Mona Alsaidi

Life Before Law School

Before law school, I worked in education. I was a teacher and then an instructional coach. Working in schools helped me be more organized, while also teaching me how to be flexible and able to quickly change direction when necessary. The skills I gained as a teacher have been helpful in law school, in and out of the classroom.

Experiential Learning

During law school, I participated in practicums with Philadelphia Legal Assistance’s Unemployment Compensation Unit and Brooklyn Legal Services’ Community Economic Development Project. I also participated in the Access to Justice Clinic as well as the Federal Judicial Clerkship program. Experiential learning at Temple was one of my favorite things. It gave me an opportunity to actually use the law I was learning in class. For example, when I was working at BLS, I had to help nonprofits apply for 501(c)(3) status, something I had learned in ITP. Being able to practice what I was learning in class allowed me to understand the concepts more. It was also just a really nice way to split up the week by being able to do client work, communicate with coworkers, etc.

Life at Temple Law

While at Temple, I was on Temple Law Review as a Staff Editor and then as the Lead Articles Editor. I was also a member of the Moot Court Competition Team, as well as the National Lawyers Guild, first as a 1L Rep for the Criminal Justice Committee, and then as one of the co-presidents. I was also an intake chair for SDAS. Participating in these different organizations taught me a lot and enriched my law school experience. Being part of NLG, for example, gave me the opportunity to work with some really amazing, like-minded people on social justice issues that were important to me- shout out to my two co-presidents, Mana and Brandon, who are brilliant and taught me so much about being an effective leader and working on a team. While on Temple Law Review, I had the pleasure to work with the most wonderful Articles Team – looking at you Puja, Mads, Snigdha, and BK – and we were able to think about inclusivity and legal scholarship, while learning both from the literature we were reading and from each other.

Faculty Impact

Temple Law faculty members were all so generous with their time and advice. So many faculty members opened their doors to me and supported me. Professors Levy, Hollis, Lee, and Dean Ramji-Nogales have had such an important impact on the way that I approached law school as well as thought about my post-law school plans. During my 1L year, and throughout law school, Professor Levy was always willing to talk me through different dilemmas and help me as I navigated my way through law school and the legal profession. I am grateful to her for always providing me with a space where I felt heard. Professor Hollis provided me with opportunities to explore my legal interests and gave me advice when I needed it. Professor Lee’s Race and the Law was hugely impactful in the way I think about the law and my role as a lawyer. In addition to her incredible class, Professor Lee’s support as a practicum advisor and a faculty member gave me important insight about the type of lawyer I want to be. Dean Ramji-Nogales was hugely instrumental in pushing me to think and research more critically. All of the faculty’s  kindness and support throughout my time at Temple Law is so incredibly appreciated.

Advice from a Temple Law Grad

Take time off! You’re always going to feel busy, and you’re always going to feel like there is more that you need to/ can do. It doesn’t matter. You need to take ideally at least one day a week to not do law school things. Go out with friends, read a book, binge watch TV all day. It doesn’t matter what you do, but you should prioritize giving yourself a break!