Intermission, continued
In just five years…
Timeline of a school’s transformation
Harvard Law School has benefited from a major reform of the curriculum, the design and groundbreaking for a stunning new building complex, an impressive expansion of the faculty, major initiatives to support public service, the launch of important new research programs and centers, the creation of exchange programs with foreign universities, and student-friendly refurbishments of the Harkness Commons, Pound Hall and the Hemenway Gym. Oh, and did we mention the free coffee and the skating rink? Fasten your seat belts and take a look back …
2002-03
Clark, Kagan
Launched
June 14, 2003. A $400 million campaign, “Setting the Standard”—the most ambitious campaign in the history of legal education.
Kagan
Elena Kagan ’86 is named the 11th dean of HLS, succeeding Robert C. Clark ’72.
2003-04
New
A renovation of Pound Hall classrooms and meeting places, and a gathering-friendly courtyard outside Harkness Commons—plus free coffee.
New
A joint-degree program with the University of Cambridge law faculty in Cambridge, England.
New
For the first time since the 1970s, a skating rink on Jarvis Field.
Minow
New
A curriculum review committee, chaired by Martha Minow, to examine the entire academic program.
Wilkins
Launched
The center on Lawyers and the Professional Services Industry, the first of its kind in the nation to examine the industry of law practice, under the direction of Professor David Wilkins ’80.
2004-05
Goldsmith
Hired
Jack Goldsmith, expert on international law, previously of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel.
Manning
Hired
John Manning ’85, expert on administrative law, statutory interpretation and separation of powers law.
Harkness Commons
Renovated
Harkness Commons, hub for meetings, gatherings and social events—now with outdoor seating areas.
Selected
Robert A.M. Stern Architects, to develop a plan for the development of the northwest corner of the campus.
New
15-person 1L student-faculty reading groups to encourage intellectual exchange, engage in “fun seriousness,” says Kagan.
Redesigned
The first-year Legal Research and Writing Program—with double the number of instructors and more intensive training in writing skills.
Milestone
The graduation of the first J.D. class with a mandatory pro bono requirement—40 hours of law-related, uncompensated work.
2005-06
Freeman
Hired
Jody Freeman LL.M. ’91 S.J.D. ’95, expert on environmental and administrative law; new Environmental Law Program is established.
Levinson
Hired
Daryl Levinson, expert on constitutional law.
Lanni, Shugerman, Stephenson
Hired
Assistant Professors Adriaan Lanni, legal historian; Jed Shugerman, expert on legal history and the American judicial system; Matthew Stephenson ’03, scholar on administrative and environmental law.
Launched
The Supreme Court Advocacy Project—a moot court program for lawyers preparing for U.S. Supreme Court arguments.
Initiative
HLS takes in 25 Tulane and Loyola University law students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. HLS students assist in disaster relief efforts in New Orleans.
Ogletree
Launched
The Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, under the direction of Professor Charles Ogletree ’78.
Renovated
Hemenway Gym reopens as a state-of-the-art fitness center.
Bartholet
New
The Child Advocacy Program begins offering classroom and clinical courses under the direction of Professor Elizabeth Bartholet ’65.
Launched
The Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics, under the direction of Professor Einer Elhauge ’86.
Anker, Bordone, Cavallaro, Palfrey
Appointed
Clinical Professors Deborah Anker LL.M. ’84, director, Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program; Robert Bordone ’97, director, Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program; James Cavallaro, director, Human Rights Program; John Palfrey ’01, director, Berkman Center for Internet & Society.
Milestone
The faculty approves five new second- and third-year programs of study as part of the comprehensive revision of the curriculum: Law and Government; Law and Business; Law, Science and Technology; Law and the International Sphere; Law and Social Change.
2006-07
Mann
Hired
Bruce Mann, legal historian.
Neuman
Hired
Gerald Neuman ’80, expert on immigration and constitutional law.
Triantis
Hired
George Triantis, expert on corporate transactions, contracts, bankruptcy and finance.
Tushnet
Hired
Mark Tushnet, expert on constitutional law and U.S. legal history.
Vermeule
Hired
Adrian Vermeule ’93, expert on constitutional law, administrative law, legislation and national security law.
Brewster, Suk
Hired
Assistant Professors Rachel Brewster, international law scholar specializing in trade issues; Jeannie Suk ’02, scholar in criminal and family law.
Completed
The design of the Northwest Corner project.
Milestone
The HLS faculty unanimously adopts reforms of the first-year curriculum—the most comprehensive changes since HLS initiated the standard law school curriculum more than 100 years ago. International law and statutory and regulatory law are added, with new focus on complex problem solving.
Expanded
The Human Rights Program supports 30 summer interns for work around the globe and launches a Buenos Aires summer program combining a seminar with human rights work. (A program in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is added in 2007-08.)
International Human Rights Clinic enrollment triples in four years; 100 students are involved and an additional 60 to 70 1Ls volunteer on clinical projects through the student group HLS Advocates for Human Rights. The clinic sends 60 students to 23 countries.
Launched
New academic workshops and summer and post-graduate fellowships to support students and alumni interested in teaching law.
Milestone
The number of clinical placements held by students surges from 474 in 2002-03 to 873 in 2006-07.
Milestone
The Wasserstein family gives $25 million to HLS for an academic center in the Northwest Corner development.
Moving Day
Milestone
Three Victorian houses are moved down Massachusetts Avenue, to make room for the Northwest Corner development.
Notable
A survey of 3Ls on the HLS experience shows a dramatic increase in student satisfaction over a three-year period.
Grossman, Price, Sullivan, Whiting
Appointed
Clinical Professors David Grossman ’88, director, Harvard Legal Aid Bureau; Brian K. Price, director, WilmerHale Legal Services Center; Ronald Sullivan ’94, director, Criminal Justice Institute; Alex Whiting, to lead clinical offerings on domestic and international prosecution.
2007-08
Benkler
Hired
Yochai Benkler ’94, expert on information law and policy, communications law and intellectual property.
Feldman
Hired
Noah Feldman, expert on constitutional law and religion.
Rubenstein
Hired
William Rubenstein ’86, expert on civil procedure, class actions and antidiscrimination law.
Sitkoff
Hired
Robert H. Sitkoff, trusts and estates scholar.
Spier
Hired
Kathryn Spier, expert on law and economics.
Blum, Greiner
Hired
Assistant Professors Gabriella Blum LL.M. ’01 S.J.D. ’03, expert on conflict management, counterterrorism operations, negotiation and public international law; D. James Greiner, expert on civil procedure and quantitative methods.
Milestone
The new first-year curriculum is introduced to the class of 2010.
New
Clinical programs on negotiation and mediation, Supreme Court practice and war crimes prosecution.
Expanded
Partnerships with foreign schools now include faculty and student exchange agreements with eight institutions in seven countries. Number of students studying abroad rises from previous years.
Milestone
Construction of the Northwest Corner development begins—a 250,000-square-foot structure for classes, clinical education, student organizations and socializing. “It will transform both our campus and the student experience,” says Kagan.
Launched
The Cravath International Fellowship, to provide funding for students to pursue academic projects with an international, transnational or comparative law focus.
New
A financial aid program for J.D./Ph.D. students to enhance collaboration with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in preparing graduates to pursue academic jobs.
Expanded
Funding for clinical work or independent research abroad. Eighty-nine students receive money for January term study.
Notable
The number of students receiving Summer Public Interest Funding jumps from 275 (in 2002) to 373 (in 2007), and the average annual award rises from $4,167 to $5,195.
Notable
The number of graduates in the Low Income Protection Plan leaps from 216 (in 2002) to 343 (in 2007), with the average award rising from $6,731 to $7,361.
Notable
The percentage of J.D. students receiving grant assistance jumps from 36 percent (in 2002) to 43 percent (in 2007), and the average award goes from $13,213 to $17,074.
Alstott
Hired
Anne Alstott, expert on tax law and social welfare.
Klarman
Hired
Michael J. Klarman, expert on constitutional law, history and race.
Sunstein
Hired
Cass R. Sunstein ’78, expert on constitutional law and theory, administrative law and policy, and behavioral economics and law; he will head the new Program on Risk Regulation.
Public Interest Reunion
Milestone
The first-ever Public Interest Reunion at HLS draws more than 600 alumni.
Milestone
HLS announces that it will pay the third year of tuition for all students who commit to work in public service for five years after graduation.
Cohen, Roin, Sachs
Hired
Assistant Professors I. Glenn Cohen ’03 and Benjamin Roin ’05, who will both focus on bioethics and biotechnology, and Benjamin Sachs, who will focus on labor and workplace law.
Nanda
Appointed
Ashish Nanda, expert on law firms and other professional service organizations, as professor of practice.
Palfrey
Appointed
John Palfrey ’01, as vice dean, library and information resources, and a tenured member of the law school, faculty.
Jacobs, Malone
Appointed
Clinical Professors Wendy Jacobs ’81, director, Environmental Law and Policy Clinic; Phil Malone, director, Berkman Center for Internet & Society.
Zittrain
Hired
Cyberlaw and intellectual property expert Jonathan Zittrain ’95, one of the founders of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society.
2008-09
Goldberg
Hired
John C. P. Goldberg, expert on jurisprudence, legal history, tort law and tort theory.
Smith
Hired
Henry E. Smith, expert on property, intellectual property, natural resources, and taxation.
Gasser
Appointed
Urs Gasser LL.M. ’03, expert on information law and policy and the interaction between law and innovation, as executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society.
Lessig
Hired
Lawrence Lessig, expert on constitutional law, cyberlaw, and intellectual property, who will also serve as faculty director of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics at Harvard University.
Completed
The most successful law school fund-raising campaign in history, raising more than $476 million for the school and exceeding its ambitious goal by nearly 20 percent.
Next: Special Section: Environmental Law
