HLS News 2009

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  Tim Kaine to lead Democratic National Committee

  Virginia Governor Tim Kaine ’83 is the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Kaine will be responsible for preparing for the 2010 midterm elections, and raising money for the party. He plans to work at the party part-time until 2010, when his term as governor is up and he can take over the DNC full-time.

• 

  Tribe: Blagojevich and the Constitution

  The following op-ed by HLS Professor Laurence H. Tribe ’66, “Blagojevich and the Constitution,” was published in the Jan. 2, 2009, issue of Forbes.

• 

  Kagan nominated as US solicitor general; HLS alums named to top DOJ posts

  President-elect Barack Obama ’91 has nominated Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan ’86 to be the 44th solicitor general of the United States. The appointment was announced by the Obama Transition Team today.

• 

  Sunstein will oversee government regulation

  Harvard Law School Professor Cass Sunstein ’78 will be appointed as administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal reported today.

• 

  Dellinger: The Senate should seat Roland Burris

  The following op-ed, “City of Cold Shoulders,” by HLS Visiting Professor Walter Dellinger, appeared in the Jan. 6, 2009, edition of The New York Times.

• 

  Fried: History’s Verdict

  In the wake of the Abu Ghraib revelations, the White House counsel, Alberto Gonzales, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2005 that “we care very much about finding out what happened and holding people accountable.”

• 

  Julius Genachowski ’91 to head FCC

  Julius Genachowski ’91 will be nominated to head the Federal Communications Commission, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. If confirmed, he will take over the FCC’s work of regulating communications in the U.S.

• 

  Internet Safety Technical Task Force Releases Final Report on Enhancing Child Safety and Online Technologies

  The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University has released the final report of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force and an assessment of the risks faced by youth on social networks.

• 

  Feldman, Goldsmith in NYT: Questions of Justice

  On the New York Times Op-Ed page, “Questions of Justice,” HLS Professors Jack Goldsmith and Noah Feldman offer some questions that should be asked in the confirmation hearings of Eric Holder, President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for U.S. attorney general. The piece appears in the January 14, 2009, edition of the Times.

• 

  Howell Jackson named as prospective acting dean of Harvard Law School

  Howell Jackson has agreed to serve as the acting dean of Harvard Law School (HLS), subject to the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Dean Elena Kagan’s nomination to serve as U.S. Solicitor General, President Drew Faust announced today.

• 

  Meltzer appointed Principal Deputy Counsel to the President

  Daniel J. Meltzer ’75, the Story Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, will be appointed Principal Deputy Counsel to the President in the administration of President Barack Obama ’91.

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  In WSJ, Roe looks at Delaware's competitive position in the market to attract corporations

  The Wall Street Journal's "Deals" blog recently interviewed HLS Professor Mark Roe '75 about his most recent article on Delaware's role in shaping much of American corporate law -- and on how Delaware interacts with Washington in doing so.

• 

  Barron appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel

  Harvard Law School Professor David Barron ’94 has been appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice.  
  

• 

  Two more HLS alumni to join Obama administration

  Two more HLS alumni will join the Obama administration: Preeta Bansal ’89 will serve as general counsel and senior policy advisor at the Office of Management and Budget at the White house, and Jocelyn Frye ’88 will serve as deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy and director of policy and projects for the first lady.

• 

  Ogletree: Reflections from an Obama mentor

  When Barack Obama took the oath of office to become the next president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2009, millions of people around the nation and around the world were overwhelmed with joy and pride.

• 

  Jackson urges expansion of Federal Reserve's power in Senate testimony

  In testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Harvard Law School Professor Howell Jackson '82 called for the Federal Reserve Board to become the primary regulator of financial risk. Watch a webcast of the hearing.  

• 

  Sitkoff Addresses Delaware Trust Conference

  Robert Sitkoff, John L. Gray Professor of Law at HLS, recently delivered the keynote address at the 2008 Delaware Trust Conference sponsored by the Delaware Bankers Association.

• 

  HLS alumni fill ranks of White House Counsel’s office

  Harvard Law School alumni are filling the ranks of the Office of the White House Counsel. Six HLS alumni will be working in the office, which will be headed by Gregory Craig.

• 

  David Kris ’91 appointed to DOJ national security post

  David Kris ’91 has been appointed head of the Department of Justice’s two-year-old National Security division by President Barack Obama ’91.

• 

  Harvard Law School receives major gift in honor of Laurence Tribe

  Harvard Law School has received a $10 million gift—made anonymously—in honor of Professor Laurence H. Tribe ’66.

• 

  Tribe named outstanding scholar by fellows of the American Bar Foundation

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  Samantha Power '99 to join National Security Council

  Harvard Kennedy School Professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power ’99 will take a top foreign policy position in the Obama administration, serving as senior director for multilateral affairs at the National Security Council,
  The Associated Press reported today.

• 

  Jody Freeman named Counselor for Energy and Climate Change

  HLS Professor Jody Freeman LL.M. ’91 S.J.D. ’95 has been named Counselor for Energy and Climate Change in the White House. She will serve as senior advisor to Carol Browner, the White House energy and climate "czar."

• 

  Todd Stern '77 appointed climate change envoy

• 

  Zittrain at Davos: Cybercrime threat rising

  Harvard Law School Professor Jonathan Zittrain ’95, co-founder and faculty co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, participated in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January. He joined leading Internet experts in a panel discussion on “Is the Internet at Risk?”

• 

  Michael Froman ’91 joins White House in joint security, economic post

  Michael Froman ’91 has been named deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs, a position to be held jointly at the National Security Council and the National Economic Council.

• 

  Urs Gasser joins Berkman Center as new executive director

  Urs Gasser LL.M. ’03, an associate professor of law at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, has been named executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society. 

• 

  Bebchuk: Pay caps don't go far enough

  The following op-ed by HLS Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80, S.J.D. ’84, “Pay Cap Debate: They don’t go far enough … ,“ was published in the Feb. 6, 2009, edition of the Wall Street Journal.

• 

  Scott: From awful to merely bad: Reviewing the bank rescue options

  The following op-ed co-written by HLS Professor Hal Scott, R. Glenn Hubbard, and Luigi Zingales, “From awful to merely bad: Reviewing the bank rescue options,” was published in the Feb. 7, 2009, edition of the Wall Street Journal.

• 

  WEBCAST: Kagan confirmation hearing

  The nomination hearing for Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan ’86 to become the U.S. Solicitor General took place today. The Senate Judiciary Committee  also considered the nomination of Thomas Perrelli ’91 as Associate Attorney General during the same hearing. (Watch a CSPAN webcast.) A blog account of the hearing is here.

   

• 

  Anne-Marie Slaughter ’85 appointed director of policy planning at State Department

  Former HLS faculty member Anne-Marie Slaughter ’85 is the new director of policy planning at the U.S. State Department. She will provide Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton with strategic policy analysis aimed at advancing U.S. interests around the world.

• 

  Huey elected president of the Harvard Law Review

  Joanna Huey ’10 was elected the 123^rd president of the Harvard Law Review on February 7. She succeeds Robert Allen ’09.

• 

  SJD candidate pens op-ed on arresting heads of state

  The following op-ed, “You're under arrest, Mr. President, by HLS S.J.D. candidate Noah Weisbord appeared in the Feb. 12, 2009, edition of the International Herald Tribune.

• 

  Sullivan and Robinson appointed co-masters of Winthrop House at Harvard College

  Harvard Law School Professor Ronald S. Sullivan, Jr. ’94 and his wife, Law School Lecturer Stephanie Robinson ’94 have been chosen as the new house masters of Winthrop House at Harvard College.

• 

  Feldman in NYT: In Defense of Secrecy

  The following article, “In Defense of Secrecy,” by HLS Professor Noah Feldman appeared in the February 10, 2009 issue of The New York Times Magazine.

• 

  Bebchuk in WSJ: Congress gets punitive on executive pay

  The following op-ed, “Congress gets punitive on executive pay,” by HLS Professor Lucian BebchukLL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84 appeared in the February 16, 2009 issue of The Wall Street Journal. He recently published an article about Congress’s economic stimulus plan entitled, “How to make TARP II work.”

• 

  Coates in NYT: Bailout is Robbing the Banks

  The following op-ed, “The Bailout is Robbing the Banks,” co-written by HLS Professor John Coates and Harvard Business School Professor David S. Scharfstein appeared in the Feb. 18 issue of The New York Times.

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  Harvard Law School's First Cyberlaw Clinic Fellowship Established by Cooley

  Cooley Godward Kronish has established the first fellowship at Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society. The first Cooley Fellow will be announced this spring.

• 

  Mann elected to Massachusetts Historical Society and the American Antiquarian Society

  Professor Bruce H. Mann has been elected a fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society and a member of the American Antiquarian Society.
  

• 

  Zittrain on “Facebook rules”

  The following article, entitled, “Facebook rules,” including commentary from Professor Jonathan Zittrain ’95, was published in the February 18 edition of the New York Times.

• 

  HLS students win writing competition

  Papers written by three HLS students received top honors in this year’s H. Thomas Austern Memorial Writing Competition.

• 

  Cavallaro: We need a truth commission to uncover Bush-era wrongdoing

  The following op-ed, “We need a truth commission to uncover Bush-era wrongdoing,” by HLS Clinical Professor James Cavallaro appeared in the Feb. 20 issue of The Christian Science Monitor. Cavallaro is executive director of the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School.

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  HLS mock trial team wins first place at Black Law Students Association’s Northeast Regional Conference

  In February, the Black Law Students Association’s Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial team won first-place honors at the Black Law Students Association’s Northeast Regional Conference. The team will move on to the National Conference in Irvine, California, on March 18.

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  Cogan establishes fund for International Legal Studies at Harvard Law School

  A gift of $6 million from John F. Cogan, Jr. ’52 will be used in support of Harvard Law School’s International Legal Studies (ILS) program, Dean Elena Kagan ’86 announced today.

• 

  Panel marks launch of Houston commemorative stamp

  On Saturday, Feb. 21, the United States Postal Service released a new commemorative stamp in honor of lawyer and noted social justice reformer Charles Hamilton Houston ’22.

• 

  William Coleman ’46 honored in the U.S. Senate

  In commemoration of Black History Month, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) offered a tribute to William T. Coleman Jr. ’46, the former secretary of transportation and one of the lead strategists and co-authors of the legal brief for the appellants in Brown v. Board of Education, in the Senate on Monday, February 23.

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  HLS launches joint TRIALS program with NYU and Advantage Testing Foundation

  Harvard Law School has partnered with NYU School of Law and the Advantage Testing Foundation to launch the Training and Recruitment Initiative for Admission to Leading Law Schools (TRIALS), a five-week summer residential program aimed at helping underrepresented students of modest means get into the nation’s top law schools.

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  JAG offers an insider’s account of defending GITMO detainee

  Major David J. R. Frakt ’94, a U.S. Air Force JAG officer, discussed his ongoing representation of a detainee in the war on terror, in a February 23 panel discussion at HLS. The event was sponsored by the American Constitution Society, the National Security and Law Association and the Harvard Human Rights Journal. Copies of Frakt’s article, “Closing Argument at Guantánamo: The Torture of Mohammed Jawad,” which will soon appear in the Human Rights Journal, were distributed to the audience.

• 

  Minow in Boston Globe: Keeping stimulus spending in check

  The following op-ed, “Keeping stimulus spending in check,” by HLS Professor Martha Minow appeared in the March 1, 2009, edition of The Boston Globe.

• 

  Scott and Maxwell Jenkins ’11: The US Treasury is a public, not a private, investor

  HLS Professor Hal S. Scott and Maxwell Jenkins ’11 co-wrote the following op-ed, “The US Treasury is a public, not a private, investor,” that appeared in the March 2, 2009, edition of the Financial Times.

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  Berkman Center launches crowd-sourcing tool for mapping global site inaccessibility

  The Berkman Center for Internet & Society has launched Herdict Web, which allows users to report site inaccessibility around the world. The website aggregates reports in real time, so that users can see whether inaccessibility is a shared problem. Trends can be viewed over time, by site and by country.

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  Nancy-Ann DeParle ’83 and Jeremy Bash ’98 join Obama administration

  Two more HLS alumni have been named to high-level posts in the Obama Administration. Nancy-Ann DeParle ’83 has been appointed director of the White House Office for Health Reform, and Jeremy Bash ’98 will be CIA Director Leon Panetta’s chief of staff.

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  Palfrey and Gasser Win Library Journal Prize

  Born Digital, a book by HLS Professor John Palfrey ’01 and Urs Gasser L.L.M. ’03, executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, was named a Best Science and Technology Book of 2008 by the Library Journal, in March.

• 

  Benkler in The New Republic: On the effects of media diversification and competition

  HLS Professor Yochai Benkler ’94 wrote “Correspondence: A New Era of Corruption?,” in The New Republic online on March 4. The piece— on the effects of media diversification and competition on the traditional model of regional newspapers and democracy—was a response to an article by Paul Starr, “Goodbye to the Age of Newpapers (Hello to a New Era of Corruption.”

• 

  Greenwald receives HLS Lambda Leadership Award

  Robert Greenwald received the HLS Lambda Leadership Award on February 28 at the organization’s annual conference on legal advocacy issues for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Greenwald is a lecturer on law and is the director of the health law clinic and the LGBT family law clinic at the WilmerHale Legal Services Center.

• 

  Kayyem appointed to post in Department of Homeland Security

  Juliette Kayyem ’95 will be assistant secretary for intergovernmental programs in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today. In her new role, Kayyem will coordinate the department’s efforts with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.

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  Palfrey on Ars Technica: On the future of online obscenity and social networks

  On March 6, HLS Professor John Palfrey ’01, vice dean, library and information resources at HLS, and Adam Thierer, a senior fellow at The Progress & Freedom Foundation and director of its Center for Digital Media Freedom, participated in an online debate on Ars Technica on the Communications Decency Act and whether ISPs and social networking sites should be more liable for the things their users post. The debate, The Future of online obscenity and social networks, is included below.

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  Responsibility to Protect Takes Center Stage

  The Harvard Human Rights Journal brought leading scholars and practitioners to campus on February 20 for a symposium on the doctrine known as Responsibility to Protect (R2P).
  

• 

  Senate takes up Warren's proposed Financial Product Safety Commission

  Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren was on hand in Washington, D.C. this week as U.S. senators introduced legislation to create a new government agency, the Financial Product Safety Commission, to help consumers obtain financial products and services without predatory or deceptive financial practices.

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  Renovated interior at HLS receives highest rating for environmentally friendly design

  A recently renovated office suite at Harvard Law School has been awarded a platinum rating—the highest possible certification—under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system for commercial interiors.

• 

  HLS team reaches semifinals of environmental law moot court competition

  A team of Harvard Law School students advanced to the semifinals of the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition held in February at Pace Law School in Albany, NY. The team was comprised of Ed Roggenkamp ’09, Kim Smaczniak ’09, and Rachel Evans ’10.

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  International Law Journal hosts symposium on ‘The International Lawyer's Guide to Development’

  On Friday, March 6, the Harvard International Law Journal brought together business and nonprofit leaders and academics from a wide range of international legal practices for a conference on “The International Lawyer’s Guide to Development: Current Problems, Future Solutions.”

• 

  Berkman Center launches new website on media trends

  The Berkman Center for Internet & Society launched a new Web site called ‘Media Cloud’ in conjunction with Thomson Reuters in July. The goal of Media Cloud is to provide a new search tool that illustrates the nature of news and how information flows between blogs and more traditional news outlets like newspapers.

• 

  Strossen, Rosenfeld debate the regulation of pornography

  HLS Lecturer Diane Rosenfeld ’96 and New York Law School Professor Nadine Strossen ’75 debated the question “Should Pornography Be Regulated?” in a packed Ames Courtroom on March 10.
  

• 

  Obama names three more alumni to key posts

  President Obama has named three more Harvard Law School graduates to new posts. Tom Perez ’78 has been nominated to be assistant attorney general in charge of the civil rights division in the Department of Justice; Demetrios Marantis ’93 has been nominated to become deputy U.S. trade representative; and Emily Hewitt ’78 has been nominated to become the new chief judge on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

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  At HLS, a conference on the free market mindset

  On Saturday, March 7, Harvard Law School’s Program on Law and Mind Sciences held its third annual conference, “The Free Market Mindset: History, Psychology and Consequences.”

• 

  Fried discusses AIG’s contractual obligations to employees in the NYT

  The following is excerpted from a March 17, 2009, post entitled, “When Bonus Contracts Can be Broken,” which appeared on the New York Times Blog, “Room for Debate: A Running Commentary on the News.”

• 

  Berkman Center launches new website to help fight viruses, spyware

  StopBadware.org, a project sponsored by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, and Consumer Reports WebWatch announced today the full launch of BadwareBusters.org, a new online community for people looking for help preventing and countering viruses, spyware, and other “badware” on their computers and web sites.

• 

  Feldman in NYT: A Prison of Words

  Has the Obama administration changed the legal rules for detaining suspects in the war on terrorism, or is it continuing in the footsteps of the Bush administration? HLS Professor Noah Feldman explores the question in an op-ed, “A Prison of Words,” that appeared in the March 19 edition of The New York Times.

• 

  Scott Blake Harris ’76 will be general counsel at U.S. DOE

  Scott Blake Harris ’76, managing partner of Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis in Washington, D.C., has been nominated by President Barack Obama ’91 to be general counsel at the U.S. Department of Energy.

• 

  Bebchuk in WSJ: AIG still isn’t too big to fail

  The following op-ed, “AIG still isn’t too big to fail,” by HLS Professor Lucian A. Bebchuk, director of the corporate governance program at HLS, appeared in the March 20 issue of The Wall Street Journal. This op-ed is based on his forthcoming paper, “Is AIG Too Big To Fail?”

• 

  Glendon to receive Laetare Medal from Notre Dame

  LS Professor Mary Ann Glendon, former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be honored by the University of Notre Dame with its Laetare Medal.

• 

  Brian Aune ’10 and Jennifer Dein ’11 win student elections

  Brian T. Aune ’10 and Jennifer D. Dein ’11 won the top two spots in the HLS 2009-2010 student government elections held on March 18 and 19. Aune was elected president and Dein was elected vice-president.

• 

  Warren on Dateline: A look inside the financial fiasco

  On March 22, HLS Professor Elizabeth Warren appeared on NBC’s Dateline in a three-part investigative series “Inside the Financial Fiasco,” on how risky home loans helped cause a chain reaction that led to failures on Wall Street and the near collapse of the American economy.

• 

  Koh named State Department legal adviser; Stith will be acting dean of Yale Law

  Dean of Yale Law School Harold Hongju Koh ’80 has been named legal adviser of the U.S. Department of State, President Barack Obama ’91 has announced. Kate Stith ’77 has been appointed acting dean of Yale Law School.

• 

  Levey named undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence

  President Barack Obama ’91 has reappointed Stuart A. Levey ‘89 as undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence. 

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  HLS establishes the Morris L. Cohen Fellowship in American Legal Bibliography and History

  The Harvard Law School Library has announced the creation of the Morris L. Cohen Fellowship in American Legal Bibliography and History.

• 

  Torino gathering addresses challenges to U.S.-EU markets

  Leaders from the financial sectors of Europe and United States have gathered in Torino, Italy, this week to examine issues affecting their financial markets.

• 

  Kanovsky ’76 nominated as HUD general counsel

  President Barack Obama ’91 has nominated Helen R. Kanovsky ’76 as general counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• 

  Bebchuk in Washington Post: A fix for Geithner’s plan

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84, “A fix for Geithner’s plan,” appeared in the March 31, 2009, edition of the Washington Post.

• 

  Sitkoff delivers Trachtman Lecture to American College of Trust and Estate Counsel

  Robert Sitkoff, John L. Gray Professor of Law at HLS, gave this year’s Joseph Trachtman Memorial Lecture at the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel in Los Angeles in March.

• 

  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.

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  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.

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  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.

• 

  Roe analyzes the obstacles to a 30-day Chrysler bankruptcy in the WSJ

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Mark Roe, “A Chrysler bankruptcy won’t be quick,” appeared in the May 1, 2009, edition of the Wall Street Journal.
  

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Mark Roe, “A Chrysler bankruptcy won’t be quick,” appeared in the May 1, 2009, edition of the Wall Street Journal.
  

• 

  Wilkins named commencement speaker at University of Iowa College of Law

  David Wilkins, the Lester Kissel Professor of Law at HLS, has been selected to be the 2009 commencement speaker at the University of Iowa College of Law's graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 16.

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  Reno receives the American Judicature Society’s Justice Award

  On April 17, Janet Reno ’63, the first woman attorney general of the United States, received the 2009 Justice Award of the American Judicature Society, in Washington, D.C. The Justice Award is the society’s highest honor.

• 

  Ian Gershengorn ’93 named deputy assistant attorney general at USDOJ

  Ian H. Gershengorn ’93 has joined the Department of Justice’s Civil Division as deputy assistant attorney general. He will oversee the Federal Programs Branch.

• 

  Forecasting President Obama’s Impact

  On Saturday, April 25, 2009, Professor Charles Ogletree ’78 moderated a panel discussion entitled “Forecasting President Obama's Impact on America’s Political and Economic Agenda” as part of the weekend’s HLS Reunion program.

• 

  Scott in WSJ: Banks need fewer carrots and more sticks

  The following op-ed, “Banks need fewer carrots and more sticks,” was co-written by Harvard Law School Professor Hal Scott; R. Glen Hubbard, dean of Columbia Business School; and Luigi Zingales, professor at the Chicago Booth School of Business. It appeared in the May 6, 2009, edition of the Wall Street Journal.

• 

  Bebchuk in Financial Times: Keep banks out of the PPIP

  The following op-ed, “The PPIP: Keep banks out,” written by Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84, appeared in the May 5, 2009, edition of the Financial Times.

• 

  HLS grad prevails in the Supreme Court, in first oral argument of her career

  On April 22, Lindsay C. Harrison ’03, an associate in the Washington office of Jenner & Block, won her first case in the Supreme Court—and the first case she’d ever argued. For immigrants appealing deportation orders, it may also be a day to celebrate.

• 

  Panelists survey the breadth and depth of International Legal Studies

  On April 24, HLS hosted a panel discussion titled “The International Face of Harvard Law School.” The panel, moderated by Professor William Alford ’77, included John F. Cogan, Jr. ’52 and four current HLS students who described their experiences in the international law program at HLS.

• 

  How “the bailout is robbing the banks” (webcast)

  The bailout of financial institutions that was enacted by Congress in the Fall of 2008 didn't actually reach its intended recipients—the banks that control consumer lending—said Professor John C. Coates in a lecture at Harvard Law School in April.

• 

  Juan M. Garcia ’92 nominated to Navy post in Department of Defense

  Juan M. Garcia ’92 was nominated on April 29, 2009 to be the assistant secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, in the Department of Defense. He is currently an attorney with Hartline, Dacus, Barger, Dreyer & Kern in Corpus Christi, Texas.

• 

  Bartholet: Focus on the Child’s Human Rights

  In a May 10 New York Times editorial “Celebrity Adoptions and the Real World,” HLS Professor Elizabeth Bartholet ’65, the faculty director of the Child Advocacy Program at Harvard Law School, was one of six contributors who shared their opinions on international adoption and what the standard should be  for allowing international adoptions. 

• 

  HLS students win honors at international commercial arbitration moot competitions in Vienna and Hong Kong

  Thirteen students from Harvard Law School recently won honors at the 2009 Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competitions in Vienna and Hong Kong.

• 

  Sunstein confirmation hearing

  The U.S. Senate hearing on the nomination of Harvard Law School Professor Cass Sunstein to be administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, was held on Tuesday, May 12.

• 

  Wilma A. Lewis ’81 nominated to be assistant secretary for Land and Mineral Management

  In May, President Barack Obama ’91 nominated Wilma A. Lewis ’81 to be assistant secretary for Land and Mineral Management at the Department of the Interior.

• 

  Bordone appointed clinical professor of law

  Robert Bordone ’97, formerly the Thaddeus R. Beal Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, has been named a full clinical professor of law. An expert in negotiation and dispute resolution, Bordone is the founding director of the Harvard Law School Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program.

• 

  Roe in Forbes: Stress Testing the Government’s Chrysler Plan

  The following op-ed written by Professor Mark Roe ’75, “Stress testing the government’s Chyrsler plan,” appeared in the May 13, 2009, edition of Forbes.

• 

  Suk in Slate on copyright law in fashion industry

  HLS Assistant Law Professor Jeannie Suk ’02 co-wrote an op-ed “The Squint Test: How to Protect fashion designers like Jason Wu from Forever 21 knockoffs” with C. Scott Hemphill, an associate professor of law at Columbia. Their article appeared May 13 in Slate Magazine and on ABC News. Suk and Hemphill are coauthors of the article“The Law, Culture, and Economics of Fashion” which appeared in the Stanford Law Review, vol. 61, issue 5, March 2009.

• 

  Kaufman in WSJ on Supreme Court Justice Cardozo

  In a Wall Street Journal article titled “Has the Supreme Court Already Had a Hispanic Justice?,” HLS Professor Andy Kaufman ’54, author of “Cardozo,” a biography of Supreme Court Justice Cardozo, shared his research concerning Justice Cardozo’s ethnic heritage with WSJ Reporter Ashby Jones.

• 

  Bordoff named to key post on climate change

  On May 1, the White House appointed Brookings Institution economist Jason Bordoff ’04 as associate director for climate change at the Council on Environmental Quality. 

• 

  Six Alumni Recognized as "Dealmakers of the Year" by The American Lawyer

  Six Harvard Law School alumni were recognized by “The American Lawyer” as among the top 25 “Dealmakers of the Year” for 2008.  Honorees included three members of the HLS class of 1978, as well as three other alums.

• 

  Michael E. Leiter ’00 is director of the National Counterterrorism Center in Obama administration

  Michael E. Leiter ’00 is currently serving as director of the National Counterterrorism Center. He was confirmed by the Senate in June 2008, after serving as acting director in the Bush administration since 2007. In January, President Obama ’91 announced that Leiter would remain in his post as part of the new administration’s intelligence team.

• 

  In New York City Bar program, Wolfman discusses ethics in tax practice

  On April 24, Harvard Law School Professor Emeritus Bernard Wolfman, a leading tax law expert, spoke on “Ethical Problems in Tax Practice” at the Sixth Annual Institute on Tax Aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions. The event, held at the offices of the New York City Bar, was presented by the New York City Bar in conjunction with the Center for the Study of Mergers and Acquisitions of Pennsylvania State University’s Dickinson School of Law.

• 

  Winners of 56th Williston competition

  The winners of Harvard Law School’s 56th annual Williston Contracts Competition were announced on April 28. The competition, sponsored by the Board of Student Advisers and organized and run by Harvard Negotiators, offers first-year students the opportunity to practice negotiation and contract drafting.

• 

  Goldsmith in The New Republic: The Cheney Fallacy

  In his op-ed “The Cheney Fallacy,” HLS Professor Jack Goldsmith discusses why he believes Barack Obama is waging a more effective war on terror than George W. Bush. The op-ed was published in the May 18, 2009, issue of The New Republic. Goldsmith, a member of the Hoover Institution Task Force on National Security and Law, was an assistant attorney general in the Bush administration and is the author of “The Terror Presidency: Law and Judgment Inside the Bush Administration.”

• 

  Lantz receives law student ethics award

  Todd Lantz ’09 received the 2009 Law Student Ethics Award from the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Northeast Chapter in April.

• 

  Hanson in Philadelphia Inquirer: Judges are activists

  HLS Professor Jon Hanson and Adam Benforado ’05 wrote the following op-ed “Right or left, judges are activists” that appeared in the May 20 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Benforado is an assistant professor of law at Drexel University's Earle Mack School of Law and Hanson is director of The Project of Law and Mind Sciences at Harvard Law School.

• 

  Bebchuk in Forbes: Near-sighted stress tests

  The following op-ed, written by Harvard Law school Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84, entitled “Near-sighted stress tests,” was published in Forbes on May 21, 2009.

• 

  Two HLS siblings win “The Amazing Race”

  On May 10, sibling teammates Victor Jih ’96 and Tamara Jih ’06 claimed victory in the 14th-season finale of the CBS reality show “The Amazing Race.” Brother and sister took home the million dollar prize for being first over the finish line at Maui’s King Kamehameha Golf Club in Hawaii.

• 

  Roe in Financial Times examines why a gas tax makes the new auto fuel standards work

  In an op-ed, “Delayed petrol tax beats CAFE plan,” that appeared in the May 21, 2009, edition of The Financial Times, Harvard Law School Professor Mark Roe ’75 and Michael Levine of New York University School of Law discuss the need for a petrol tax in order to make the Obama Administration’s automotive goals work well.

• 

  Tim Massad ’84 appointed chief counsel of TARP

  Timothy Massad ’84 a partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore has been appointed by the Obama Administration to be chief counsel of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program.

• 

  HLS Human Rights Program issues new report on abuses in Burma

  A new report issued by the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School calls for the UN Security Council to act on human rights abuses in Burma. The report, “Crimes in Burma,” comes in the wake of renewed international attention due to the continued persecution of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi.

• 

  Elizabeth Warren named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2009

  Time Magazine has named Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren as one of 100 Most Influential People in 2009. Warren is listed in the Leaders & Revolutionaries category of the annual TIME publication naming the people who most affect our world.

• 

  Zittrain elected to Internet Society’s Board of Trustees

  On May 5, Harvard Law School Professor Jonathan Zittrain ’95 was elected to a three-year term on the Internet Society’s Board of Trustees. A non-profit organization, the Internet Society seeks to provide leadership on internet related standards, education, and policy around the world.

• 

  Goldsmith in Washington Post: The Detainee Shell Game

  In a May 31, 2009 Washington Post op-ed, HLS Professor Jack Goldsmith writes, “The revelation last weekend that the United States is increasingly using foreign intelligence services to capture, interrogate and detain terrorist suspects points up an uncomfortable truth about the war against Islamist terrorists. Demands to raise legal standards for terrorist suspects in one arena often lead to compensating tactics in another arena that leave suspects (and, sometimes, innocent civilians) worse off.”

• 

  Parker on protecting the flag: "I hope it will be much easier to amend the constitution"

  In the following interview in the June issue of The American Legion Magazine, HLS Professor Richard Parker ’70, a Constitutional law scholar, discusses his views on the Constitution and his support for a constitutional amendment that would return the right to protect the U.S. flag from physical desecration. Parker is chairman of the board of directors for the Citizens Flag Alliance and the author of “Here, the People Rule: A Constitutional Populist Manifesto.” The title of the American Legion interview is “The Power to Protect.”

• 

  Bebchuk in WSJ: Key Ways to Reform Corporate Elections

   The following article “Key Ways to Reform Corporate Elections” by HLS Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84 appeared in the May 27 edition of The Wall Street Journal. Bebchuk is the director of the Program on Corporate Governance at Harvard Law School, and the author of “The Case for Shareholder Access to the Ballot,” “The Myth of the Shareholder Franchise” and “The Case for Increasing Shareholder Power.”

• 

  Willard Tom ’79 is appointed to Federal Trade Commission post

  Willard Tom ’79 has been tapped to become general counsel of the Federal Trade Commission.  Tom, currently an antitrust partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Washington, D.C., is rejoining the commission, having served as deputy director of the Bureau of Competition and head of the policy office during the Clinton administration.

• 

  Elizabeth Warren Wins Sacks-Freund Award for Teaching

  During Class Day exercises on June 3, Professor Elizabeth Warren received the Class of 2009’s Sacks-Freund Teaching Award in honor of her teaching ability, openness to student concerns and contributions to student life at HLS.

• 

  Ellen Cosgrove Wins Richardson Award

  Dean of Students Ellen Cosgrove received the Suzanne L. Richardson Staff Recognition Award during Class Day exercises. She was selected by the class of 2009 for her demonstrated commitment to the student experience and her concern for students’ lives and work at HLS.

• 

  William A. Gunn ’86 sworn in as general counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs

  William A. Gunn ’86, a retired Air Force colonel, has been sworn in as general counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs.  He was recently confirmed by the Senate.  Prior to his confirmation, he had a private practice in northern Virginia representing military members and veterans.

• 

  Harvard Law School will provide tuition for up to twelve veterans next year under federal Yellow Ribbon Program

  In the 2009-10 academic year, Harvard Law School will provide up to 12 qualifying post-9/11 veterans full tuition under the federal government’s new Yellow Ribbon Program, Acting Dean Howell Jackson ’82 announced today.

• 

  United States Solicitor General Elena Kagan ’86 addresses HLS graduating Class of 2009

  In a Class Day address on June 3, U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan ’86 acknowledged that this year’s graduating class finds itself at an inflection point in society, facing great economic and political changes. But, she said, students should take advantage of these changing times because the greatest challenges often produce the biggest opportunities.

• 

  Class of 2009 Racks up Record 308,605 Hours of Pro Bono Service

  Demonstrating a strong commitment to public service, the class of 2009 put in a record total of 308,605 pro bono hours, more than any previous class.

• 

  Petraeus at HLS for military promotion ceremony

  On June 3, General David Petraeus, the current Commander of U.S. Central Command, was on hand for the re-commissioning ceremony of two military officers who were being promoted to the rank of Captain—one in the Army and the other in the Air Force. Kyle Scherer ’09 and Nicholas Siler took their oaths in the Caspersen Room of Langdell Library.

• 

  Cogan and Saris receive Harvard Medal

  Two Harvard Law School alumni received the 2009 Harvard Medal during the annual meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) in conjunction with Harvard Commencement on June 4. Jack Cogan, Jr. ’52 and Patti Saris ’76 were recognized for their extraordinary service to Harvard University.

• 

  Ronald Dworkin ’57 receives honorary doctorate from Harvard

  Legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin LL.B. ’57 received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Harvard University during the 358^th Commencement Exercises in Tercentenary Theater on June 4. 

• 

  Mark Roe on the role of the government in automaker bankruptcy

  In a recent podcast for the American Bankruptcy Institute, HLS Professor Mark Roe ’75 along with Professor David Skeel of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Professor Todd Zywicki of the George Mason University School of Law give their thoughts on the manner in which the federal government has inserted itself into the Chapter 11 process in recent automaker bankruptcies. The experts touch on such topics as whether the government has the power to pick the winners and losers among the stakeholders in bankruptcy cases, if the process engineered for Chrysler is a violation of the code’s absolute priority rule and what the future effects are on lenders who now must weigh new potential risks of their investments.

• 

  Kraakman in NYT: What does the government know about choosing corporate directors?

  HLS Professor Reinier Kraakman co-wrote the following op-ed, “The Directors Guild,” with Ronald J. Gilson, a professor of law and business at Stanford and Columbia. The piece— on the government’s role in selecting corporate directors as a result of its growing investments in private industry—appeared in the June 7, 2009, issue of the New York Times.

• 

  Jesse Fried will join HLS faculty

  Jesse Fried ’92, a leading expert in executive compensation, corporate governance, corporate bankruptcy, and venture capital, will join the Harvard Law School faculty in the fall. He is currently a professor of law at the University of California at Berkeley.

• 

  WEBCAST: Warren testifies before Joint Economic Committee

  HLS Professor Elizabeth Warren testified at the hearing entitled, “TARP Accountability and Oversight: Measuring the Strength of Financial Institutions” on Tuesday June 9, 2009. 

• 

  Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale ’91 and Quentin Palfrey ’02 appointed to Administration posts

  Two HLS alumni have been appointed to positions in the Department of Commerce’s Office of General Counsel.  Nicole Lamb-Hale ’91 joins the Commerce Department as deputy general counsel and Quentin Palfrey ’02 as associate general counsel.

• 

  WEBCAST: Bebchuk testifies before House Financial Services committee

  Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84 testified before the House Financial Services Committee in a hearing titled “Compensation Structure and Systematic Risk,” on Thursday, June 11, 2009.  Watch a webcast of the hearing. 

• 

  David Kennedy ’80 to return to Harvard Law School

  David Kennedy ’80, a renowned expert in international law, returned to Harvard Law School as a full-time professor in the fall of 2009. Kennedy was on the HLS full-time faculty for more than three decades until he became vice president for International Affairs at Brown University in 2008.

• 

  Feldman in NYT: When arrogance takes the bench

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Noah Feldman, “When arrogance takes the bench,” was published in the June 11, 2009 edition of the New York Times.

• 

  PIFS symposium brings U.S. and Chinese financial leaders to Cambridge

  This weekend, leaders from the United States and China will gather in Cambridge to examine challenges facing the financial sectors of the two countries. The annual “Symposium on Building the Financial System of the 21st Century: An Agenda for China and the United States” is organized by Harvard Law School’s Program on International Financial Systems (PIFS) and the China Development Research Foundation (CDRF).

• 

  Harvard Law School’s Child Advocacy Program (CAP) and the Center for Adoption Policy win key backers for International Adoption Policy Statement

  Support for International Adoption principles is growing, says HLS Professor Elizabeth Bartholet, citing endorsements for Policy Statement and the recent Malawi ruling in the Madonna case.

• 

  Roe assesses the Chrysler bankruptcy sale in Forbes

  The following op-ed, by Harvard Law School Professor Mark Roe ’75, “The Chrysler Bankruptcy Sale: An Assessment,” appeared in the June 15, 2009 edition of Forbes.

• 

  Scott and Committee on Capital Markets Regulation issue major report urging financial regulatory reform

  The Committee on Capital Markets Regulation, which is directed by Harvard Law School Professor Hal Scott, has released a comprehensive report detailing recommendations to reform the U.S. financial regulatory structure. The report is entitled, “The Global Financial Crisis: A Plan for Regulatory Reform.”

• 

  Burke-White ’02 appointed to position in Office of Foreign Policy Planning

  William Burke-White ’02, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, has accepted a two-year assignment in the Office of Foreign Policy Planning, an internal think tank at the State Department. He will focus on long-range policy issues concerning Russia and international law.
  

• 

  Bebchuk and Fried in WSJ: Equity Compensation for Long-Term Results

  The following op-ed, co-written by Harvard Law School Professors Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84 and Jesse Fried ’92, entitled “Equity Compensation for Long-Term Results,” was published in the June 16, 2009, edition of the Wall Street Journal.

• 

  Two HLS students assist with asbestos case heard before the Supreme Court

  Justin Raphael ’09 and Andrew Furlow ’09 both had gained litigation experience during their summer law firm work. But sitting in the U.S. Supreme Court on March 30, watching constitutional scholar Samuel Issacharoff present an oral argument they’d helped research and prepare, they gained an entirely new appreciation of the process.

• 

  Obama proposes creation of Financial Product Safety Commission

  In a speech today on changes to the financial regulatory system, President Barack Obama ’91 proposed the creation of a new government agency, the Financial Product Safety Commission, to help consumers obtain financial products and services without being subjected to predatory or deceptive financial practices. The proposed watchdog agency is the brainchild of Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren.

• 

  Andrew McLaughlin ’94 Leaves Google to Join Obama Administration

  Andrew McLaughlin ’94 has been named deputy chief technology officer for the Obama Administration. Most recently, McLaughlin served as head of global public policy for Google.

• 

  Ogletree testifies before senate on criminal justice reform bill

  Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree ’78 testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs in June on the proposed National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009, telling the subcommittee the bill would address “severe inequities in the criminal justice system.”

• 

  Fried in Boston Globe: Another predictable Supreme Court

  The following op-ed written by Harvard Law School Professor Charles Fried, “Another predictable Supreme Court,” appeared in the June 19, 2009, edition of the Boston Globe.

• 

  Goldstein in NYT on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor

  The following op-ed “Her Justice Is Blind” by HLS Lecturer Tom Goldstein, appeared in the June 15 issue of the New York Times. Goldstein, a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, is a founder of the Scotusblog Web site and a law lecturer at Stanford and HLS.

• 

  Bruce Mann elected to historical council

  In June, HLS Professor Bruce H. Mann, was elected to the Council of the Omohundro Institute for Early American History and Culture in Williamsburg, Va., for a three-year term. He is a legal historian who studies the relationship between law, economy and society in early America and also teaches Property and Trusts and Estates.

• 

  In Washington Post op-ed, Berkman Center directors discuss Twitter revolution in Iran

  The following op-ed “Reading Twitter in Tehran? Why the real revolution is on the streets -- and offline” was co-written by HLS Professor John Palfrey, vice dean of the library and information resources at HLS and co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society; Berkman Research Director Robert Faris; and Bruce Etling, director of the Internet & Democracy Project at Berkman. Their op-ed appeared in the June 21 issue of The Washington Post.

• 

  Weiler to receive honorary degree at York University’s 50th Anniversary

  Paul Weiler LL.M. ’65, the Henry J. Friendly Professor of Law, Emeritus, at HLS, was selected to receive an honorary degree from York University in Toronto, Canada, as part of its convocation ceremonies running from June 24 to 30.

• 

  Larry Strickling ’76 joins the Obama Administration

  In May, Larry Strickling ’76 was confirmed as assistant secretary for Communications and Information, Department of Commerce, by the Senate Commerce Committee. As head of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, he oversees billions of dollars in broadband rollout grants and the DTV-to-analog converter box coupon program. 

• 

  Guinier in NYT: No affirmative right to vote

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Lani Guinier, “No affirmative right to vote,” appeared on the New York Times blog, Room for Debate, on June 23, 2009. Guinier offered commentary on the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

• 

  Kennedy delivers speech at Phi Theta Kappa’s Honors Institute

  Randall Kennedy, the Michael R. Klein Professor of Law at HLS, addressed members of Phi Theta Kappa at the 2009 Honors Institute at the University of Richmond in Virginia in June.

• 

  Goldsmith in The Washington Post: Will Obama follow Bush or FDR?

  The following op-ed “Will Obama Follow Bush Or FDR?” by HLS Professor Jack Goldsmith and Benjamin Wittes, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, appeared in the June 29 issue of The Washington Post. Goldsmith served as an assistant attorney general in the Bush administration and is the author of “The Terror Presidency.” Wittes is the author of “Law and the Long War: The Future of Justice in the Age of Terror.” Both are members of the Hoover Institution's Task Force on National Security and Law.

• 

  Bebchuk discusses “The Rules of the Game” in new monthly newspaper column

  Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84 will be writing a monthly column for Project Syndicate, an international association of 425 newspapers in 150 countries, with a total circulation of about 56 million papers. Bebchuk’s series of monthly commentaries, titled “The Rules of the Game,” will focus on finance and corporate governance.

• 

  Henderson ’02 and Stofsky ’04 Win Echoing Green Fellowships

  In June, Bethany Rubin Henderson ’02 and Adam Stofsky ’04 were named Echoing Green Fellows for 2009.

• 

  Goldsmith in NYT: Defend America, one laptop at a time

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Jack Goldsmith, “Defend America, one laptop at a time,” appeared in the July 1, 2009, edition of the New York Times.

• 

  Law Lecturer Susan Cole on Supreme Court’s special education ruling

  Susan Cole, HLS Lecturer on Law and director of the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative Clinic at the WilmerHale Legal Services Center at HLS, was interviewed in the Washington Post on the Supreme Court’s recent special education ruling in Forest Grove School District v. T.A.  The Q&A, “The Special Education Ruling,” with Cole and the Post’s Stacey Garfinkle appeared in the July 6, 2009 edition of Washington Post.

• 

  Cohen and Roin named co-directors of Petrie-Flom Center at HLS

  Assistant Professors of Law I. Glenn Cohen ’03 and Benjamin Roin ’05 are the new co-directors of the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Harvard Law School. Professor Einer Elhauge ’86, who has served as faculty director since the Center’s founding in 2005, will remain associated with the research program as its Founding Director.

• 

  Roe in Financial Times: How to make a petrol tax politically viable

  In a follow up to their May 21, 2009, Financial Times’ op-ed, Harvard Law School Professor Mark Roe ’75 and New York University School of Law Professor Michael Levine discuss how to make a petrol tax politically viable. Their op-ed appeared in the July 7, 2009 edition of the Financial Times.

• 

  Mapping the Arabic Blogosphere: Berkman Center releases new study

  A major research project from Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society’s Internet and Democracy Project has lent enormous insight into the previously unexplored flow of online communication in the Middle East and North Africa. The study, “Mapping the Arabic Blogosphere: Politics, Culture and Dissent,” comes at a time of tremendous political unrest and electronic activism in the Middle East.

• 

  Coates proposes tax and regulatory reforms for mutual funds

  John C. Coates, the John F. Cogan, Jr. Professor of Law and Economics at HLS, issued a set of recommended reforms regarding the regulation of mutual funds, in June. The recommendations were made to the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation, an independent and nonpartisan organization whose research is aimed at improving financial regulations and practices.

• 

  Bebchuk in WSJ: The fall of the toxic assets plan

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law school Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’81 S.J.D. ’84, “The fall of the toxic assets plan,” appeared in the July 9, 2009, edition of the Wall Street Journal.

• 

  Guinier in NYT: Trial by firefighters

  The following op-ed, “Trial by Firefighters,” co-written by HLS Professor Lani Guinier and Columbia Law Professor Susan Sturm, was published in the July 11, 2009, edition of The New York Times. They are also the co-authors of “Who’s Qualified: A New Democracy Forum on the Future of Affirmative Action” (Beacon Press, 2001).

• 

  23 HLS faculty members sign letter supporting Sotomayor

  Twenty-three Harvard Law School professors sent a letter supporting the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 8.

• 

  On NPR, Guinier and Ogletree discuss Sotomayor hearings

  HLS Professors Lani Guinier and Charles Ogletree ’78 discussed what to expect from this week’s confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on a National Public Radio program that aired July 13.

• 

  Works by HLS faculty most downloaded on SSRN

  The academic work of the Harvard Law School faculty is downloaded from the online database of the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) more frequently than that of any other law school faculty, according to the popular law blog, Brian Leiter’s Law School Reports. Works by HLS faculty were downloaded 107,591 times during the period studied for the survey.

• 

  Ogletree: The strange jurisprudence of Justice Thomas

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree ’78, “The strange jurisprudence of Justice Thomas,” appeared in the July 2, 2009, edition of the Bay State Banner.

• Cohen fellowship in legal bibliography and history awarded

  The Harvard Law School Library announced that its inaugural Morris Cohen Fellowship in American Legal Bibliography and History will go to Sara Mayeux, who is pursuing a joint J.D. and Ph.D. in history from Stanford University.

• 

  Dershowitz, Fried, and Goldstein comment on Sotomayor confirmation hearing

  The following commentary is excerpted from the New York Times blog, Room for Debate:

• 

  Harvard’s Berkman Center to conduct independent review of broadband studies to assist FCC

  The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University will conduct an independent expert review of existing literature and studies about broadband deployment and usage throughout the world. This project will help inform the FCC’s efforts in developing the National Broadband Plan.

• 

  Ogletree in conversation with Breyer on public radio

  Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree ’78 recently conversed with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer ’64 at the 2009 Aspen Ideas Festival. The discussion, which aired on Minnesota Public Radio on July 15, covered Breyer’s work on the Court. 

• 

  Warren in Business Week: Consumers need a credit watchdog

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren, “Consumers need a credit watchdog,” appeared in the July 15, 2009 edition of Business Week magazine.

• 

  Roe in Forbes: What happens when the government enters the ring?

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Mark Roe ’75, “What happens when the government enters the ring?” appeared in the July 21, 2009, edition of Forbes.

• 

  Tribe comments on the Sotomayor hearings in the Washington Post

  The following commentary by Professor Laurence Tribe ’66 appeared in the Washington Post on July 13 and July 14, 2009.

• 

  Zittrain on cloud computing in NYT and Newsweek

  The following commentary by HLS Professor Jonathan Zittrain ’95 on Google’s new operating system, Chrome, appeared in The New York Times on July 19 and in Newsweek on July 9. Zittrain is the author of “The Future of the Internet — And How to Stop It.”

• 

  Berrien nominated to chair the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

  Jacqueline A. Berrien ’86 was nominated by President Obama to chair the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She is currently a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

• 

  Tribe and two other alumni help to choose White House Fellows

  HLS Professor Laurence Tribe ’66, an expert on constitutional law who has argued 35 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, served on the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, which selects participants for one of the country’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service.

• 

  Bebchuk in WSJ: Paying for performance at Goldman

  The following op-ed by Harvard law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’81 S.J.D. ’84, “Paying for performance at Goldman,” appeared in the July 24, 2009, edition of the Wall Street Journal.

• 

  Mnookin in Boston Globe on what it would take for Gates, Crowley to shake hands

  The following Q&A featuring Harvard Law School Professor Robert Mnookin ’68 was featured in the July 24, 2009, edition of the Boston Globe.

• 

  Qatar Conference Draws Heavily from HLS

  Harvard Law School was well represented in the inaugural Qatar Law Forum in late May—an unprecedented gathering of legal luminaries from some 35 nations, including 12 chief justices, the presidents of the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and prominent legal officials, legal educators and practitioners. (Watch video from the forum.)
  
  

• 

  Scott in WSJ: The Fed can lead on financial supervision

  The following op-ed “The Fed Can Lead on Financial Supervision” co-written by HLS Professor Hal Scott appeared in the July 24, 2009 edition of the Wall Street Journal. Scott, the director of HLS’s Program on International Financial Systems, co-wrote the op-ed with R. Glenn Hubbard, dean and professor of finance and economics at Columbia Business School, and John Thornton, chairman of the Brookings Institution.

• 

  Zittrain speaks about the social structures behind the Internet

  Harvard Law School Professor Jonathan Zittrain ’95 discussed the social structures that keep the internet “safe from chaos” at this year’s TED Global Conference (Technology, Entertainment, Design). The conference, which took place at Oxford, brought together intellectual leaders from around the world to discuss its theme, “The Substance of Things Not Seen.”

• 

  Treaty fostered by HLS Project on Disability to be signed by the U.S.

  On Friday July 24, President Barack Obama ’91 announced that the United States will sign the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, joining more than 100 other nations. The Harvard Law School Project on Disability played a prominent role in the negotiations leading up to the convention, which is the first global human rights treaty of the 21st century.

• 

  Jackson appointed to the U.S. Sentencing Commission

  President Barack Obama ’91 nominated Ketanji Jackson ’96 to fill a spot on the U.S. Sentencing Commission. If confirmed by the Senate, Jackson would be one of seven voting members of the commission, which oversees the sentencing guidelines used by federal judges and advises Congress on criminal law.

• 

  In Senate testimony, Scott advised on reform of insurance industry regulation

  On July 28, HLS Professor Hal Scott testified before the Senate Banking Committee at hearings held by committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., addressing how the insurance sector could be better regulated.

• 

  Guinier in Chronicle of Higher Education: Race and Reality in a Front-Porch Encounter

  The following op-ed “Race and Reality in a Front-Porch Encounter” by HLS Professor Lani Guinier appeared in the July 30, 2009 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education.

• 

  Coates testifies before Senate subcommittee on improving corporate governance

  On July 29, HLS Professor John C. Coates testified during a hearing of the Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.  In the hearing titled “Protecting Shareholders and Enhancing Public Confidence by Improving Corporate Governance,” Coates offered his recommendations for corporate governance reform.

• 

  Bebchuk on executive compensation: Let the Good Times Roll Again?

  Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84, director of HLS’s Program on Corporate Governance wrote “Let the Good Times Roll Again?” for his July column for Project Syndicate, an international association of 425 newspapers in 150 countries. His recent article draws on his testimony before the Financial Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, and his white papers “Equity Compensation for Long-Term Performance” and “Regulating Bankers’ Pay.”

• 

  Vermeule and Posner in The New Republic: Outcomes, outcomes

  The following book review co-authored by Harvard Law School Professor Adrian Vermeule ’93 and University of Chicago Law School Professor Eric Posner ’91, entitled “Outcomes, outcomes,” will appear in the forthcoming August 12, 2009, edition of The New Republic. In the article, Vermeule and Posner discuss the book, “The Constitution in 2020.”

• 

  Bebchuk in Financial Times: Regulate financial pay to reduce risk-taking

  The following op-ed by Harvard law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’81 S.J.D. ’84, “Regulate financial pay to reduce risk-taking,” appeared in the August 3, 2009, edition of the Financial Times. It builds on his June 11 testimony before the financial services committee of the US Congress and his white paper, co-authored with Holger Spamann, on Regulating Bankers’ Pay

• 

  Benjamin Ferencz ’43 receives prestigious Erasmus Prize

  Benjamin Ferencz ’43, known for his role as chief prosecutor in the Nuremburg Trials and for his work promoting an international rule of law and the creation of an International Criminal Court, has been awarded the prestigious Erasmus Prize. The prize is given to individuals who have made “especially important contributions to culture, society, or social science in Europe.”  

• 

  Roger Fisher and Frank E.A. Sander prizewinner announced

  The Program on Negotiation has announced that Sean McDonnell ’09 has won the Roger Fisher and Frank E.A. Sander Prize for his paper “Fighting With Faith: The Role of Religion in Dealing With Modern Conflict.”

• 

  Lani Guinier in Forbes: Merit By The Numbers

  The following op-ed by HLS Professor Lani Guinier and Columbia Law Professor Susan Sturm, “America’s Best Colleges: Merit by the Numbers” appeared in the August 5, 2009, edition of Forbes. Guinier and Sturm are the co-authors of “Who’s Qualified: A New Democracy Forum on the Future of Affirmative Action” (Beacon Press, 2001).

• 

  Berkman Center unites fellowship programs with Center for Research on Computation and Society at Harvard

  The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and the Center for Research in Computation and Society (CRCS), based at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), have joined their fellowship programs for the 2009-2010 academic year. This collaboration will intensify both Centers’ exchanges across the University and stimulate multidisciplinary research efforts in areas ranging from ethics to economics.

• 

  Minow and two HLS alumni nominated to Legal Services Corporation board

  President Barack Obama ’91 has nominated Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow, along with John Levi '72 LL.M. '73 and Gloria Valencia-Weber '86, to the board of the Legal Services Corporation, a bi-partisan, government-sponsored organization that provides civil legal assistance to low-income Americans. The nominations require approval by the Senate.

• 

  Houston Institute event to focus on individual vs. collective responsibility in the financial crisis

  On Wednesday, August 12 beginning at 11 a.m., Harvard Law School’s Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice will hold an open event on Martha’s Vineyard entitled, “Striking the Right Balance: Addressing Our Individual and Collective Responsibilities to Families and Communities.”

• 

  Sandile Ngcobo ’86 nominated to become chief justice of South Africa

  South African President Jacob Zuma has nominated Sandile Ngcobo LL.M. ’86 to become the country’s new chief justice, responsible for leading South Africa’s judiciary.

• 

  Barry White ’67 nominated to be Ambassador to Norway

  President Barack Obama ’91 nominated Barry White ’67 to be the U.S. Ambassador to Norway on August 7.

• 

  Ganesh Sitaraman ’08 in NYT: The land of 10,000 wars

  The following op-ed by Lecturer on Law Ganesh Sitaraman ’08, “The land of 10,000 wars,” appeared in the August 17, 2009, edition of the New York Times.

• 

  WEBCAST: At FCC workshop on broadband strategy, Benkler looks at what can be learned from other countries

  At an FCC broadband workshop entitled “International Lessons” held on August 18, Harvard Law School Professor and Faculty Co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society Yochai Benkler ’94 advised the FCC to look to other countries in formulating a national broadband strategy. (Watch a webcast of the workshop.)

• 

  Bebchuk leads charge urging SEC to give corporate shareholders more rights

  Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84 submitted a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission calling for the adoption of a rule that would facilitate shareholder director nominations. The letter was signed by a bi-partisan group of 80 professors of law, business, economics, and finance, representing 47 universities around the U.S.

• 

  HLS and HBS professors submit open letter to SEC

  A group of Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School professors submitted an open letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission last week offering changes to a new SEC policy proposal that would allow shareholders to nominate directors.

• 

  Dershowitz in Boston Globe: Major League Baseball needs tougher penalties for ‘beaning’

  HLS Professor Alan Dershowitz wrote “Baseball errs with lax penalty on pitchers who take aim at hitters,” an op-ed that appeared in the Aug. 19, 2009, edition of The Boston Globe.

• 

  Scott in Financial Times: The Fed’s independence is at risk

  The following op-ed by HLS Professor Hal Scott “The Fed’s independence is at risk” appeared in the Aug. 20, 2009, edition of The Financial Times. Scott co-wrote the op-ed with Glenn Hubbard, dean and professor of finance and economics at Columbia Business School, and John Thornton, chairman of the Brookings Institution. Hubbard and Thornton co-chair and Scott directs the Committee on Capital Market Regulation.

• 

  HLS students launch new Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law

  This fall, a group of Harvard Law School students – Ashwin Krishnan ’10, Josh Podoll ’11, and Ryan Gauthier ’10 – will officially launch a new journal called the Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law.

• 

  Bakhtiyar R.Tuzmukhamedov LL.M. ’94 named judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

  The Government of the Russian Federation has nominated Bakhtiyar Tuzmukhamedov LL.M. ’94 as a permanent judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

• 

  Bebchuk in WSJ: Bonus guarantees can fuel risky moves

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’81 S.J.D. ’84, “Bonus guarantees can fuel risky moves,” appeared in the August 27, 2009 edition of The Wall Street Journal. He is the director of the Program on Corporate Governance at HLS.

• 

  Faust presents Minow as new dean of HLS

  Harvard University President Drew Faust officially introduced Martha Minow to the Harvard Law School community as the new dean at a reception in Minow’s honor on September 2.

• 

  Bebchuk: Why financial pay shouldn’t be left to the market

  The following op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84, “Why financial pay shouldn’t be left to the market,”  is the most recent of his monthly columns in the international newspaper association entitled “Project Syndicate.”

• 

  Finn M.W. Caspersen ’66 (1941-2009)

  Finn M.W. Caspersen ’66, who chaired the Dean’s Advisory Board at Harvard Law School and led the school’s recent Setting the Standard fundraising campaign to a record-breaking end, died Monday in Rhode Island at the age of 67.

• Congressional Oversight Panel, led by Warren, held hearing with Geithner

  The Congressional Oversight Panel, led by Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren, held a hearing with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner yesterday. 

• 

  Sunstein confirmed as Washington regulator

  The U.S. Senate voted yesterday to confirm Harvard Law School Professor Cass Sunstein ’78 as administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget.

• 

  Deputy A.G for civil rights, on enforcing the promise of the ADA, and beyond

  Samuel Bagenstos ’93, deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights, U.S. Department of Justice, spoke last week at HLS on the Obama administration’s focus on enforcing disability rights at home and supporting them abroad.

• 

  Kagan offers insights on Solicitor General job, on panel with Fried, Manning, Minow

  Just two days after making her debut before the Supreme Court, Solicitor General and former Dean Elena Kagan ’86 returned to the Harvard Law School campus to give students an insider’s account of her new role.

• 

  Feldblum named commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

  President Barack H. Obama ’91 nominated Chai R. Feldblum ’85 to the position of commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday, Sept. 14.

• 

  LIVE WEBCAST: Justice Souter discusses U.S. Constitution with Feldman

  The U.S. Constitution, the cornerstone of the American federal system of government, will be under close scrutiny at Harvard on Thursday (Sept. 17) as a collection of scholars examines both its merits and shortcomings. A live webcast of the event will be available beginning at 1 p.m.

• 

  Daniel Thies ’10 publishes article in Journal of Legal Education

  Daniel Thies ’10 will have an article published in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of Legal Education.  Though students regularly publish "notes" in law reviews and journals, it is more unusual for them to have articles published.

• 

  A new issue from the U.S. Postal Service: HLS puts its stamp on the Supreme Court

  Today the U.S. Postal Service issued four new 44-cent stamps, commemorating Supreme Court Justices Joseph Story,Louis Brandeis 1877, Felix Frankfurter 1906, and William Brennan Jr. ’31.

• 

  HLS professors join amicus brief in Supreme Court Investment Advisor Case

  On Sept. 3, four HLS professors joined more than 20 other corporate law and finance professors and scholars in an amici curiae brief filed in the case of Jones et al. v. Harris Associates, now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

• 

  HLS alumna wins MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship

  The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced that Rebecca Onie ’03 is one of 24 recipients of the 2009 MacArthur Fellowship, more commonly known as the Macarthur “Genius Award.”

• 

  Paul Kirk ’64 appointed interim Senator for Massachusetts

  Paul Kirk ’64 will be the interim United States Senator for Massachusetts, filling the vacancy created when Edward M. Kennedy died earlier this month, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick ’82 announced today.

• 

  Scott: Regulatory reform needs rethink

  The following column by Harvard Law School Professor Hal Scott,“Regulatory reform needs rethink,” appeared in the Sept. 21, 2009, edition of Financial News Online. Scott is the Nomura Professor of International Financial Systems at Harvard Law School and the director of the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation and Harvard Law School’s Program on International Financial Systems.

• 

  Panelists discuss role of information and communication technologies in human development

  Two Nobel Prize-winning economists—Harvard Professor Amartya Sen and Michael Spence—joined development expert Clotilde Fonseca, and HLS Professor Yochai Benkler ’94, co-director of the HLS Berkman Center for Internet & Society, for a discussion of the role of information and communication technologies in human development, growth and poverty reduction.

• 

  Marisa Lago ’82 named assistant secretary of the Treasury for international markets and development

  President Barack H. Obama ’91 has nominated Marisa Lago ’82 as assistant secretary of the Treasury for international markets and development.

• 

  Michelle Kuo ’09 in NYT: The Lost Student

  The following op-ed by Michelle Kuo ’09 entitled “The Lost Student” appeared in the September 27, 2009, edition of the New York Times magazine.

• 

  LIVE WEBCAST: Palfrey testifies on cyberbullying before House subcommittee

  Harvard Law School Professor John Palfrey ’01 will testify before the House subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security today regarding two pieces of legislation designed to address cyberbullying and other online safety issues for children. A live webcast of the testimony will be available beginning at 3 p.m.

• 

  Bebchuk: Unblocking corporate governance reform

  The op-ed by Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84, entitled “Unblocking corporate governance reform,” appeared in Project Syndicate. This op-ed is the most recent installment of Bebchuk’s commentary, which he offers monthly in a series of columns entitled “The rules of the game.”

• 

  Harvard Law financial experts explore lessons of the global economic crisis

  

A group of Harvard Law School professors gathered on Sept. 29 for a panel discussion on the year-old global economic crisis and the prospects for recovery. 


• 

  Waldron to speak at HLS for Holmes Lectures

  Held every three years, the Holmes Lectures at Harvard Law School (HLS) are the institution’s most prestigious talks honoring a most prestigious legal scholar. The lecture series was established in 1954 as a result of the 1861 bequest of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., an HLS graduate and associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1902 to 1932.

• 

  Environmental Law and Policy Clinic files Supreme Court amicus brief in mining permit case

  The HLS Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, under the direction of Assistant Clinical Professor Wendy Jacobs and Clinical Instructor Shaun Goho ’01, has filed an amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition v. United States Army Corps of Engineers.  The brief was filed on behalf of Trout Unlimited, a non-profit membership organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s coldwater fisheries and watersheds.

• 

  Sitaraman in New Republic: Course Correction

  Camp Julien is surrounded by reminders of Afghanistan’s past. The coalition military base--which sits in the hills south of Kabul, just high enough to rise above the thick cloud of smog that perpetually blankets the city--is flanked by two European-style palaces built in the 1920s by the modernizing King Amanullah. Home to Soviet troops and mujahedin during the past decades of war, the now-crumbling palaces are littered with bullet holes and decorated with graffiti in multiple languages. Uphill from Julien is the old Russian officers’ club, dating from the Soviet invasion and featuring a recently refilled swimming pool that overlooks the southern half of the city. The pool is said to have been the site of executions in the 1990s; the condemned were apparently shot off the diving board.

• 

  Gordon-Reed in NYT: Histories Distorted

  The family stories of black Americans and the findings of population geneticists make clear that Michelle Obama’s family history is far from unique. The vast majority of black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved in North America have some degree of mixed ancestry.

• 

  Daniel I. Gordon ’86 named head of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy

  President Barack H. Obama ’91 nominated Dan I. Gordon ’86 to serve as Office of Federal Policy Procurement administrator. Gordon, who is currently acting general counsel for the Government Accountability Office, will be responsible for leading a key branch of the Office of Management and Budget.

• 

  Nanda in The American Lawyer: Lawyers should be recruited like doctors

  Ashish Nanda, Robert Braucher Professor of Practice at HLS, wrote “Lawyers should be recruited like doctors,” an op-ed that appeared in the October 13, 2009, issue of The American Lawyer. Nanda is the faculty director of executive education, and research director at the Program on the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School.

• 

  Bebchuk and Spamann in NYT: Reducing incentives for risk-taking

  This op-ed co-written by Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84 and Holger Spamann, “Reducing incentives for risk-taking,” appeared in the October 12, 2009, edition of the New York Times. Bebchuk is a professor of law, economics and finance and director of the Program on Corporate Governance at Harvard Law School, and Spamann is co-executive director and a fellow of the HLS corporate governance program. Their op-ed builds on their joint paper, “Regulating Bankers’ Pay.”

• 

  National Director of AIDS Policy Speaks on Health Care, Other Issues

  Far more is at risk in the health care reform debates than the well-being of the 47 million Americans who are currently uninsured, according to Jeff Crowley, the White House director of the Office of National AIDS Policy and senior adviser on Disability Policy, who spoke to an engaged crowd of about 60 students and others at HLS Wednesday night.

• 

  Bruce Wasserstein ‘70 (1947 – 2009)

  Bruce Wasserstein ’70, a transformative figure in the history of investment banking and corporate finance, and one of the most generous supporters in the history of Harvard Law School, died Wednesday. He was 61.

• 

  Elizabeth Warren receives award from Women’s Bar Association

  On Oct. 14, HLS Professor Elizabeth Warren, an expert on consumer and bankruptcy law, received the 2009 Lelia J. Robinson Award from the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts. The Robinson Award, named after the first woman admitted to the Massachusetts bar, recognizes women who are engaged in groundbreaking work in the legal profession, and who have served as mentors and role models for other female attorneys.

• 

  Roe and Klarman inducted into American Academy of Arts and Sciences

  On Saturday, October 10, 2009, Professors Mark Roe ’75 and Michael Klarman were inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This year the academy, an honorary society of scholars and an independent policy research center, selected 210 new members for “pre-eminent contributions to their disciplines and to society at large.”

• 

  HLS men’s crew dominates law school competition at the 45th Head of the Charles

  On Saturday, Oct. 17, the Harvard Law School men’s crew raced in the 45th Head of the Charles, securing its position as the dominant law school on the river. The Head of the Charles is the world’s largest two-day rowing event, involving more than 7,500 athletes and 300,000 spectators from around the world. The HLS crew deftly navigated the three-mile course in 17 minutes and 47 seconds.

• 

  Panelists assess the fall-out of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

  Experts on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and veterans who served under it drew a-standing-room-only crowd at Harvard Law School last week, during a panel discussion sponsored by the student organization Lambda and moderated by Dean Martha Minow.

• 

  Donahue receives honorary doctorate from the Université de Paris II: Panthéon-Assas

  Charles Donahue, the Paul A. Freund Professor of Law, was selected to receive an honorary doctorate from the Université de Paris II: Panthéon-Assas. A member of the Harvard Law School faculty since 1978, Donahue specializes in property law and legal history.

• 

  HLS Program on International Financial Systems jointly holds symposium with Japanese leaders to discuss global financial challenges

  This weekend, senior financial and government leaders from the United States and Japan will gather in Armonk, N.Y., to examine challenges facing the financial sectors of the two countries. The “Symposium on Building the Financial System of the 21st Century: An Agenda for Japan and the United States” is organized by Harvard Law School’s Program on International Financial Systems (PIFS) and the International House of Japan (I-House).

• 

  Harvard Law School announces new public service fellowship program

  Harvard Law School is announcing today the creation of the Holmes Public Service Fellowships, which will fund one year of public service work for approximately 12 graduating students during 2010-2011. The fellowships will pay up to $35,000 to support a year of post-graduate legal work at a non-profit or government agency anywhere in the world.

• 

  Robert Verchick ’89 appointed to Environmental Protection Agency post

  Robert Verchick ’89 has been appointed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation to serve as deputy associate administrator. He currently heads the Center for Environmental Law and Land Use at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.

• 

  Wilkins Receives Inaugural J. Clay Smith Award

  David Wilkins, the Lester Kissel Professor of Law and director of the Program on the Legal Profession at Harvard LawSchool, was selected to receive the first-ever J. Clay Smith Award from Howard University School of Law.  A member of the Harvard Law School faculty since 1986, Wilkins specializes in studying the structures, norms, and practices of the legal profession, as well as legal ethics.

• 

  Elizabeth Warren Named to GQ’s List of 50 Most Powerful People in D.C.

  GQ Magazine recently named HLS Professor Elizabeth Warren to its 2009 list of the “50 Most Powerful People in D.C.”  Placing her at number 30, GQ recognized her for her role as the Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

• 

  Coates in The Financial Times: A costly lesson in the rule of ‘loser pays’

   HLS Professor John Coates'  article “A costly lesson in the rule of ‘loser pays’ appeared in the Nov. 1, 2009, edition of The Financial Times. On September 3, Coates joined more than 20 other corporate law and finance professors in filing an amici curiae brief in the case of Jones et al. v. Harris Associates, now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

• 

  Bartholet to testify before Inter-American Commission on Human Rights regarding international adoption policies

  Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Bartholet ’65 will testify before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on November 6 regarding the “Human Rights of Unparented Children and International Adoption Policies” in the Americas. The hearing comes after a request made by the HLS Child Advocacy Program (CAP) and the Center for Adoption Policy.

• 

  HLS wins National Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition

  A team of Harvard Law students won first place at the 4th National Puerto Rico Trial Advocacy Competition in San Juan. The prestigious “invitation only” competition was sponsored by the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico School of Law and was held at the Old San Juan District Courthouse Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

• 

  HLS student Jeremy Haber selected as finalist in Washington Post pundit contest

  Jeremy Haber ’13, a joint J.D./M.B.A. student at Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School, has been named a finalist in the Washington Post’s “America’s Next Great Pundit” contest. Haber is one of ten finalists, selected from over 4,800 entries.

• 

  Lanni, Stephenson gain tenure, Gregory appointed assistant clinical professor of law

  Adriaan Lanni and Matthew Stephenson ’03 have been promoted to tenured professorships of law at Harvard Law School, and current Lecturer on Law Michael Gregory ’04 has been appointed as an assistant clinical professor of law.

• 

  Bebchuk: Should Bondholders be Bailed Out?

  A year after the United States government allowed the investment bank Lehman Brothers to fail but then bailed out AIG, and after governments around the world bailed out many other banks, key question remains: when and how should authorities rescue financial institutions?

• 

  Samuel J. Heyman ’63 [1939—2009]

  Samuel J. Heyman ’63, who established the Heyman Fellowship Program at Harvard Law School to encourage graduates to pursue careers in federal service, died on November 7 in New York City. Heyman, who was also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board, was 70.

• 

  Fried co-chairs ABA task force on lobbying regulations

  Harvard Law School Professor Charles Fried will serve as one of two Republican co-chairs of a new bi-partisan ABA Administrative Law Section task force examining possible improvements to lobbying regulation. The task force will look at deficiencies in current rules governing lobbying and suggest ways to strengthen the rules.

• 

  Ramanathan named executive director of HLS’s Program on the Legal Profession

  Erik D. Ramanathan ’96 was named executive director of the Harvard Law School Program on the Legal Profession and its Center on Lawyers and the Professional Services Industry. Professor David Wilkins, faculty director of the program since 1991, was recently appointed by Dean Martha Minow as the new vice dean for Global Initiatives on the Legal Profession.

• 

  International Human Rights Clinic suit against former Bolivian president and minister of defense moves forward

  The U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida has ruled that the claims for crimes against humanity and extrajudicial killings could move forward in two related U.S. cases against former Bolivian President Gonzalo Daniel Sánchez de Lozada Sánchez Bustamante (Sánchez de Lozada) and former Bolivian Defense Minister Jose Carlos Sánchez Berzaín (Sánchez Berzaín). The International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School is part of the legal team that filed the two complaints against Sánchez de Lozada and Sánchez Berzaín.

• 

  American Constitution Society hosts “The Constitution in 2020”

  On Nov. 4, the American Constitution Society of HLS sponsored “The Constitution in 2020,” a panel discussion featuring Professors Yochai Benkler ’94, Frank Michelman’60, Mark Tushnet, and Noah Feldman, all contributors to a recently published book of the same name. The book’s goal is to contest the conservative idea that constitutional law should not be influenced by contemporary understandings of law and the political landscape.

• 

  Shugerman receives Cromwell Prize for outstanding article in legal history

  Harvard Law School Assistant Professor Jed Shugerman has received the prestigious American Society for Legal History Cromwell Prize for his Ph.D. dissertation, “The People’s Courts: The Rise of Judicial Elections and Judicial Power in America.” The award was presented at the Society’s annual conference this past weekend.

• 

  Sitkoff Reappointed to Uniform Law Commission

  Harvard Law School Professor Robert Sitkoff has been reappointed to serve a new five-year term on the Uniform Law Commission by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Sitkoff is one of three commissioners representing the Commonwealth.  He has served as an interim commissioner since March of 2008.

• 

  Anker named 2009 Woman of Justice

  Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, the Massachusetts Association of Women Lawyers and the Women’s Bar Association have recognized Professor Deborah Anker, LL.M. ’84, one of the world’s leading scholars and practitioners of immigration law, as a 2009 Woman of Justice.

• 

  Kennedy co-chairs China task force

  HLS Professor David Kennedy ’80, Faculty Director of the new Institute for Global Law and Policy at Harvard Law School, co-chaired a major conference on financial regulation in China on October 29 and 30, at Peking University in Beijing. 

• 

  Minow honored by Massachusetts Advocates for Children

  Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow was honored at the 40^th Anniversary Celebration of the Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC) on November 13, along with Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children’s Defense Fund, and the late Senator Edward Kennedy.

• 

  Goldsmith in Washington Post: Holder’s Reasonable Decision

  Reasonable minds can disagree about Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to prosecute Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other alleged Sept. 11 perpetrators in a Manhattan federal court. But some prominent criticisms are exaggerated, and others place undue faith in military commissions as an alternative to civilian trials.Gold

• 

  Sitkoff in WSJ on Cadbury-Hershey

  Milton Hershey had no children so he said he would make the “orphan boys of the United States” his heirs.

  To that end, the chocolatier founded the Milton Hershey School, which today serves 1,700 underprivileged children and has an endowment of $6.2 billion. In 2005, Hershey had the nation’s fifth largest endowment, which was about half the size of Princeton’s and Stanford’s but larger than that of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• 

  Gotbaum nominated as director of Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.

  President Barack Obama ’91 has nominated Joshua Gotbaum ’78 to head the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. This government-sponsored corporation is responsible for financially backing up the pensions of more than 44 million Americans.

• 

  Scott: Foreign suits reward plaintiffs that discriminate against U.S. firms

  This year's outbreak of the H1N1 influenza has demonstrated that contagions know few boundaries and spread wherever they can find an available host. Likewise, because of their broad jurisdictional rules, U.S. courts can be easy targets for "forum shopping" by foreign plaintiffs seeking redress against American companies for torts they claim have taken place abroad.

• 

  Giving thanks to those who serve, Harvard Law students serve a Thanksgiving meal

  An estimated 400 Harvard Law School students, faculty and staff gathered in Pound Hall for a “Thanksgiving for the Troops” on November 18, raising money and collecting items for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• 

  Bebchuk and Fried: Taming the Stock Option Game

  This op-ed by Harvard Law School Professors Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D ’84. and Jesse Fried, entitled “Taming the Stock Option Game,” appeared in the November 2009 edition of Project Syndicate. This article builds on their study “Equity Compensation for Long-term Performance.” Bebchuk and Fried are co-authors of “Pay without Performance: The Unfulfilled Promise of Executive Compensation.”

• 

  Obama nominates two HLS alumni to key Defense posts

  President Obama has nominated Paul L. Oostburg Sanz ’99 to be general counsel of the Navy, and Solomon B. Watson IV ’71 as general counsel of the Army.

• 

  Warren in Huffington Post: America without a middle class

  HLS Professor Elizabeth Warren's op-ed entitled “America without a Middle Class,”  appeared in the Dec. 2, 2009 edition of The Huffington Post. Warren is chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

• 

  Bebchuk, Cohen, and Spamann in FT: Bankers had cashed in before the music stopped

  The op-ed, “Bankers had cashed in before the music stopped,” was co-written by Harvard Law School Professor Lucian Bebchuk LL.M. ’80 S.J.D. ’84, Visiting Professor Alma Cohen, and Lecturer on Law Holger Spamann S.J.D. ’09. It appeared in the December 7, 2009, edition of the Financial Times.

• 

  Zittrain in Newsweek: Work the new digital sweatshops

  Harvard Law School Professor Jonathan Zittrain's op-ed, “Work the new digital sweatshops,” appeared in the December 8, 2009, edition of Newsweek Magazine.

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  Warren on the foreclosure crisis on NPR’s On Point and in Newsweek (audio)

  HLS Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law Elizabeth Warren discussed the future of the foreclosure crisis in the United States and what should be done to improve the current situation on a National Public Radio program that aired December 9.

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  Hal Scott in WSJ: Do we really need a systemic regulator?

  Harvard Law School Professor Hal Scott's op-ed, “Do we really need a systemic regulator?” appeared in the December 11, 2009, edition of the Wall Street Journal.

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  Roe in Financial Times: End bankruptcy priority for derivatives, repos and swaps

  Professor Mark Roe's op-ed entitled “End bankruptcy priority for derivatives, repos and swaps,” appeared in the Dec. 16, 2009, edition of the Financial Times.

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  Ford Foundation Awards $200,000 Grant to Harvard Law School’s Health Law and Policy Clinic

  Harvard Law School’s Health Law and Policy Clinic at the WilmerHale Legal Services Center has been awarded a two-year grant of $200,000 from the Ford Foundation to support the clinic’s leading-edge work in health care law and policy reform.

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  Warren named Bostonian of the Year (video)

  HLS Professor Elizabeth Warren was named the “Bostonian of the Year” for 2009 by the Boston Globe. The annual award, which recognizes people who have made the greatest impact on the region, was awarded to Warren for her role as chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

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  Goldsmith in the Washington Post: No place to write detention policy

  Since U.S. forces started taking alleged terrorists to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the task of crafting American detention policy has migrated decisively from the executive branch to federal judges. These judges, not experts in terrorism or national security and not politically accountable to the electorate, inherited this responsibility because of the Supreme Court's intervention in detention policy. Over time they maintained it because legislative and executive officials of both political parties refused to craft a comprehensive legislative approach to this novel set of problems that cries out for decisive lawmaking.