Katherine Durr

Life at Temple Law

Over my time at Temple, I’ve been a member of the Brehon Law Society, the Name Change Project, and OUTLaw, and a counselor for the Academic Success Program. Joining these organizations allowed me to explore what a legal education can bring to the ideas and communities that matter to me. Along the way, I got to know some of the friends whose company, encouragement, and laughter would motivate me throughout these three years. These teamwork and mentorship opportunities brought a happy light to the grueling parts of law school. 

In addition to those organizations, my biggest commitment at Temple was to the Temple International and Comparative Law Journal (TICLJ). I joined the journal as a staff editor and was selected to be editor-in-chief for my 3L year. TICLJ has given me two years of intellectual challenge, self-discipline, camaraderie, and pure fun—and made me a stronger writer and editor in the process.

Experiential Learning

Learning how doctrinal law looks in action was my favorite part of law school. I spent my 1L summer interning for a United States District Judge, where I first developed my own sense of confidence as a legal writer. I heard from upper-level students that continuing to work for judges would be a great way to keep challenging myself. During my 2L year I did an independent practicum in the Pennsylvania Superior Court, and during my 3L year I participated in the Federal Judicial Clerkship Honors Program, where I was paired with a United States Magistrate Judge. It’s true that working for judges will keep your Bluebooking sharp! But the best parts were the one-on-one conversations with the judge before and after proceedings, the weekly chambers meetings, the dialogues that go into writing thorough decisions, and the real-time opinions on what good advocacy looks like. My judicial clerkship clinicals offered me expansive and exciting views into the profession and taught me lessons that will apply to any area of practice. 

Balancing Life and Law School

My best advice for incoming law students is to keep making time for what you love to do. Life doesn’t have to stop because you’re in law school. In the beginning, I tried to adhere to simple happiness ratios. Weekends devoted to Legal Research and Writing (LRW) memos and journal citation checks also included visits to Philly’s museums and rounds of fish tacos and beer. As I adjusted to the rhythm of law school, I found that I actually had time to expand my hobbies. I got into cycling, hiking, figuring out how to care for houseplants, cooking, and reading for leisure for the first time in ages. I learned that even during finals, there’s time to go for a long walk, try a new recipe, or indulge in re-watching James Bond films. Making time for fun and self-care at every step of the semester makes the whole experience more manageable and keeps the burn-out away.

Temple Law Lessons

Temple Law’s community is all about making friendships and helping each other. It was energizing to realize that professors, TAs, alums, and even upper-level students I’d just met in the hallway would always make time to grab a coffee and talk through a question or situation. Those conversations put wind in my sails and kept me going when I felt most overwhelmed. In turn, I have done my best to keep starting new conversations and sharing time with my peers and colleagues. Attending friends’ lunchtime lectures, going to student org happy hours, sharing outlines, hyping up my ITAP section mates, and receiving what always felt like even more in return—these lessons of reaching out, showing up, and seeking and offering support will carry me forward as I begin my career.