Joanne A. Epps became the Dean of Temple Law in 2008 after serving on the faculty since 1985, and as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 1989-2008.

She is an officer of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation, serves on the Board of Directors of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, and is active in several other legal and civic organizations. Her teaching includes Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Evidence, both at Temple’s Philadelphia campus and also in China and Japan, and she is author or co-author of numerous academic publications.

Recent honors include the 2011 Torchbearer Award for Outstanding Leadership in Law from the Women’s Christian Alliance of Philadelphia; a 2011 Minority Business Leader Award, from the Philadelphia Business Journal; the Philadelphia Bar Association's 2009 Sandra Day O'Connor Award and the National Bar Association’s 2009 Wiley A. Branton Award.

Dean Epps earned her B.A. at Trinity College and her J.D. at Yale Law School.