Temple Law 3L Bianca Taipe has been named an Honorable Mention in The National Jurist’s Law Student of the Year awards, a recognition that highlights law students making a difference in their schools and communities. She is one of 10 students nationally to be selected for this honor.
Bianca’s path to law school has always been personal. Growing up, she witnessed the challenges her father faced and the systemic barriers that often left families without quality legal representation. Those early experiences shaped her commitment to helping others find the support her family often lacked—and to working toward a more just and accessible legal system.
Now in her final year at Temple University Beasley School of Law, Bianca has spent the past three years focused on public interest work, especially in immigration law. From the start, she got involved with the Student Public Interest Network (SPIN), helping to change the way students could qualify for funding to support unpaid public interest internships. The goal was simple: make sure more students, especially those with family or work obligations, could still access support.
Beyond SPIN, she took on a leadership role in the Latinx American Law Students Association, where she organized events that connected public interest law with the experiences of underrepresented communities. She also earned a spot as a Rubin-Presser Social Justice Fellow, diving deeper into immigration advocacy. One of her major projects involved co-authoring a report on conditions at Moshannon Valley Processing Center, an ICE detention facility in Pennsylvania—work aimed at shedding light on the treatment of immigrants often left without a voice.
“I’m incredibly honored to be recognized as a Law Student of the Year by the Temple Law faculty and The National Jurist magazine,” Taipe said. “I share this recognition with everyone who has been a part of my journey. A special thank you to my parents and my supportive partner, James, it is their strength and belief in me that has carried me every step of the way.”
Throughout law school, mentorship has been central to Bianca’s journey—both receiving it and paying it forward. Early on, she found guidance from a mentor in immigration law, which helped shape her career direction. Now, she makes it a point to offer that same support to newer students, especially those interested in public interest work.
“Bianca has gone above and beyond in contributing to the Temple Law community since her 1L year, both in public leadership roles and behind-the-scenes advocacy for her classmates,” said Dean for Students Jennifer Bretschneider. “She has made equity and empathy hallmarks of her professional identity and has had a significant impact both at the law school and in the immigration community, where she has focused her public interest work. We’re proud of what she’s done so far and inspired by her potential for future success.”
Her legal experience includes time at the Nationalities Service Center and a clerkship with an immigration law firm, where she’s helped clients work through some of the most difficult moments of their lives, including asylum applications.
“I am deeply grateful to the Temple Law community for shaping my experience as a law student these past three years,” she said. “It’s been inspiring to witness the commitment of professors like Professor Jennifer Lee and Dean Jaya Ramji-Nogales, whose guidance and mentorship have made all the difference in pursuing a path in immigration law. Temple Law goes above and beyond for its students, and it is the faculty’s dedication to its students that creates the next generation of passionate Temple lawyers.”
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