When used appropriately, power of attorney is a valid tool to protect assets for someone who's unable to oversee his financial interests. But there are many misconceptions about how it works, said Debra Kroll, a law professor at Temple’s Beasley School of Law. Power of attorney doesn’t give an individual sole control over financial decisions, she said. The agent can make financial decisions only if the person is mentally incapacitated.

Cardinals have set Tuesday as the start date for the conclave to elect the next pope. Leonard Swidler, who teaches religion at Temple, thinks reform is needed now in the Catholic Church, and electing the new leader will be a challenging task. He points out that the cardinals in the conclave were appointed over the years by ultra-conservative popes, “so the chances are that there will be a lot of tugging toward a very conservative side.

As Japan approaches the second anniversary of the Fukushima disaster on March 11, its anti-nuclear movement appears to be struggling and disgraced pro-nuclear forces are rallying. "The 'nuclear village' is back in the driver's seat," said Jeffrey Kingston of Temple University, Japan Campus. The term "nuclear village" refers to the powerful nexus of politicians, bureaucrats and utilities that for decades promoted atomic power in Japan. "All the noises from the government are in favor of restarts….They own the corridors of power."

Cell phone videos of Philadelphia Police officers — including an infamous episode in which a cell phone video captured a policeman striking a local woman at the Puerto Rican Day parade — have been the center of recent controversial legal decisions. "This is a rapidly moving new technology," said Jerry Ratcliffe, chair of Temple's Department of Criminal Justice. "How do we incorporate cell phone video into the evidential process? How much weight should rest on video evidence? I think we're lagging behind the technology."