Students are required to apply the Evidentiary rules and tactics learned in Evidence class to mock trial scenarios in Trial Advocacy I. Scenarios will typically be based on a fictitious case file, and students practice direct examinations, cross examinations, opening and closing arguments, and motions arguments. Students also practice objections, and anyone in the class, not just the opposing counsel, may raise objections during examinations of witnesses. By the end of Trial Advocacy I, each student (paired with another student as co-counsel) will have tried a complete mock case against another pair of students in lieu of a final exam.

During the Spring semester, students take a practical course in Civil Procedure II with Trial Advocacy II. During this phase of the ITAP program, students practice arguing motions, qualifying expert witnesses, and conducting depositions. Like Trial Advocacy I, Trial Advocacy II requires that each student (along with another student as co-counsel) try a complete mock case against another pair of students for the final.

Evidence and Civil Procedure classes in ITAP are typically taught by full-time faculty members, while Trial Advocacy sections are usually taught by adjuncts who are themselves practicing trial attorneys or judges.

Facilities

Shusterman Hall

The Law School currently conducts their academics in three Temple University buildings: Klein Hall, Barrack Hall, and the Shusterman Hall Conference Center.

Klein Hall opened in 1972, after a fire destroyed Reber Hall, the previous home of the Law School. Within its eight floors, Klein Hall houses numerous lecture rooms, the Law Library, the moot courtroom, reading rooms, faculty offices and the offices of Temple's four law journals. The basement level of Klein contains a modest cafe, comfortable sitting areas, classrooms, and a locker room.

In the past, students have criticized Klein Hall as overly austere because of its poured concrete construction and lack of decoration. Judge Charles Klein '21, after whom the building was named, is said to have remarked that he was impressed with the law library and its massive open atria, but that he wondered when the interior would be completed. Perhaps as a result of these criticisms, Klein Hall underwent major renovations beginning in Summer 2002. By 2004, much of the interior of Klein had been replaced.

Barrack Hall opened in 2002 and houses the Admissions Office, Career Services, several classrooms, and student lounges. The construction of Barrack Hall was made possible by a donation from Leonard Barrack '68.

Shusterman Hall was made possible by a donation from Murray H. Shusterman '36. The building appears to be a renovated chapel, and serves as the Law School's conference center for career fairs, symposia, and other formal gatherings.

Temple Law Library

The library spans the third to seventh floors of the building and includes seven levels of book stacks. The collection is particularly strong in 18th and 19th century Anglo-American monographs, and law-related government publications.

Moot Court

Temple Moot Court was started in the 1950s. Moot Court members are selected as second-year law students through the Samuel L. Polsky Selection Competition, which is held during the Fall semester. Polsky participants research and write an appellate brief, then argue both sides of the case before experienced attorneys who serve as appellate court justices. Students receiving the highest scores for brief writing and oral argument are invited to join the Society.

Law Journals

The Law School maintains two law journals. The Temple Law Review is published quarterly, and the other journals are published on a bi-annual basis.

Study abroad programs

The Law School offers two study abroad programs that are open to students from any ABA approved law school: the summer session in Rome and the spring semester in Tokyo (at Temple University Japan). The Tokyo program is perhaps the most notable, as it is the only ABA-accredited semester program for law students in Japan.

Additionally, Temple JD students are eligible to study at the following partner institutions: Tsinghua University, Beijing, China (Fall semester);University College Cork, Cork, Ireland (Fall Semester);University of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel (Spring Semester);Universiteit Utrecht, Utrecht the Netherlands (Spring Semester); Jindal Global Law School, National Capital Region, Dehli, India; University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland; InterAmerican University, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Bocconi University, Milan, Italy; and University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.

Study abroad credits from any program can be used toward the J.D. program or the joint JD/LL.M. in Transnational Law.

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ^ 2013 Best Law Schools - U.S. News and World Report
  2. ^ "ABA Required Disclosures - Temple Law". Retrieved 2015-06-07.
  3. ^ "Rankings - Best Law Schools - US News and World Report". Grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  4. ^ "QS World University Ranking by Subjects 2014 - Law". QS World University Ranking. 22 March 2015.
  5. ^ "Can you get a job after graduation". Super Lawyer. 6 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Temple University (Beasley)". US News & World Report. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  7. ^ [1]
  8. ^ "Annual Placement Reports" (PDF).
  9. ^ "Temple University Profile".
  10. ^ "Employment Summary for 2014 Graduates".
  11. ^ "Cost of Attendance".
  12. ^ "Temple University Profile".
  13. ^ "Alan D. Lourie". U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
  14. ^ "Edward G. Biester, Jr". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  15. ^ "Pat Browne". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  16. ^ "Jim Cawley". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  17. ^ "Thomas M. Foglietta". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  18. ^ "Mitchell S. Goldberg". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  19. ^ "Clifford Scott Green". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  20. ^ "Kathleen Kane". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  21. ^ "Mark Levin". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  22. ^ "Mary M. Lisi". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  23. ^ "Seamus McCaffrey". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  24. ^ "Pat Meehan". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  25. ^ "James Martin Munley". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  26. ^ "Timothy J. Savage". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  27. ^ "John F. Street". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  28. ^ "Petrese B. Tucker". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  29. ^ "Franklin Van Antwerpen". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
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