National Jurist Magazine has again named Dean JoAnne Epps among the 25 most influential people in legal education in 2014. Epps was also named to the list in 2013. In the article, available here, Epps is described as an innovator who has pushed for law schools to explore more individualized approaches that better meet the needs of their particular students. The magazine noted Epps’ leadership in creating new opportunities for practical training at Temple and her commitment to keeping costs low.
Dean Epps has been widely recognized for her leadership and influence both within legal education and within the broader profession. She is the 2014 recipient of the Justice Sonia Sotomayor Diversity Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association, a three time honoree as one of the nation’s top 100 black lawyers, compiled annually by Lawyers of Color Magazine, and in 2012 was named a “Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania.” Epps is also the 2009 recipient of the Sandra Day O’Connor Award, conferred annually by the Philadelphia Bar Association “on a woman attorney who has demonstrated superior legal talent, achieved significant legal accomplishments and has furthered the advancement of women in both the profession and the community,” and was also selected by the PBA to deliver the Higginbotham Lecture for that year.