J O A N N E  .  E P P S . ' 7 3

Working for a fair justice system

JoAnne Epps originally intended to become a legal secretary. But her mother, whom Epps describes as a “feisty fighter,” suggested that she set her sights a bit higher. Why be a legal secretary, Mom argued, when it was possible to become a lawyer?

And her mother was not the only one to encourage Epps to think big. Far to the north of her Philadelphia home, other forces that would profoundly affect her life were taking shape. It was the late ’60s and Trinity College was about to admit its first class of women. One of Epps’s former schoolmates, already a student at the College, thought of her immediately when it came time to recruit highly qualified female candidates. At his urging, Epps paid a visit to campus, liked what she saw, and eventually enrolled.

It was an extraordinary, historical moment in which to begin one’s college education. “During my first year at school,” Epps recalls, “there were the shootings at Kent State, the Vietnam War was going on, and black people were fighting a battle for freedom here in this country. It was challenging to be an African American in a predominantly white college, but Trinity was a safe haven in which to attempt to resolve the larger issues that touched campus.”

The open discussions and variety of opinions Epps encountered at Trinity enabled her to explore her beliefs and values in a supportive environment. As a result, she found the voice that would serve her well in future roles as a prosecuting attorney and as an academic. “I learned the importance of knowing who you are, of appreciating that we grow as a result of our interactions with others. Most importantly, I learned that I could be accepted for who I am, which enabled me to speak out. Many professors and administrators encouraged me, and I gained the self-confidence to say what I thought.

“I didn’t just have teachers,” Epps says. “I had family. That was critical. Trinity was a wonderfully hospitable place and I still carry a large part of it in me all the time.” She has maintained her close ties with the College in recent years by serving on both the Board of Fellows and the Board of Trustees.

Following Trinity, where she majored in psychology, Epps went on to follow her mother’s advice by attending Yale Law School. The degree from Yale became the foundation for a career that has included positions as deputy city attorney for Los Angeles and assistant U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Pennsylvania. Currently, she is a tenured professor of law and associate dean for academic affairs at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Crime fighter with a human touch 
Epps’s ability to speak out on behalf of herself and others helped her learn an important lesson in the opening moments of her career. Early in her third year at Yale, Epps was sitting in the outer office of the New Haven district attorney’s office, waiting to be interviewed for an intern position. Two chairs away, a white prosecutor was giving a black teenager a tough time. The kid was accused of a petty crime. He insisted he was innocent and that he had only happened to pass the scene of the crime on his way to a party. The prosecutor wanted to know who had invited him. The suspect said there was no invitation. The prosecutor was incredulous. At that moment, Epps stepped in. “I told the prosecutor that a party without formal invitations is not uncommon in the black community and that the young man was offering a perfectly reasonable explanation for being on that street.” Epps told the prosecutor she was from Yale Law School. “I could see him soften immediately,” she recalls. “At that moment, I realized I could help black people by my presence within the system.”

Her first job after Yale took her to Los Angeles, where she spent nearly four years as the deputy city attorney. In 1980, she returned to Philadelphia to be close to her family and work as an assistant United States attorney. In both cities, she was responsible for prosecuting people accused of crimes, a situation that called for much toughness and determination. Her successes were frequently recognized, and she was honored by the Drug Enforcement Administration for outstanding contributions to the field of drug prosecution and by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms for successful arson prosecutions.

But her early experience in a New Haven waiting room tempered her outlook and gave her insights that enabled Epps to bring a human touch to crime fighting. She cites one instance where she successfully prosecuted a case against an African American man. He approached her at the end of the trial, and she thought he was about to take her to task. But he simply said, “You treated me fairly in there. I’ve never been treated fairly before. Thank you.”

“That was a lesson he could take from the system,” Epps says. “The way in which a nation runs its justice system says a lot about that country. If people think it’s inherently unfair, that’s an incentive to break the law. But if they think the system is fair, it’s a powerful message not to commit crimes.”

Professor and role model
A desire to step back from the busy routine of the prosecutor’s office and consider broader legal issues brought Epps to Temple University in 1985. “As a practicing lawyer, you are often just responding to crises,” she says. “There is no opportunity to reflect, to think critically and deeply. Also, I discovered that there is a refreshing atmosphere in academia. In legal practice, the cases change but the routine doesn’t. In academia there is constant change.” 

Her position as a faculty member also enables Epps to serve as an example for a new generation of aspiring lawyers. “I didn’t have a black woman role model at Yale,” Epps says. “The wonderful thing about Temple is that it is the personification of diversity. It’s not possible for students who pass through here to think that lawyers are only tall white guys.”

In the end, it is the ability to help future lawyers start their careers that gives Epps the most satisfaction. “I love to send them off into the world,” she says. 

--Drew Sanborn