Members of the Temple Law faculty, working under the auspices of the Sheller Center for Social Justice, held a series of lectures and panel discussions throughout March and April on the legal issues dominating national headlines. The first event in the series, focusing on border security and interior enforcement, was held at noon on March 28 in Klein Hall Room 1D.

“The series was borne out of an interest in serving as a resource to the larger Temple University community,” explains Sheller Center Program Coordinator Len Rieser. “Our hope was to help cut through the confusion surrounding these often complex legal issues so interested people could sort out fact from spin and form more informed perspectives on what’s happening in our country.” Each discussion was led by at least one Temple Law professor with expertise in the area, and included a resource guide compiled by Temple Law librarians for further research.

The series included four events. In addition to the discussion of border security and interior enforcement on March 28, the Sheller Center hosted presentations on April 3 (Crime and Policing), April 10 (Travel and Refugee Bans), and April 18 (Climate Change and Federal Policy). “The increase in civic engagement and interest in social justice in the past few months has been extraordinary, and very encouraging,” said Professor Jennifer Lee, who teaches Social Justice Lawyering at the Sheller Center. “This series was an opportunity to contribute to the ongoing conversation on Temple’s campus and to provide inspiration to students and faculty to engage in social justice work in partnership with impacted communities.”

About the Sheller Center

The Sheller Center for Social Justice at Temple University Beasley School of Law, created in 2013 by a generous gift from Stephen and Sandra Sheller, is a hub for social justice inquiry and advocacy. The Center’s faculty, staff and affiliated faculty work with law students, the Law School’s other legal clinics and experiential programs, others at the University, community organizations, and external partners to seek justice for disadvantaged populations in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania.