WHAT IS THE SYSTEMIC JUSTICE CLINIC?
The National Inventory of Collateral Consequences now lists more than 40,000 laws and regulations that impose limitations on people who have been convicted of a crime. These consequences range from the well-known (e.g., voter disenfranchisement) to the truly obscure (e.g., restrictions on operating a bingo game). Collateral consequences pervade both state and federal law and, while most are reserved for felony convictions, many can attach even to those only convicted of a misdemeanor. America holds more than 2 million people behind bars at any given time; each year, more than a half million of those people are released back into their communities. Collateral consequences serve as barriers to reentry for each and every one of those people – dictating where (and with whom) they can live, what kinds of work they can do, what they can own, and what opportunities they will have to participate as members of our society.
The clinic partners with community groups, social-service providers, and legal organizations operating within the space of civil rights, inmate rights, and re-entry to identify the most pressing areas for intervention on the local and state level. Students identify systemic problems related to collateral consequences, engage in research and information gathering around those issues, and strategize about the most effective ways to advocate for change. Students also develop and implement community education projects in partnership with community organizations. The clinic gives students a chance to work in an area of public interest law that is deeply textured, widely relevant, and profoundly rewarding.
PROFESSOR SHANDA SIBLEY
Shanda Sibley directs the Systemic Justice Clinic at the Sheller Center for Social Justice, where she works with law students on issues related to the collateral consequences experienced by individuals who have had contact with the criminal legal system.
Professor Sibley’s scholarship focuses on criminal law and procedure, as informed by critical legal and critical race theory. She is particularly interested in seeking out places where making relatively small procedural or administrative interventions can produce substantial substantive benefits to criminal defendants and the criminal legal system. Her interests grow out of her practice as an appellate criminal defense attorney, investigations of overlooked areas of procedural discrimination, and a scholarly concern with engaging in subject areas that will both center and amplify the interests of traditionally marginalized and disenfranchised communities.
Before joining the faculty of Temple Law, Professor Sibley was an acting assistant professor and the Associate Director of Lawyering at New York University School of Law. Prior to entering legal academia, she was an appellate public defender representing indigent criminal defendants on direct appeal and collateral proceedings in New York City. Her earlier experience includes litigation and transactional practice at two international law firms, and a clerkship for the Honorable Eric L. Clay of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Professor Sibley received a B.A. in Comparative Literature from New York University, an M.A. from The University of Chicago, and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. In 2019, she was awarded the Podell Distinguished Teaching Award by NYU School of Law.
STUDENTS
JAJUAN SANDERS
JaJuan Sanders is a 2L at Temple Law, where he is most interested in transactional law. He joined the Systemic Justice Clinic because he seeks to learn more about how he can advocate around issues concerning diversity.
Originally from Indianapolis, IN, JaJuan attended Indiana University Bloomington for a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy. He has interned for Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and excels at political advocacy and networking.
In law school, JaJuan has a variety of interests. From staff editor on Temple’s Comparative & International Law Journal, to an incredible ultimate frisbee player, JaJuan treats every opportunity as a chance to build lasting relationships.
SAMANTHA BASS
Sam Bass is a 2L at Temple Law, where she is interested in criminal justice reform. She joined the Systemic Justice Clinic because it perfectly aligns with her goals of reducing the collateral consequences of interactions with the criminal legal system.
From the Greater Philadelphia Area, Sam attended American University where she majored in Law & Society with a minor in Psychology. Before law school, Sam worked for the Conviction Integrity Unit at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office for over 5 years. Sam has also worked with the Innocence Project and excels at legal research and writing.
In law school, Sam is the President of the Student Public Interest Network and participates in everything related to community advocacy. She is passionate about working within the system of Philadelphia to transform the narrative about conviction.
REESE (THERESA) LEMKE
Reese is a 2L at Temple Law, where she is interested in transactional law with a personal interest in community mentorship. She joined the Systemic Justice Clinic because it is an opportunity for her to be involved in the community through the heavy workload of law school.
As a Philly native, Reese attended Franklin & Marshall College where she joint majored in Public Policy and Africana Studies. Before law school, Reese worked as a public school math teacher for 2 years. She remains involved in education through mentorship and excels at project planning and organization.
In law school, Reese is the Vice President of the Christian Legal Society and a staff editor for Temple’s International & Comparative Law Journal. With her bubbly personality, she seeks to grow a strong network of community leaders that can implement impactful change for future generations.
External Collaborators
