Archive for Veritas…and More
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Welcome to HLS!
Welcome to campus to all the new students! Orientation for 1L students started last Friday, and continued throughout the Irene-drenched weekend (besides the storm, the weather has actually been great for the Class of 2014’s orientation). Orientation included community service opportunities, a food-truck lunch and field games, as well as, most importantly, opportunities for our [...]
September 6, 2011
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1L Job Search
Hi, again! I thought that I’d post in a bit more detail how the 1L job search works here at HLS. In November, you can select an advisor in both OPIA, the office that covers public interest advising, and OCS, the office that covers private sector employment and clerkships. This advisor is your go-to person [...]
March 11, 2011
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For Those of You Interested in IP and Cyberlaw…
Have you checked out our professors’ blogs? Take a look to find out more about what’s going on at HLS and its Berkman Center for Internet and Society! You can find Professor Jonathan Zittrain’s blog here, Professor John Palfrey’s blog here, and Professor Lawrence Lessig’s blog here.
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Problem Solving Workshop (A Student’s Perspective)
I wanted to drop a quick line to tell all you eager 0L’s out there in internet land a bit about the infamous “J-Term” at HLS. All 1Ls are required to take a course entitled “Problem Solving Workshop” during a three-week period following winter break and prior to the start of second semester. Over the [...]
January 21, 2011
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Winter Term: Food and Drug Law
I have to admit that when the enormous textbook arrived in the mail I was dreading the arrival of winter term. However, this has turned out to be one of the more interesting classes that I have taken at HLS. As my professor put it, “food and drug law affects everyone.” Usually I shy away [...]
January 20, 2011
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It’s Been Awhile
Well, hi! I think all of us bloggers took a bit of a blogging break during finals. The 8-hr long take home finals were a new type of exam for me, and I’d like to thank the bagel, the cookie, and the chocolate for getting me through them. Add on friends and family to that. [...]
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Shaq Attack!
(Guest blogger Trisha Ananiades is a 2L. She is an Assistant Technical Editor for the Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law.) I have been a sports fan as long as I can remember – an oddity in my family, given that no one else knows or cares about sports. One of the biggest reasons I [...]
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Five HLS Students Awarded Prestigious Skadden Fellowships for Public Service Work
Four Harvard Law School students and one recent graduate have been chosen to receive Skadden Fellowships to support their work in public service. This prestigious fellowship was awarded to 29 people this year. The Harvard Law School recipients are Elizabeth Benton ’11, Stephen Cha-Kim ’11, Dustin Saldarriaga ’11, Emily Werth ’11 and Michael Zabelin ’10. [...]
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The HLS Public Service Tradition Continues After Graduation…
The American Immigration Lawyers Association recently selected HLS alum Marilia Zellner as the inaugural “Face of AILA.” Marilia is a supervising immigration attorney for Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto. She works with the poor immigrant community of East Palo Alto and also conducts many volunteer immigrants’ rights training programs on weekends. In 2008, [...]
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Chief Justice Roberts and the Ames Moot Court Competition
A couple nights ago, Dean of Admissions Josh Rubenstein surrendered his office for a very good reason – the annual Ames Moot Court Competition. Each year, three distinguished judges, usually including a Supreme Court justice, come to HLS for a night to judge the final round of the Ames competition. The closed-door deliberations are held [...]
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Chief Justice Roberts Surprise Visit
I’ll make this post short, but Chief Justice John Roberts just surprised our Legislation and Regulation class with a 40-minute Q&A during class. Quote from our professor when the Chief Justice walked in: “Shazam! It’s the Chief Justice!” A perfect reminder of how special HLS is.
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Shakespeare and the Law
Reading groups are among the many unique features of Harvard’s 1L experience. A reading group is a collection of 10-12 students who meet with a professor every other week to discuss a topic unrelated to our law school classes. Each reading group has a specific theme, ranging from immigration policy to terrorism to the history [...]
November 17, 2010
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Learning outside the classroom
Harvard Law School is renowned for many things, from its world-class faculty to unparalleled facilities and resources to a (sometimes nauseatingly) accomplished student body. Yet throughout the first term of my 1L year, I’ve come to realize that the hidden gem of HLS may just be the opportunity to hear from and meet a collection [...]
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Clinical Program No One Leaves Featured on PBS NewsHour
Last year, HLS clinical students, with the help of Clinical Professor and Harvard Legal Aid Bureau Director David Grossman, started up Project No One Leaves, which provides legal aid to tenants and homeowners facing eviction in Boston. They were recently chronicled on the PBS NewsHour for their innovative work [...]
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Seeing Beyond the Frivolous
I grew up on a steady diet of daytime television, along with which came a hearty helping of personal injury lawyer ads. One of my local law firms even made Esquire’s list of the five worst plaintiffs’ lawyers ads of all time (For that one and four other gems, check this out.). These low-budget commercials, [...]
October 27, 2010
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Active Human Rights Clinic Files Yet Another Amicus Curiae Brief
If you thought that as a student in the HLS International Human Rights Clinic program, you’d be going on field missions to Chile and Nepal, you’d be right. But if you thought that you would be working on amicus curiae briefs to the Second Circuit or even the United States Supreme Court, you would also [...]
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Research Away
Most of my time spent in law-related activities outside the classroom at HLS revolves around my research assistant (RA) work for two professors. I am also on a journal and attend as many Women’s Law Association events as I can, but the journal commitment for 1Ls is not terribly time consuming, so I dedicate a [...]
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Entrepreneurial HLS Alum Wins MacArthur “Genius Grant”
Rebecca Onie, HLS ’03, embodies the entrepreneurial and interdisciplinary spirit the new Public Service Venture Fund (see previous post) is hoping to support and foster in our students. Rebecca started with a seemingly simple concept – that health outcomes could be bolstered by improving access to basic resources such as food and housing – and [...]
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One Heck of a Walk…
Every morning, I leave my off-campus apartment between Harvard and Central Squares and embark on my 15-minute journey to the law school. As I speed-walk toward a class in contracts or torts, weaving in and out of photo-snapping tourists (generally to the tune of a Kanye song), I have a moment to reflect on the [...]
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One month into 1L year…
One month into 1L year in Section One. One incredibly Socratic professor with a penchant for suspenders. One section leader and professor who occasionally goes by Papa Bear. One professor who daily leaps and bounds about the classroom. One Legal Research and Writing Climenko Fellow with a knack for 80s humor. And one professor who [...]
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A Big New Home
The law school can seem like a really big place, especially at first glance. While many law schools are contained within a single building, HLS’s sprawling campus (relatively speaking) casts a simultaneously grand and perhaps intimidating shadow over a 1L like me. And, already, I’ve experienced both the grandeur and the intimidation. During the first [...]
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Are you a public service entrepreneur?
HLS’s innovative new program, the Public Service Venture Fund (PSVF), has launched a new website you should check out! The Fund is an innovative approach to offering flexible support for students interested in public service careers. The first program of its kind at a law school, PSVF will offer “seed money” for startup nonprofit ventures [...]
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HLS Alums Reign Supreme at the Court
Interested in clerking for a Supreme Court Justice? Seems like HLS is the place to be! Of the incoming 39 clerks for the 2010-2011 term, 11 are HLS alums, the highest number from a single law school this year. You can read more about it here. The New York Times yesterday also noted the prevalence [...]
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Sheriff Elizabeth Warren, Rap Star
Yes, many law schools have many well-known faculty members. But how many law schools can boast of rap videos being made about their professors?!? And then having said rap video profiled in the Wall Street Journal blog? Presently, we can think of only one law school and one professor with that honor: HLS’s Professor Elizabeth [...]
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Justice Elena Kagan!
You may have heard recently that HLS Alum and former Dean Elena Kagan has been confirmed as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice Kagan embodies the HLS spirit for public service and justice and we are proud that yet another distinguished HLS alum will fill the bench of the highest court in the [...]
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Working as a 0L at HLS – Phillip Hill
Guest blogger Phillip Hill will be starting at HLS this fall as a member of the class of 2013. School has not even started yet and I am already awestruck by the opportunities I have been afforded here at Harvard. Despite being a lowly 0L, I have had the privilege of working one-on-one with the [...]
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Professor Jody Freeman in the New York Times on “Carrots” in Environmental Regulations
Professor Jody Freeman, the founding director of the Harvard Law School Environmental Law and Policy Program, recently returned from serving in the White House as Counselor for Energy and Climate Change. Professor Freeman wrote an op-ed in the New York Times this morning about ways to restructure incentives to reward good behavior instead of the [...]
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So They’ve Graduated…Now What?
The HLS Class of 2010 graduated on May 27, but what are the newly minted alums doing now? Many of them are still hanging around Cambridge taking bar review courses. (In fact, we can hear the class in the Ames Courtroom as we type!) But take a look at what some other HLS 2010 alums [...]
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HLS Class of 2010 Breaks Pro Bono Record!
The Class of 2010 broke previous pro bono service records by performing an astounding 329,934 hours of pro bono service, an average of 553 hours per student! In fact, 105 students performed more than 1,000 hours of pro bono service each during their three years. Only 23 students performed the minimum of 40 hours. Seventy-five [...]
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Summertime: Lea Downey
I’m writing this from a cruising altitude on my flight from Chicago to Austin, Texas. After three final exams, a paper that never seemed to end, and some serious hassles getting out of Boston—which I guess are inevitable with the amount of travel going to Harvard can involve, but that hardly makes it fun to [...]
May 26, 2010
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Student Profile: Alexis Lien
I’d like to introduce you to my good friend, Alexis Lien. Alexis is a 3L who grew up in Oregon. When you meet Alexis, the first thing you notice is her smile and her warmth. I decided to interview her because I think she encapsulates the qualities of so many HLS students: friendly, energetic, bright, [...]
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Word Up!
Last month at the public interest auction a group of people in my section won a night of karaoke with our civil procedure professor, our legal writing professor, and our legal writing professor’s husband (who happens to be an actor on the Wire). Well last week it was time to pay the piper. The group [...]
April 30, 2010
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Decision Time! How Mike Decided…
Before telling you why I chose HLS, I’d like to share a brief story about a childhood mentor and role model, Harvey. Harvey graduated from Harvard Law School and went to work for a large, prestigious law firm. Craving new excitement, and armed with his HLS degree, he transitioned into business and joined CBS. He [...]
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Decision Time! How Elizabeth Decided…
Deciding where to go to law school was not easy for me. After four years of being over a thousand miles away from my family I was ready to go home. I applied to all the great law schools in Chicago hoping that I would get to go home after graduation. Obviously, it didn’t work [...]
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Decision Time! How Lea Decided…
I know this is the time of year when many people have tough decisions to make between first-rate law schools. I’ll admit up front that I’m not the best person to give advice on that topic, because I pretty much knew I wanted to be here all along. But for that same reason, I came [...]
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Clinical Week: Alonzo Emery
Guest blogger Alonzo Emery is currently a 3L at HLS. Eighteen hours after the last final exam of my 1L year, I started my summer internship in New York. My mentor at the office where I was working reminded me that mastery of the law requires first serving as an apprentice—be it at a big [...]
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Clinical Week: Erin Walczewski
I’ve gotta be honest—I don’t think I really knew what clinics were when I started at HLS. I mean, I had a vague idea, but the whole concept seemed really intense and maybe reserved for only the people who were super-into a topic area, not a wandering soul like me. I’ve now done not one [...]
April 16, 2010
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Clinical Week: The Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program
Guest blogger Josh Nevas is the Ropes & Gray Negotiation and Mediation Fellow at HNMCP. When I tell people that I work at the Harvard Negotiation & Mediation Clinical Program (HNMCP), the most common response is, “Wow, that sounds interesting! [Brief pause] So…what exactly do you folks do there?” The short answer is that HNMCP [...]
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Clinical Week: Elaine Lin
Guest blogger Elaine Lin is currently a 3L at HLS. Clinicals. And the random opportunities that come with that. My time at the law school generally. Where does one start? I came to law school with an eye for family law because I had been working with a woman and children’s homeless shelter in California. [...]
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Focus of the Week: Clinical Program
Want practical real-life experience as a lawyer before you graduate from law school? Are you interested in hammering out a deal? Do you want to see the inside of a courtroom? Would you like to interview clients? If your reply is yes, you need to check out the HLS Clinical Program. Over 70% of HLS [...]
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“Guys and Dolls, Bids and Calls” – The HLS Public Interest Auction
In order to raise money for the Summer Public Interest Funding (SPIF) program, the law school holds an annual public interest auction. Basically the structure behind the event is that members of the HLS community donate various items to be auctioned off, then people come and bid, and all the money goes to fund students [...]
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Publice Interest Week: HLS and the Equal Justice Works Top 10 List
Equal Justice Works recently provided a “Top 10” list of criteria for evaluating law schools for students interested in public interest careers. The original post is here, but we thought we would go through the checklist and provide some answers as well! The following is the “Top 10” list with our thoughts: 1. A dedicated [...]
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Public Interest Week: Mike Patrone
This past summer, I had the fantastic opportunity to spend ten weeks working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Florida. I had tremendous opportunities to gain hands-on experience and take on substantial responsibility even with only one year of law school experience. Further, fighting white collar crime in my hometown community, recently dubbed the nation’s [...]
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Public Interest Week: Neha Sheth
Guest blogger Neha Sheth is currently a 3L at HLS. You can have HLS support and fund four public interest international trips on four continents in three years. Hmm, maybe I should have done more than four….But seriously, the international opportunities—and the opportunities to do international work domestically—are incredible; my own travel experiences are just [...]
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Public Interest Week: Lea Downey
I’ve already mentioned some fantastic public interest opportunities at HLS here and here, so today I’m touching on more of a niche issue: the advantage Harvard gives to students seeking summer work in what some call “secondary markets.” For those of us who see the value of working in New York, DC, or the Hague, [...]
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Public Interest Week: Anit Jindal
Seeing how this week’s theme is public interest, I thought it made sense for me to talk about my public interest summer job search. I feel like a lot of people come into law school with strong leanings towards either public or private interest. I was not one of those people. I honestly am not [...]
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Public Interest Week: Toby Merrill
Guest blogger Toby Merrill is currently a 2L at HLS. One of the things that I knew when I was choosing a law school was that I wanted to do public interest work, both at law school and, more importantly, after law school. Two years later, one thing I still remember from my admitted students [...]
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Public Interest Week: Erin Walczewski
Last week I wrote about my summer working in the private sector, so this week it’s time to give my public service summer a turn. I was beckoned to the Windy City by the Chicago Mayor’s Fellowship during the summer between my 1L and 2L years, and it was among the most amazing things I’ve [...]
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Focus of the Week: Public Interest at HLS
Many of you are contemplating public interest careers and are concerned with the opportunities and support for public interest work. Harvard’s support for public interest – both financial and academic, as well as through its extensive network – is second to none. With several full-time advisors and over 20 years of experience, the HLS Office [...]
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Private Sector/OCS Week: Erin Walczewski
In honor of this week’s private sector theme, I wanted to shed some light on what happens when private law firms come here to HLS to recruit. Whether you hear people calling it OCI or EIP (On-Campus Interviewing or Early Interviewing Program), it’s the same thing — hundreds of firms and companies descend on Cambridge [...]