Featured Faculty

Ben "Ally" Templin

Professor of Law

J.D., University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall);

B.A., Grinnell College

Over the last three years, Professor Templin has worked with his students to develop a new type of law book that engages millennials while building the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to become an attorney. Unlike traditional casebooks, Professor Templin’s new title, Contracts: A Modern Coursebook, provides clear and concise explanations of the law followed by topical cases and problems. With a coursebook, students come to class understanding the rules, so that class time is spent developing critical thinking skills by working through problems.  

Professor Templin says, “This project is very much a collaborative effort with my students. Over three years, I tested out different methods of learning with my students to find the most effective way to reach this generation.” The book has been used by Professor Templin’s students since 2012 but will be officially published in 2016 in the Aspen Casebook Series by Wolters Kluwer, one of the country’s largest legal publishers.  

A member of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law faculty for 12 years, Professor Templin teaches a variety of courses including Contracts, Remedies, International Intellectual Property and Introduction to Intellectual Property.  

More information about Professor Ben "Ally" Templin can be found here.

Susan Tiefenbrun

Professor Emeritus

J.D., New York University School of Law;

Ph.D., Columbia University, magna cum laude;

M.S., University of Wisconsin, magna cum laude;

B.S., University of Wisconsin, magna cum laude

Professor Susan Tiefenbrun describes law as her second career. Prior to entering law school, she earned a Ph.D. in French from Columbia University, a master’s degree in French and Education and a bachelor’s degree in French, Russian and Education.  

She spent several years teaching foreign languages and literature at various schools including Columbia University, Brooklyn College and also Sarah Lawrence College. Professor Tiefenbrun also spent many years mastering foreign languages and now speaks 10 fluently including Mandarin, French, Russian and Italian.  

A fascination with legal discourse inspired Professor Tiefenbrun to enter New York University Law School in 1983, where she concentrated on international law.  

In 1999, she joined the staff of Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and has taught a variety of courses since then, among them Business Associations, Business Planning, International Law and the Humanities, International Human Rights, International Intellectual Property and also Women’s International Human Rights. In 2003, the President of France, Jacques Chirac, awarded Professor Tiefenbrun France's most prestigious medal, the French legion of honor medal, for her work in fostering cooperation between France and the United States through legal education.  

She specializes in international law and is the director of the school’s Center for Global Legal Studies. Additionally, she founded and continues to teach in two study abroad programs focused on international and comparative law in China and in France.  

More information about Professor Tiefenbrun can be found here.

Julie Greenberg

Professor Emeritus

J.D., University of Michigan, cum laude

B.A., University of Michigan, cum laude

Professor Emeritus Julie Greenberg has been with Thomas Jefferson School of Law for 25 years. During her more than two decades in academia, she has taught a variety of courses, including Business Associations, Women and the Law, and Gender, Sexuality and the Law.

In 2013, her book, “Intersexuality and the Law: Why Sex Matters” received the Bullough Book Award for the most distinguished book written for the professional sexological community Professor Greenberg is an internationally recognized expert on legal issues related to gender, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Her work has been cited by more than a dozen courts and in hundreds of books and articles.  

She describes working one-on-one with law students, helping them to understand difficult or challenging concepts, as one of the most fulfilling parts of her time as law instructor.  Professor Greenberg’s current research is focused on legal issues affecting the intersex, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.  More information about Professor Julie Greenberg can be found here.

A. Thomas Golden

Emeritus Faculty Director, International Trade & Investment Law;

Director, American Legal Studies

J.D., University of California, Los Angeles;

B.A., Kent State University, cum laude

Professor A. Thomas Golden has been a member of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law faculty for nearly four decades. His many students have graduated to become accomplished legal professionals including judges, prosecutors, public defenders, private practitioners, corporate lawyers, and professors.

Professor Golden believes strongly that student preparation and classroom engagement are indispensable to success in law school. He lives to see the moment when his students "get it" through their own hard work and openness to instruction and guidance. Professor Golden’s high expectations of all students motivate them to surpass even their own ideas of what they can accomplish.

In addition to teaching, he has been a trusted consultant to practicing attorneys. His intimate knowledge of current trends in the legal field are indispensable to student learning.

More information about Professor Golden can be found here.

Kevin J. Greene

Professor of Law

J.D., Yale Law School;

B.A., State University of New York at Old Westbury, summa cum laude

Professor Kevin Jerome (“KJ”) Greene was drawn to academia to explore the dynamics of entertainment and intellectual property law at a deeper level. Before joining the faculty at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 1997, Professor Greene built a successful career in New York representing major celebrities and powerhouse companies in the entertainment industry. 

His expert knowledge of entertainment AND intellectual property law makes him an invaluable resource for students interested in the field. His teaching and mentoring style produces lawyers who are rigorous thinkers making a positive contribution to the profession. For Professor Greene, fulfillment comes from watching students and graduates succeed and reach their goals, whether it is publishing an article from a paper that started in his class, using principles from his Contracts to win a contracts case, or thriving as an intellectual property in-house counsel in London or LA. 

“Our students and graduates have had tremendous success in the field of entertainment law, and that is most rewarding to see and nurture. The law — like life — is about winning or losing, and helping students win in law and life is the goal,” said Greene.  

More information about Professor Greene can be found here.

Kenneth Vandevelde

Professor of Law

J.D., Harvard University, cum laude;

Ph.D., University of California;

B.A., University of Louisville, summa cum laude

After originally entering law school to prepare for a planned future in journalism or politics, Professor Ken Vandevelde has built an impressive career as a respected legal practitioner, author and educator. 

Professor Vandevelde is an expert in international law whose experience includes six years at the U.S. State Department. There, he negotiated treaties on international economic law and represented the United States in international arbitrations in The Hague. He has also served as a consultant to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the United Nations. During his 2014 sabbatical leave, he worked for the White House providing legal advice on international trade and investment treaties. 

A 24-year member of the Thomas Jefferson Law faculty, Professor Vandevelde combines his experience with an intellectually stimulating teaching style. By helping students gain a deep understanding of how the law fits into larger historical, social and intellectual frameworks, Professor Vandevelde prepares students to succeed in a rapidly changing global economy. 

More information about Professor Vandevelde can be found here.

Linda M. Keller

Interim Dean

Associate Professor of Law

J.D., Yale Law School;

B.A., University of Richmond, summa cum laude

Professor Linda M. Keller’s passion for spirited debate developed long before she entered law school. When she was just eight, her mother declared, “You like to argue so much, you should be a lawyer.” That idea blossomed during her high school years, but it was after she joined Amnesty International that Professor Keller discovered her passion for international human rights law. 

In her teaching at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, she works to foster that passion for justice and human rights. A recent Visiting Professional at the International Criminal Court, Professor Keller brings real-world insight to her international criminal law students. 

Professor Keller encourages critical thinking in her classes, whether students are learning to be self-critical editors in Legal Writing I, or mastering the nuances of criminal law. Her most fulfilling moments as a teacher come when she hears alumni success stories and when she sees the “light bulb” moment in her students when they grasp an important concept. 

More information about Professor Keller can be found here.

Brenda M. Simon

Associate Professor of Law

J.D., University of California, Berkeley (intellectual property certificate);

B.S., University of California, Los Angeles, summa cum laude

While studying chemistry as an undergrad, Professor Brenda M. Simon was drawn to the analytical aspects of science. After an internship with the District Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, she was inspired to go to law school and combine her passions for science and legal analysis. After attending law school at Berkeley, Professor Simon learned how to apply the law practically, working as an intellectual property attorney for more than five years and then joining Stanford Law School as a teaching fellow. Her research has been published in leading legal and scientific journals. 

In her five-year Thomas Jefferson Law teaching career, Professor Simon has taught Property I, Property II, Patent Law, Mastering the Performance Test, and Scholarly Legal Writing, as well as in the IP Practicum. Professor Simon believes in being a partner in learning with her students. She approaches each topic as if it was new to her, and makes it accessible and understandable through discussion, exercises, and problem solving. 

Professor Simon cherishes the opportunity to interact with a diverse student body with a wide range of life experiences. “I am proud of their accomplishments—starting with seeing them pass the bar and then become successful attorneys,” Professor Simon says. 

More information about Professor Simon can be found here.

William Slomanson

Emeritus Professor

LL.M., Columbia University;

J.D., California Western School of Law;

B.A., University of Pittsburgh

Professor William Slomanson has been part of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law faculty for nearly four decades. Over the years, he has witnessed many classroom transformations. He recalls watching many students enter their first semester as smart college students, then growing to become wise legal advocates. 

Slomanson’s passion for the legal profession developed unconventionally. His father guided him towards law school, but at 22 the future professor decided that he couldn’t just pursue a career laid out by someone else. Later, after a number of years in the military, Slomanson says, “I matured enough to decide to start a legal career for myself.” 

Having struggled with his own decision, Slomanson empathizes with students entering law school. He notes, though, that he is old-fashioned when it comes to things like attendance, preparedness, and high expectations. Combining Socratic and online teaching methods, he has adapted his teaching in ways that benefit today’s students. Slomanson also prides himself on being ready and willing to do whatever it takes, in and out of the classroom, to support his students. 

More information about Professor Slomanson can be found here.

Steven Semeraro

Professor of Law

J.D., Stanford Law School, with distinction; B.A., Rutgers, with highest honors

Professor Steven Semeraro believes that students learn best in a comfortable environment. He encourages students to think analytically or in his words, “think like a lawyer.” His goal is to lead students in the application of precise, analytical thinking, which is what originally attracted him to the legal profession. 

In his 15 years at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Semeraro has fostered a passion in his students for antitrust law and the relationship of antitrust and intellectual property law. This led him to establish the Intellectual Property Fellowship Program at Thomas Jefferson Law, and the Patent and Trademark clinics that operate in conjunction with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. 

Over the years he has enjoyed seeing students develop confidence, knowing they can represent clients and play a vital role in the legal profession. 

More information about Professor Semeraro can be found here.

Marjorie Cohn

Emeritus Professor

J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law;

B.A., Stanford University, with departmental honors

in Social Thought and Institutions

As a former criminal defense attorney, Professor Marjorie Cohn teaches criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence, and international human rights. Her specialty is criminal justice and human rights, which she teaches with a combination of lecture, Socratic method and discussion. Cohn believes strongly in the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial, including due process. 

Having been with Thomas Jefferson Law since 1991, she has sparked a passion for the law through interaction, both inside and outside the classroom, discussing the law with students and supervising their scholarly work. 

According to Cohn, “My greatest success is when I teach students not simply the black letter law, but to also think critically. When I see my students or former students trying to change the law to make it more just, I feel I have contributed something significant.”  

More information about Professor Cohn can be found here.