“What does advocacy mean to you?” Temple Law School’s new online publication, Advocacy Is, explores this question by telling the stories of advocates throughout the law school community.
Among the stories, presented in essay format with accompanying photography, are reflections on how former dean Bob Reinstein has used scholarship to move the law toward greater justice; what social justice advocacy looks like at the Sheller Center; and what Independence Fellow Alex Dutton LAW ’15 is doing to advocate for school children caught up in the school-to-prison pipeline.
As the site itself suggests, advocacy is many things. “Advocacy is the essence of being a lawyer,” it reads. “It’s telling a client’s story with passion and authenticity. It’s speaking with confidence and authority. It’s persuasion and purpose; preparation and vision; responsibility and service, from the courtroom to the conference room and beyond. Advocacy is power. Advocacy is excellence. Advocacy is….”
“We hope the open-ended nature of that description will inspire readers to think about what advocacy means to them,” remarked Dean JoAnne Epps. “As the legal profession evolves, where and how advocacy happens are changing as well. But the skills that advocacy requires remain the same, and it is these skills that the faculty at Temple are passionate about teaching.”
Advocacy is storytelling, and it is what lies at the heart of the Temple Law story. Learn more about that story at the Advocacy Is website.