1 ESQ. SPRING 2026 TEMPLE UNIVERSITY BEASLEY SCHOOL OF LAW THE MAGAZINE FOR TEMPLE LAW SCHOOL ALUMNI SPRING 2026 C hampioning the Rule of Law2 Temple Law School Temple ESQ. is published by the Temple University Beasley School of Law for alumni and friends. Interim Kean Family Dean and Professor of Law Kristen E. Murray Assistant Dean Development, External Relations & Alumni Affairs Lois Gabin-Legato JD ’99 Content, Art Direction, and Design Leapfrog Group Photography Daniel Barends KLN ’17 Michael Dillow TFM ’11 Rick Kauffman KLN ’12 Melissa Kelly Contributors Meg Cohen Ragas David DeKunder Terry Lowe-Edwards Tricia Miller Klapheke Books Schatschneider JD ’06 Send letters and comments to: lawalum@temple.edu Temple ESQ. James E. Beasley School of Law 1719 N. Broad St. Philadelphia, PA 19122 To change your email, home, or office address: law.temple.edu/resources/alumni/contact-update Board of Visitors Joseph W. Anthony JD ’74 Dennis Arouca JD ’77 Kila B. Baldwin JD’04, LLM ’10 Danielle Bank JD ’93 Leonard Barrack JD ’68 Mitchell W. Berger JD ’80 Daniel S. Bernheim III JD ’94 Ellan Rubin Bernstein JD ’83 Nadeem A. Bezar JD ’91 Vijay V. Bondada JD ’94 James A. Bruton III JD ’75 Anthony W. Clark JD ’79 Richard T. Collier JD ’79 Doneene K. Damon JD ’92 Carolyn C. Davis JD ’87 Alan M. Feldman JD ’76 Koji Fukumura JD ’93 The Hon. Mitchell S. Goldberg JD ’86 Hayes Hunt JD ’97 Carlton L. Johnson JD ’84 Marina Kats JD ’88 Leonard M. Klehr JD ’76 Susanna Lachs JD ’78 John B. Langel JD ’74 Judy L. Leone JD ’84 Marsha L. Levick JD ’76 Vincent J. Marella ’72 The Hon. Theodore McKee William R. McLucas JD ’75 Joseph H. Meltzer JD ’97 William J. Merritt JD ’87 Leslie Anne Miller JD ’94 Mitchell L. Morgan JD ’80 Stephen J. Neuberger JD ’03 Richard S. Oller JD ’79 Samuel H. Pond JD ’84 Marcel S. Pratt JD ’09 Grant Rawdin JD ’87 Abraham C. Reich JD ’74 The Hon. L. Felipe Restrepo The Hon. Annette M. Rizzo JD ’83 Gilbert T. Schwartz JD ’74 The Hon. Anthony J. Scirica The Hon. Martin J. Silverstein JD ’79 James T. Smith JD ’83 Gene Spector JD ’70 Joe H. Tucker Jr. JD ’89 Richard H. Walker JD ’75 Bette Jean Walters JD ’70 The Hon. Sheila Woods-Skipper JD ’83 Mission Statement Temple University Beasley School of Law is committed to excellence in teaching, learning, scholarship, and service. The faculty is dedicated to preparing students to enter and continue in the legal profession with the highest level of skill possible, with a firm commitment to the principles of professional responsibility, and with a sense of personal obligation to lead and to serve the communities in which they live and practice. We are dedicated to our foundational ideal of making legal education accessible to all talented individuals, including individuals who otherwise might not have that opportunity or who might encounter barriers because of race, creed, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, socioeconomic background, or other personal characteristics. We endeavor to create and sustain a law school community that is diverse, inclusive, and committed to equal justice under the law. 2 AMICUS CURIAE From the Interim Dean 9 Q&A with Incoming Chair, Board of Visitors 18 FACULTY NOTES 20 EVENTS 26 HONOR ROLL 28 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 29 ALUMNI NOTES 33 IN MEMORIAM CONTENTS The Faculty Behind the Mission Meet Temple Law’s Newest Faculty 14 All Rise Elevating the Temple Law Student Experience 10 Championing the Rule of Law Temple Law’s Oller Center to Lead National Civic Dialogue 42 Temple Law School AMICUS CURIAE Serving as the Interim Kean Family Dean has been an extraordinary experience, and I am profoundly grateful for all we were able to accomplish this year.” “ ESQ. SPRING 2026 As I write this, Temple University has just announced that Lonnie T. Brown, Jr. will become the next Kean Family Dean at Temple Law School. I could not be more excited for the future of this law school under Dean Brown’s leadership. He is an innovative thinker, a proven administrator, and an insightful legal scholar, and I look forward to working with him as we chart our course forward. Serving as the Interim Kean Family Dean has been an extraordinary experience, and I am profoundly grateful for all we were able to accomplish this year. As you will read in this issue of ESQ., Temple Law’s momentum and growth are palpable. In April, we announced a historic $5 million gift from Richard Oller (KLN ’76, LAW ’79), his wife Amy (EDU ’76), and their children to establish the Oller Center for the Rule of Law (p. 4). The center, which will be located in the penthouse at Terra Hall in Center City, will become the Philadelphia home for a new national commitment to the rule of law and the principles of American democracy. It is hard to imagine a better contribution for Temple Law to make to the celebration of our nation’s 250th anniversary this summer. We also continue to grow as a faculty and this year have welcomed five new faculty members — Claudia De Palma, Jonathan Harris, Marsha Levick, Julie Randolph, and Ruqaiijah Yearby — whose teaching, scholarship, and service have already made an impact on our students and in the communities they serve (p. 14). They join a faculty of teachers, scholars, and advocates whose work continues to elevate our national reputation for leadership and excellence (p. 18). In addition to learning from our exceptional faculty, Temple Law students can further elevate their legal education through our deep ties to the state and federal judiciary (p. 10). Whether through our state judicial clerkship clinic, run by the Hon. Annette Rizzo (Ret.) (LAW ’83) and the Hon. Sheila Woods-Skipper (LAW ’83); our federal judicial clerkship clinic, run by the Hon. Mitchell Goldberg (Ret.) (LAW ’86); internships; or clerkships after graduation, Temple Law students gain firsthand experience in research, writing, judicial decision-making, and courtroom advocacy. Students also benefit from the many judges who, like Judge Goldberg and the Hon. Mia Perez (LAW ’06), bring their judicial experience and insights into the classroom as members of the adjunct faculty. We are profoundly grateful to our judicial partners for the ways in which they help prepare each generation of Temple lawyers. We also deeply appreciate all our alumni partners and friends who advance our mission, support our students, and contribute to the future of Temple Law School, our community, and our profession. That future is bright, because of you. With gratitude, Kristen E. Murray Interim Kean Family Dean and Professor of Law from THE DEAN4 Temple Law School By Meg Cohen Ragas C hampioning the Rule of Law5 ESQ. SPRING 2026 R ichard Oller (KLN ’76, LAW ’79) remembers the morning in January 2025 when he and his wife Amy (EDU ’76) were struggling with the state of democracy and looking for ways to be more civically engaged. That day, opportunity revealed itself. After a debriefing about Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, the couple committed to establishing the Oller Center for the Rule of Law, supporting a vision that would greatly impact Temple Law’s — and the university’s — future. “I’m drawn to Temple because it’s obviously been such an important part of my life,” says the Executive Chairman and Founding Member of GoldOller Real Estate Investments when recalling that initial conversation. “I’m concerned about our world, the quality of our education, and the lack of depth of understanding as to what a democracy, governed by rule of law, means. And I’m committed to the continued evolution of the law school.” A $5 million gift from Richard, Amy, and their children Ben and Rebecca, to launch the Oller Center for the Rule of Law is one of the largest donations in the law school’s history. The Ollers’ proposal for the center hinges on it being both an academic and community outreach that will attract scholarly attention, more national exposure for Temple, and more integration with the City of Philadelphia and its role in establishing American democracy. “I think embracing our urban roots and our proximity to the birthplace of our nation, and wrapping that around the extraordinary quality of Temple, can really augment both the reputation of the law school and the institution as a whole,” says Richard. He and Amy signed the gift agreement this past January. As plans take shape for the launch of the Oller Center later this year, Temple Law and the Ollers have crafted a vision that positions Philadelphia as the home for a new national commitment to the rule of law and the principles of American democracy. It will bring together students, scholars, policymakers, civic leaders, and social justice advocates, granting access to diverse disciplines and perspectives and the space and resources to advance the rule of law — reaffirming Temple, and Philadelphia, as a hub of renewed civic leadership rooted in liberty and justice for all. The center will be directed by a yet-to-be appointed member of the law school faculty and guided by an advisory board, which Richard Oller will help assemble from a broad constituency of people from “beyond the four corners of Temple.” (He will serve on the board as well.) It will offer student programming and scholarships and create fellowships and research opportunities designed to foster collaboration among participants, focusing on the governance of public institutions and the future of legal and civic education. “This kind of vision was always important, but it’s particularly important right now to approach these [topics] in a nonpartisan, thoughtful, academic way,” says Kristen E. Murray, Interim Kean Family Dean and Professor of Law, who worked closely with the Ollers to shape their plans for the center. “But because this is Temple, we would never do something academic without also thinking about the practical. And if you think about Temple, being in Philadelphia, and Temple’s mission about access to justice and the profession, all these things suggest that we probably should already have a rule of law center. Since we don’t, now is the time.” The Oller Center positions Temple Law at the forefront of national civic renewal6 Temple Law School A Vision for the People The Ollers share this sense of urgency — and feel passionately about why a rule of law center will strengthen and elevate the university, both locally and nationally. “I’m shocked at how our society, our children, even our law students, don’t have a clear understanding of the meaning of the rule of law and its importance,” says Richard. “A society that can seek out decency, justice, and equity has to begin with a better understanding of its foundation. What our founders had in mind when they sought that more perfect union keeps eluding us. Refocusing on that in a nonpolitical, civic, and social environment will make a difference in terms of a more purposeful career as a lawyer and a society that understands the importance of democracy and the rule of law and equity. Maybe, in that regard, it will bring us all together a little better.” “The mere fact that people are struggling with what the First Amendment means is concerning,” adds Amy. “I think that would be one of the first things that needs to be discussed in a rule of law center focused on democracy.” Making a difference through education and advocacy is important to the Ollers and to Temple — but so is doing things in a way that makes sense for the public university’s urban roots. While many esteemed law schools have rule of law centers — Stanford, Georgetown, and NYU, to name a few — the vision for the Oller Center goes beyond establishing a scholarly process and a facility: The focus is on communication, outreach, and an interdisciplinary approach, within the university, the Philadelphia community, and beyond. “We’re creating an opportunity for people to collaborate, with access to all the resources that Temple brings to the table — for scholars, high schools, policymakers, and journalists to come together in an environment where we can have a dialogue that’s broader than legal scholarship,” explains Richard. “This center is not going to be a virtual academic process. It will be a place where people can congregate and feel comfortable, with a sense of community. It has to have a sense of place associated with it.” This sense of place resonates deeply with Temple President John Fry. “This generous gift from Richard, Amy, and the entire Oller family represents a significant moment in Temple University and the Beasley School of Law’s history as the Oller Center for the Rule of Law aligns perfectly with our strategic plan,” says Fry. “Through this new center, students will take part in innovative new courses and pursue consequential research, becoming exactly the type of advocates for justice that we strive to produce at Beasley. This also provides us with an important venue to further our engagement with our city and community.”7 ESQ. SPRING 2026 The center initially will be located atop Terra Hall, the former University of the Arts building on South Broad Street that Temple purchased in February 2025, currently under renovation. Its permanent home will likely be closer to the law school. “We want to have a presence in Terra Hall, but also a presence on main campus eventually,” confirms Murray. “Our location is ideal,” adds Jeffrey Dunoff, Associate Dean for Research and Laura H. Carnell Professor of Law. “For years, Temple has produced more Philadelphia (and Pennsylvania) lawyers than any other law school. The center’s ‘soft power’ of convening diverse experts and stakeholders to address contentious rule of law issues will nurture and amplify the law school’s impact. “The law school has a rich tradition of producing leaders at national, state, and local levels. Temple Law professors and students are deeply involved with community groups and others who pursue justice for disadvantaged populations throughout the city and state. Temple faculty produce cutting-edge research on a variety of rule of law issues. This center will serve as an institutional home for all these efforts. More importantly, it will bring local and national visibility, provide needed institutional support, and enable the school to further extend its influential work on rule of law issues.” It’s in Their DNA The intersection of education and civics has always been a sweet spot for Richard and Amy Oller. They met in sixth grade but didn’t begin dating until high school. “We worked together, we were political operatives,” says Richard, recalling their campaigning for George McGovern in junior high. Friends for years, they became a couple in eleventh grade. They originally attended different colleges: He went to The George Washington University and she went to the University of Hartford. “We were on the phone every day, every night, every weekend,” he says. “We were in the car, going back and forth to Washington, Hartford, Philadelphia.” Finally, they transferred to Temple their sophomore year. “Hartford didn’t have an education program,” says Amy, “and Temple did. Temple also had a community — the Philadelphia School District — that needed student teachers.” While Amy enrolled in the School of Education, Richard became a journalism major at what is now the Klein College of Media and Communication and studied accounting at Fox School of Business. They married during their junior year. After graduation, Richard enrolled at Temple Law, graduating first in his class. Amy, pregnant by then with their first child, started her master’s in education at Beaver College (now Arcadia University), but a real estate opportunity convinced her to change course. “When I graduated, there were no jobs in education and very little hiring,” she says. “I got a job in the Philadelphia School District that was going to pay me nothing, so I decided to get my master’s. But I realized that I liked real estate better.” They purchased a property in Whitemarsh and subdivided it. Meanwhile, Richard was working as an associate in commercial real estate at Blank Rome. “I loved law, the practice, the academic and the intellectual pursuits, and I loved the client relationships. But I was not a great scrivener. I did not like sitting there until midnight, working on complex leases and fighting over clauses.” Many of his clients were syndicators and developers. Realizing he could strike out on his own, he left the firm to set up his own shop. The Ollers entered the real estate business together in 1985. Their first company, the Wentworth Group, grew into one of the largest residential real estate management firms in the United States. They sold it to FirstService Corporation in 2002, and in 2009, Richard cofounded GoldOller Real Estate Investments with Jeffrey Goldstein, now one of the nation’s leading multifamily property management and development firms. While the path from activism and education to law to real estate and back again is not a straight one, it’s not as circuitous as it might seem. “I was a communications journalism major at Temple, an early passion of mine, and then I got deluded into thinking I’d be a better lawyer, and then I got deluded into thinking I really wanted to be a businessman,” says Richard. “But I’ve never lost any of those pieces. The skill sets are still there. And they all resonate as you get to the next chapter in life. It mattered then and even more now. It has always been about social justice, government, politics. My passion, Amy’s passion has always been there. It’s what drives us.”Next >