Hands-on experience at Temple helped propel philosophy major Bill Kelly, Class of 2016, to the Ivy League.
Taking advantage of opportunities at Temple University, including internships and mock trial, strengthened Bill Kelly's desire to attend law school.
Photo by Ryan Brandenberg
Name?
Bill Kelly
Major?
Philosophy, Honors program
Hometown?
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Next Stop?
Yale Law School
How did Temple prepare you for your next stop?
There is no lack of opportunity at Temple no doors are closed to you if you re a Temple graduate. Since high school, I have wanted to be a defense attorney who represents clients who can t afford to hire a private defense attorney. So, when I got here, I joined Temple Mock Trial. Additionally, I interned with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project and the Defender s Association of Philadelphia, both of which allowed me to see what goes on behind the scenes and helped me solidify that I wanted to go to law school.
However, I think the main thing that helped me prepare for law school, and particularly the LSAT, were my philosophy classes. Philosophical arguments are almost exactly like legal arguments. You re reading a dense, long text, deciphering it down to a few main points and trying to articulate that in a case. There are so many parallels.
I have a passion for trial advocacy, for the thrill of being in a courtroom and getting a verdict in my favor. That I could get paid to do that and save people s lives is such a thrill. I don t have the courage or precise fingers to be a surgeon. But, defense attorneys if they re representing an innocent person can also save lives.
Joseph Master
