Temple University Beasley School of Law has named Jules Epstein as the new Director of Advocacy Programs. Epstein, a nationally recognized authority in forensic science and capital case litigation, will join the Temple faculty on July 1, 2015.
“I am tremendously excited to welcome Professor Epstein to Temple Law School,” said Dean JoAnne Epps. “His energy, experience, and passion are a perfect fit for our advocacy programs. I’m confident that he is going to do great things here.”
“Coming to Temple for advocacy is the culmination of a career in litigation and education,” remarked Epstein. “Temple has a preeminent advocacy program with exceptional faculty, students, and alumni, and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to join this community.”
To read more about Professor Epstein’s vision for the program, click here.
Epstein is a member of the National Commission on Forensic Science, and serves on the faculty of the National Judicial College, where he lectures to judges and lawyers on forensic science, evidence, and criminal procedure, especially in capital cases. He is an accomplished scholar whose work is held in high regard by both the academic and professional communities. He also handles post-conviction capital case matters as court-appointed or pro bono counsel and contributes to amicus briefs on behalf of organizations such as the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (PACDL).
Professor Eleanor Myers, who chaired the search committee for the Director of Advocacy Programs, said that what sets Professor Epstein apart, “is not just his energy, his intellect, or his tremendous experience in so many areas. It’s the presence of all of those things in someone with a passion for teaching and a deeply generous spirit. ”
Epstein will take the reins of a program built by Professor Edward Ohlbaum, under whose leadership the Temple Law trial advocacy program has been established as one of the top three programs in the country. Professor Ohlbaum led the program from 1989 until his untimely death in 2014. “Joining Temple holds tremendous personal meaning for me,” noted Epstein. “I’ve been learning from Edward Ohlbaum since 1978, and I’m honored to follow in his footsteps.”
Professor David Sonenshein, who currently serves as the Interim Director of Advocacy Programs, also found the connection meaningful. “With the selection of Professor Epstein, Temple has set a course that will honor the legacy of Professor Ohlbaum even as we embrace the future,” remarked Professor Sonenshein. “I know that we’re in excellent hands. Professor Ohlbaum would be proud.”
Professor Epstein comes to Temple from Widener Law School, where he has served as a Professor of Law and the Director of the Taishoff Advocacy, Technology, and Public Service Institute. While at Widener, he was awarded several honors for excellence in teaching, including the Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Outstanding Faculty Award, and the Outstanding Faculty Member Award (given by the Student Bar Association). He earned both his undergraduate and Juris Doctor degrees at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also served as an adjunct professor from 1988-2006 and was honored by the Roscoe Pound Foundation (ATLA) with the Award for Excellence in Teaching Trial Advocacy as an Adjunct Professor of Law.
“Jules Epstein embodies the passion and the professionalism that have made the Temple trial advocacy program one of the best in the nation,” said Dean Epps. “I like to think that he’s always been a Temple Lawyer in spirit, if not in fact. I’m delighted that we can finally claim him officially as one of our own.”