Program Overview
Temple Law welcomes international legal scholars conducting major research projects. Each research scholar is matched with one or more faculty members who have similar interests. Scholars audit courses, enjoy full access to the law library, and participate in workshops, lecture series, and colloquia. They also have access to the extensive intellectual and cultural activities offered both at Temple University and in Philadelphia.
Research scholars are selected from an international pool of applicants based on the significance and timeliness of their research interests. The program is limited to full-time law school faculty and Doctor of Laws Students. Scholars pay no tuition, do not qualify for employee benefits, and are required to make their own travel and housing arrangements.
The Visiting Research Scholar program at Temple Law is a full-time program. Appointments vary from 4 to 12 months.
Law Visiting Research Scholar General Guidelines for the Duration of the Appointment:
- Scholars are expected to spend 40 hours per week conducting their research on campus (the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa is granted so that scholars can be physically present on campus to conduct research).
- The scholar will sit in on a law school class related to their research.
- A research progress check-in, midway through the appointment term, is required (demonstrated by a presentation to the International Law Society, law faculty, law staff, and/or a relevant designated audience).
- A final presentation at the end of the scholar’s appointment term, presenting their research findings, is required (the final presentation will also count as a continuing legal education program for lawyers).
Application Requirements
Application Deadline: The application deadline is March 15 for fall semester admission and September 1 for spring semester admission (extensions for either semester available upon request).
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Applicants must provide the following information:
- All of your law school transcripts and diplomas.
- All of your non-law university level transcripts and diplomas.
- A current curriculum vitae or resume that includes a publication record and any significant awards and honors received.
- An outline of your research proposal (not to exceed 1,000 words).
- Evidence of English language proficiency. The U.S. Department of State requires scholars to have “sufficient proficiency in the English language, as determined by an objective measurement of English language proficiency, successfully to participate in his or her program” [22 CFR 62.11(a)(2)].
Proficiency can be demonstrated in one of the following ways:
- A minimum TOEFL score of 88,
- A minimum IELTS score of 6.5, with no individual score below 6.0, or
- Transcript confirming that the applicant received a post-secondary degree from an institution where the primary language of instruction was in English. If transcript does not reflect that courses were taught in English, certification from the degree awarding institution will be necessary.
NOTE: The exam must have been taken, or the English-language degree completed, within the last two years. TOEFL and IELTS applicants must arrange to have the testing agency send an official score report directly to Temple Law.
Temple Law School’s Visiting Research Scholar positions are unpaid, and the law school’s Office of Graduate and International Programs does not offer any paid research fellowships for faculty or students. According to US Department of State regulations, Temple University must verify that the J-1 Applicant has sufficient funding before we can issue a Form DS-2019. If accepted to the program, applicants are required to provide documentation demonstrating the following. If the documents are not in English, they must be translated.
If accepted to the program, the J-1Applicant must show that:
- S/he has a minimum of US$24,000 per year
- S/he has money that is “liquid” (not frozen)
- S/he has extra financial documentation for dependents: $4000/year for a spouse and $2500/year per child
For a list of open positions and paid research fellowships at Temple University, please visit the Temple University Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Open Positions website. Instructions to apply for positions are found within each individual posting.
