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April 2009

Palfrey: Searching for solutions to cyberbullying

The following article by HLS Professor John Palfrey was published March 31, 2009 on the First Amendment Center Online site. Palfrey’s article is part of an online symposiumtitled Cyberbullying & Public Schools.
Three new campus residences win Cambridge preservation award

The Cambridge Historical Commission’s Cambridge Preservation Recognition Program selected the restoration of 1637 Massachusetts Avenue, Baker Hall and 3 Mellen Street, now law school student residences, for a Preservation Award, in March.
Bartholet speaks out on international adoption

Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Bartholet ’65 has issued a public letter in support of international adoption as news that a court in Malawi denied a petition for adoption by the entertainer Madonna. Bartholet was joined in the statement by a group of experts in child welfare. The text of the letter is below.
At technical symposium, Zittrain discusses how to combat rising online security threats

At the Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center’s 20^th Anniversary Technical Symposium, Harvard Law School Professor Jonathan Zittrain ’95 discussed why the Internet’s once-celebrated openness has led to the now regularly occurring security threats, and sketched solutions to deal with these threats.
Law and the Arts Initiative Panel Advises, “Don’t Quit Your Day Job” (Webcast)

In an April 1 panel hosted by the Harvard Law School Law and Arts Initiative entitled “Don’t Quit Your Day Job,” several HLS alumni and practicing attorneys discussed how to balance a successful legal career while also working in the arts. Panelists included successful writers and television and film producers.
Suk named a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow

Jeannie Suk ’02, an assistant professor of law at HLS, was awarded a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship in support of her research on the legal construction of trauma. Fellows are appointed on the basis of “stellar achievement and exceptional promise for continued accomplishment.”
Warren in the Boston Globe: Keeping tabs on the bailout

The following interview with Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren appeared in the April 12, 2009, edition of the Boston Globe. Newsweek magazine also recently profiled Warren and her work in an article, “The Debt Crusader,” that will appear in the magazine’s April 20, 2009, issue.
Blanchard ’85 and Mabus ’75 tapped for Defense Department posts

President Barack Obama ’91 has nominated Charles Blanchard ’85 to be general counsel to the Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense, and Raymond Mabus '75 as the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, reporting to the Secretary of Defense
Public Interest Auction raises money for SPIF

Dinner with a Cambridge City Councilor. A batch of chocolate chip marshmallow cookies. A week-long stay in Jerusalem. A Nintendo Wii. These were just some of the more than 260 items up for auction during “Bright Lights, Bid City,” the 16th Annual Public Interest Auction, held in Austin Hall on April 2, 2009.
New Sustainability Coordinator for HLS

Through a new partnership with Harvard’s Office for Sustainability, Harvard Law School now has an on-campus sustainability coordinator.
Sachs in Slate: Card Check 2.0

The following article, “Card Check 2.0,” written by Harvard Law School Professor Benjamin Sachs, appeared on Slate.com on Thursday, April 16, 2009.
USCG admiral speaks on international cooperation

Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner ’94 gave the closing remarks at the Harvard National Security and Law Association symposium on immigration and national security on April 3. His talk capped a day of panel discussions on immigration reform, border security and international cooperation and information sharing.
Kagan selected to be 2009 Class Day speaker

Former Dean of Harvard Law School and current U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan ’86 will be the 2009 Class Day speaker at HLS. Selected by this year’s Class Marshals, Kagan will address graduates on June 3 as part of Class Day.
Subramanian leads ‘Top 10’ in corporate law and securities scholarship

This year’s list of 10 Best Corporate and Securities Articles, as chosen by the legal journal “Corporate Practice Commentator,” includes a selection from HLS Professor Guhan Subramanian’98, who was honored for his recent article examining the role of go-shop clauses in private equity deals from 2005-2007.
Goldsmith in Washington Post: Rights case gone wrong

The following op-ed, “Rights case gone wrong,” co-written by Harvard Law School Professor Jack Goldsmith and Duke Law School Professor Curtis Bradley, was published in the April 19, 2009, edition of the Washington Post.
Warren and COP hold hearing; Geithner testifies

The Congressional Oversight Panel (COP), chaired by Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren, held a hearing this morning at 10 a.m. featuring the testimony of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
Bebchuk in WSJ: How to Avoid Overpaying for Toxic Assets

The following op-ed, “How to avoid overpaying for toxic assets,” written by Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk L.L.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84, appeared in the April 21, 2009, edition of the Wall Street Journal.
Palfrey in MIT Technology Review: Internet arms race

The following article, written by Professor John Palfrey ’01, entitled, “Internet arms race,” appeared in the May/June 2009 issue of the MIT Technology review.
HLS students run the 113th Boston Marathon

On Monday, April 20th, several Harvard Law School students ran in the 113th Boston Marathon, competing with more than 23,000 other athletes from around the world.
Clinical Forum showcases real-world opportunities, including counterterrorism work

At this year’s annual Harvard Law School Clinical Forum, Scott Glick, Deputy Chief of Counterterrorism in the National Security Division of the US Department of Justice, talked to students about a unique externship program in which they can work with the department’s counterterrorism prosecutors on cases of critical national importance.
Taguba calls for investigation of Bush Administration at HLS event

In an April 14 speech at Harvard Law School, Major General Antonio M. Taguba called for an independent commission to investigate the Bush Administration for war crimes. Taguba is the author of the controversial 2004 “Taguba Report” exposing the detainee abuse occurring at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
HLS students work on historic corporate lawsuit involving human rights abuses during apartheid

The International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School’s Human Rights Program has been working since 2005 on corporate Alien Tort Statute (ATS) litigation involving human rights abuses committed in apartheid South Africa.
Roe and Klarman, along with HLS alumni, elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Harvard Law School Professors Mark Roe ’75 and Michael Klarman are amongst the new class of members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences this week.
Stephen Preston ’83 nominated to be CIA general counsel

Stephen Preston ’83 has been nominated to be the Central Intelligence Agency’s next general counsel. He is currently a partner and co-chair of the Defense, National Security, and Government Contracts Practice Group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr in Washington, DC.
Annette Gordon-Reed ’84 wins Pulitzer Prize in history

Annette Gordon-Reed won a Pulitzer Prize in history for her book, “The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family,” which examines four generations of a slave family owned by Thomas Jefferson. The prize includes a $10,000 award.
Five Alumni Named to National Law Journal’s Inaugural “Most Influential General Counsel” List

Five Harvard Law School alumni are among the National Law Journal’s inaugural list of the 20 Most Influential General Counsel.
Venezuelan Supreme Court Justice discusses human rights in wide ranging talk at HLS

On April 15, Venezuelan Supreme Court Justice Vegas Torrealba discussed his country’s justice system during a talk entitled, “Role of Human Rights, Gender Equality, and Race in Venezuelan Law.” The event was sponsored by the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice.
Two HLS students receive Soros fellowships

Two Harvard Law School students, Tarun Chhabra ’11 and Previn Warren ’11, were among just 31 individuals selected to receive Paul and Daisy Soros New American Fellowships this year. Each will receive a half-tuition grant for two years of study at Harvard Law School and an additional $20,000 stipend for related expenses.
Tribe discusses new book with panel of well-known constitutional law experts

Harvard Law School Professor Laurence Tribe’s ’66 new book, “The Invisible Constitution” (Oxford University Press, 2008), was the subject of a star-studded panel discussion sponsored by the Harvard Law Review on April 15 at HLS.