Temple Law Conducts Fourth Spanish-Language Trial Advocacy Bootcamp

On July 29-August 2, 2024, Temple Law hosted its fourth Spanish-language intensive bootcamp for judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and law professors from Latin America in collaboration with our partner the Academia de Litigación. The program included three tracks, with specialty teaching on litigation skills, gender perspectives, and criminal investigations. Students attended morning classes on trial skills and then separated into small group practice sessions in the afternoons. Students also observed a trial at the U.S. federal courthouse, and the program culminated in final trials where each student argued a case before judge and jury with live witnesses.

The students in this program came from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Peru, some with the support of the U.S. embassies in Ecuador and Panama in association with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. 

Felipe Vásquez, director of the Academia de Litigación, also taught in the program, along with Academia colleagues Paula de la Cuadra, Ignacio Méndez, and Claudio Puccinelli. They concluded each day with a discussion on how U.S. law and practice can be implemented in Latin America. “We are thrilled to be back,” said Director Vázquez, “and to continue our important work together. Temple Law School is second to none in its trial advocacy teaching, and we are proud to work together as we build common ground and improve the knowledge and skill of our students.”

Temple faculty included Professors Jules Epstein, Marian Braccia, Liz Lippy, and Marissa Bluestine. Judges Felipe Restrepo and Giovanni Campbell JD ’93, along with Attorneys José Ongay JD ’85 and Luis Ortiz, taught the small group sessions and provided individual feedback to each of the students.

For the gender perspectives track, Professor Liz Lippy led the program, Professor Marian Braccia delivered a lecture entitled Hysterical: Gendered Communication in the Courtroom, and Professor Kristen Gibbons Feden, JD ’09, led a session on client counseling and witness testimony. For criminal investigations, U.S. Attorney Richard Barrett BA ’81 JD’85 spoke on criminal investigations, investigator Alan Basewitz spoke on police investigations, and Professor Bluestine spoke on forensics.

At the closing ceremony, Dean Rachel Rebouché said, “We are delighted to welcome you all to Temple University, your new home in the United States. We are proud of the ambitious, thoughtful, and intensive boot camp curriculum we presented this week, and we are confident that you learned a lot and gained many skills. At the same time, and more importantly, we have also learned a lot from you, as we work together to advance our common goals.” The dean also thanked the faculty and staff, particularly noting our many Temple alumni who taught in the program.

“We are very grateful to Sabriya McWilliams, Assistant Director for Global Legal Studies, and Bethany Rutledge, Senior Student Services Coordinator, who oversaw the smooth operation of the entire program,” said John Smagula, Assistant Dean for Graduate & International Programs. “We have already begun preparations for our fifth boot camp from March 3-7, 2025, and we welcome everyone to attend. ¡Bienvenidos!”