Past Events

Wednesday, January 11
5:00- 7:00 p.m. 
John Chipman Gray

  "I Came to Testify"

  Film Screening and Discussion

This documentary, part of the acclaimed PBS series "Women, War and Peace," tells the moving story of how a group of women who had been imprisoned and raped by Serb-led forces in a Bosnian town took the witness stand in an international court of law- and changed the rules of war forever. Please join us for a screening of the film, followed by a discussion with Pamela Hogan, director of the film and co-creator of the PBS series, and Alex Whiting, Assistant Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and Investigation Coordinator at the International Criminal Court.

Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to hrp@law.harvard.edu.

Sponsored by Harvard Law Documentary Studio and the Human Rights Program

Wednesday, January 11
6:30 p.m.
Milstein East A, Wasserstein Hall (2^nd Floor)

Informational Reception for Chayes International Public Service Fellowship

Please join us for an opportunity to learn about the Chayes International Public Service Fellowship and to hear about the experiences of past Chayes Fellows. Bring your questions!

This reception is open to 1Ls and others eligible for the Chayes Fellowship.  For more information, see:
http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/spotlight/ils/fellowships/chayes-fellowship-info-for-students.html. 

Drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Sponsored by International Legal Studies

Wednesday, January 25
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Hauser 105

"Ending Corporate Limited Liability?"

The HLS Brazilian Studies Association proudly invites you to a debate between

Professor Reinier Kraakman
Ezra Ripley Thayer Professor of Law, Harvard Law School

Professor Mark Roe
David Berg Professor of Law

Professor Bruno Salama
Law Professor, Fundacao Getulio Vargas Law School (Sao Paulo campus), Brazil

Professor Bruno Salama will talk about his ongoing research project tracing the movements of limited liability and veil-piercing in Brazil, and will debate with Professors Reinier Kraakman and Mark Roe, on a comparative perspective. 

Lunch will be served. 

For more information, please contact guribeiro@sjd.law.harvard.edu. 

Thursday, January 26
12:00- 1:00 p.m.
Wasserstein Caspersen Clinical Wing, Room 2036A      

  "The Past and Future of Atrocity Crimes"

  A talk by

David Scheffer
Professor of Law; Director, the Center for International Human Rights, Northwestern University School of Law

Please join us for a talk by David Scheffer, the first U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, and the author of All the Missing Souls, an insider's account of the international gamble to prosecute those responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. In his book,  Scheffer reveals the truth behind Washington's failures during the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, the anemic hunt for notorious war criminals, how American exceptionalism undercut his diplomacy, and the perilous quests for accountability in Kosovo and Cambodia.

Please RSVP to hrp@law.harvard.edu.    

Sponsored by the Human Rights Program

Monday, January 30
12:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 3016

Study Abroad Information Session

Study abroad can provide excellent opportunities for academic and personal growth. This session will offer information on semester abroad programs, including our new exchange agreement with Seoul National University School of Law in South Korea, and the University of Cambridge joint-degree program. Come find out how an international experience could work for you!

Lunch will be served.

Applications for fall 2012 semester abroad are due on Wednesday, February 15. Please see our webpage for more details.

Sponsored by International Legal Studies

Friday, February 3
Wasserstein Hall, Milstein West AB

Women's Law Association Conference

"Mind the Gap: Achieving Actual Parity" 

The conference will feature a keynote address by 

Kamala Harris
Attorney General, State of California

as well as four panels on

"Healthy Moms and Daughters: Maternal Health Worldwide"

"Law Making for Gender Equality"

"Women in Leadership"

"Litigating to Fight Discrimination"

For more information, please see http://hlsorgs.com/wla/conference/. 

Monday, February 6
12:00 p.m.
Morgan Courtroom, Austin Hall      

  "Between Property and Privilege: Did Copyright Exist in China Before the Copyright Law of 1910?"

  A talk by

Fei-Hsien Wang
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History, University of Chicago   

Sponsored by East Asian Legal Studies

Tuesday, February 7
12:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 3018

"The Dormant Environment Clause: Assessing the Impact of Multilateral Environmental Agreements on Foreign Investment Disputes"

Jorge Vinuales, LLM '06
Pictet Chair in International Environmental Law, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies; Director, Program on Institutions for Sustainable Development

Lunch will be served.

Sponsored by the Environmental Law Program and International Legal Studies

Tuesday, February 7
5:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 2012      

  "Translation as Terror: Tarek Mehanna's Lawyers Discuss Defending a National Security Case in Federal Court"

The trial of Tarek Mehanna in a Boston federal court this fall sparked intense interest nationwide. Charged with material support for terrorism in part for translating documents from Arabic to English, 29-year old Mehanna had a dream team of Boston defense lawyers, including JW Carney and Janice Bassil. In their first appearance since the verdict, the team will speak at HLS about the experience of handling a "terror" trial in federal court.

 Co-sponsored by the ACLU, Harvard Defenders, Justice for Palestine, Middle East Law Students Association, NLG, and the National Security Journal

Wednesday, February 8
12:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 2019, Milstein West B      

  "Sexual Violence Against Children by Clergy: Is the Vatican Accountable?"

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and the Center for Constitutional Rights have submitted a complaint to the International Criminal Court prosecutor, requesting an investigation of the Vatican for crimes against humanity. The complaint charges that Vatican officials tolerate, enable, and fail to stop the systematic concealing of sex crimes by clergy against children.

Please join us for a discussion of the background and international legal framework for this action with: Barbara Blaine, Founder & President, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests; Pam Spees, Senior International Human Rights Attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights; and Benjamin G. Davis, Associate Professor of Law, University of Toledo College of Law.

 Sponsored by the Human Rights Program

Thursday, February 9
7:00 p.m.
Caspersen Student Center, South Dining Room

"Women, Sex Work, and Trafficking"

Come hear from a diverse panel of professionals working on trafficking and sex work issues, from prosecuting traffickers and advocating for victims to empowering sex workers. Find out what work is being done and where work in these fields is headed. A small group dinner will be held after the panel where students will have the opportunity to chat with individual panelists. Co-sponsored by the Human Rights Program and HLS Advocates for Human Rights.

Co-sponsored by ACS, HLS Advocates for Human Rights, Human Rights Program, and Women's Law Association

Monday, February 13
12:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 5053

Study Abroad in Geneva!

Through the HLS partnership with the University of Geneva Faculty of Law and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, JD students can spend a semester taking courses in French or English in one of the world’s most international cities. Graduate Institute Professor Jorge Viñuales (LLM ’06) and HLS students who have spent a semester in Geneva will talk about the opportunities this program offers and answer questions.

Lunch will be served.

Sponsored by International Legal Studies

Saturday, February 11
5:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 4059

"Negotiating the UN Arms Trade Treaty: The Government Lawyer's Perspective"

In July, states will gather at the United Nations in an effort to negotiate a treaty to address the irresponsible and illicit global trade in conventional weapons. Government legal advisers will play a central role in that process. Catherine Holmes (Assistant Legal Adviser, UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office) and Netta Goussac (Senior Legal Officer, Office of International Law, Australian Attorney-General's Department) have been advising their national delegations to the Arms Trade Treaty Preparatory Committee and will take part in the upcoming negotiations. Come and hear their thoughts on the objectives of the Arms Trade Treaty, the negotiating process, the likely content of the treaty, and the key challenges that lie ahead. Ms. Holmes and Ms. Goussac will also offer their perspectives, and take questions, on their role and functions as international lawyers in government. 

All welcome.

Monday, February 13
4:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 2036

"How Finance Went Wrong and How to Fix It: Some Canadian Initiatives"

Randall Morck
Professor, University of Alberta

Sponsored by the Labor and Worklife Program

Tuesday, February 21
12:00 p.m.
Wasserstein B015

"A Year after David Kato: The State of Ugandan Gay Rights Today"

Please join us for a commemorative event in honor of the Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato, who was found murdered last January in his own home.  In a country where homosexuality is both illegalized and taboo, Kato left a legacy of bravely advocating for gay rights.

Fellow Ugandan and gay rights activist Val Kalende will speak at the event about Kato’s work and the current state of gay rights in Uganda today. She will be joined by Mindy Roseman, Academic Director of the Human Rights Program. Among other things, they will discuss Uganda’s proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill (otherwise known as the “Kill the Gays” Bill) and Western proposals to tie economic aid in Africa to gay rights.

From 1:30-2:30, Kalende will lead a discussion based on issues raised during the talk. Space for this event is limited. Those interested in attending the break-out event should contact jtager@jd13.law.harvard.edu to reserve their space.

Tuesday, February 28
12:00 p.m.
Griswold 110

"Responsibility to Protect: The Promise of Stopping Mass Atrocities in our Time?" 

Please join us for a conversation on the Responsibility to Protect with Jared Genser, who will discuss the doctrine, its development and its future in light of the recent events surrounding the Arab Spring. The discussion will include comments by Tarun Chhabra and Mohamed Helal.

Lunch will be provided.

Co-sponsored by HLS Advocates for Human Rights, Law and International Development Society, and the Human Rights Program

Thursday, March 1
12:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 1023

"Ending Double Standards: Human Rights in the World Today"

A talk given by

Salil Shetty
Secretary-General, Amnesty International

Lunch will be served.

Co-sponsored by HLS Advocates, the Human Rights Program, and International Legal Studies

Thursday, March 1
6:00-7:30 p.m.
Ames Courtroom

Justice for Palestine presents:

The Fourth Annual Faculty Debate: Can Israel be Both Jewish and Democratic?

Duncan Kennedy
Carter Professor of General Jurisprudence

Noah Feldman
Bemis Professor of Law

Ronald Dworkin has recently argued that Israel is a “flawed democracy” because only secular states can be democracies. He further argued that Israel’s Jewish character designates an unequal status for the Palestinian citizens of Israel. In this debate Professors Kennedy and Feldman examine these claims and other recent developments in Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian citizens of Israel in the context of regional processes of democratization. Professor Dworkin’s lecture is available here (discussion of Israel starts on min 28).     

Co-sponsored by Human Rights Program, International Legal Studies, UNBOUND, NLG, and MELSA

Friday, March 2
12:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 3018

"Under a Headscarf, a Turkish Lawyer Fighting to Wear it: The Struggle of Women’s Rights in Turkey"

Please join us for an event with Fatma Benli, a Turkish lawyer and women’s rights advocate, to discuss the state of women’s rights in Turkey and her personal journey as a headscarved lawyer in a country where women are banned from covering their hair in public places.

Ms. Benli will discuss her personal experiences and challenges, as well as her tireless work fighting violations of women’s rights, not only with respect to the high profile headscarf ban, but also the high incidence of domestic violence, honor killings and parts of the criminal code that discriminate against women.

Lunch will be provided.

Sponsored by Advocates for Human Rights

Thursday, March 8
12:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 3018

"Are We Equals?: International Women's Day Lunch Celebration"

Want a chance to grapple with recent current events involving women's reproductive rights in the U.S.? Lived or worked in another country and want to share your views about the role of women and feminism? Want to discuss whether women today are equal? Come chat about women's issues and feminism in this country and others with members of the HLS community.

All women and men welcome

Non-pizza lunch will be served.

Sponsored by the Women's Law Association

Friday, March 9
12:00 p.m.
Hauser 105

"Equality and Social Justice in the EU"

Alexander Somek
Charles E. Floete Chair in Law, University of Iowa College of Law

Professor Somek will speak about "Equality and Social Justice in the European Union" in light of the ongoing European sovereign debt crisis.

Sponsored by the Harvard European Law Association (HELA), Institute for Global Law & Policy at HLS (IGLP), and International Legal Studies

Tuesday, March 20
12:00 p.m.
Austin Hall, Morgan Courtroom

"Qadi Justice in Chinese Courts: The Bureaucratization of Islamic Procedural Justice in the PRC"

Matthew Erie
Ph.D. candidate, Anthropology Department, Cornell University

Sponsored by East Asian Legal Studies

Tuesday, March 20
12:00 p.m.
Hauser 104

PLP Speaker Series: Student Fellow Presentations

"The Role of Alternative Dispute Resolution Within the Indian Legal Community"

Shafiq Poonja, JD '13

"Globalization and Pro Bono Legal Services in Brazil and Other Latin American Countries"

Emily Inouye JD '11

Lunch will be served.

Sponsored by the Program on the Legal Profession

Tuesday, March 20
3:00 p.m.
Wasserstein Milstein East A

"Islamic Law, Women's Rights, and Popular Legal Consciousness in Malaysia"

Tamir Moustafa
Visiting Fellow, Islamic Legal Studies Program; Associate Professor, Simon Fraser University School for International Studies

Reception to follow.

Sponsored by the Islamic Legal Studies Program

Wednesday, March 21
12:00 p.m.
Wasserstein Milstein East A

"Public Interviews as an Element of Judicial Selection and Appointment: the South African and US Experiences Compared"

Morné Olivier
Associate Professor, University of the Witwatersrand

Lunch will be served.

Sponsored by International Legal Studies

Wednesday, March 21
12:00 p.m.
Hauser 104

"The Past, Present, and Future of Food Regulation: A European Perspective"

Prof. Alberto Alemanno, HEC Paris, will offer a European perspective on the past, present and future of the regulation of food products and food consumption. He will also explore the effectiveness and legitimacy of regulatory approaches aimed at integrating the findings of behavioral research into policy-making.

Italian lunch will be provided.

Sponsored by the Food Law Society and SALMS

Thursday, March 22
12:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 2004

"Negotiating International Trade and Investment Agreements"

Come learn about the work involved in negotiating international trade and investment agreements from Daniel Bahar, a lead negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Non-pizza lunch will be served.

Sponsored by the International Law Students Association

Thursday, March 22
12:30 p.m.
Austin North

"Mining and Sustainable Development in Colombia"

Speakers:

Lawrence Susskind
Ford Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning at MIT; Visiting Professor, Harvard Law School; Chief Knowledge Officer and Founder, Consensus Building Institute

Carlos Caballero Argáez
Director, Alberto Lleras Camargo School of Government, Universidad de los Andes; former Minister of Mining and Energy of Colombia

Pablo Rueda Saiz
Colombian expert on State-Society Relations and Oil and Extractive Industries, University of California at Berkeley

Moderator:

Maria Teresa Ronderos
Editorial Advisor, Semana (Colombia's principal news magazine); Visiting Scholar, DRCLAS

Sponsored by the Harvard Colombian Student Society, La Alianza, and the HLS Law and International Development Society

Thursday, March 22
1:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 3018

"Protecting Human Rights Through the Mechanism of UN Special Rapporteurs"

Surya Subedi
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Cambodia; Professor of International Law, University of Leeds

Lunch will be served.

Sponsored by the Human Rights Program and International Legal Studies

Friday, March 23 - Sunday, March 25 
Harvard Law School

Global Legal Education Forum

The aim of the Global Legal Education Forum is to develop a thicker understanding of the intellectual and professional trajectories of contemporary legal education reforms, their implications for global and national elite leadership, the potential distributive effects for law schools that lack the material, technological, or faculty resources to “go global,” and the uniqueness or similarity of these reforms relative to those being undertaken in other professional disciplines. Visit the event webpage for more information about the program and schedule.

This event is open to the general public.

Sponsored by East Asian Legal Studies; Fundação Getulio Vargas Rio; HLS Graduate Program; Institute for Global Law and Policy; King & Wood; Mattos Filho; and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy

Tuesday, March 27
12:00 p.m.
Lewis 301

Spend a Semester Abroad in South Africa!

Through the HLS partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand, JD students can spend a semester taking courses in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest and most cosmopolitan city. Wits Professor Morné Olivier and HLS students who have studied at Wits will talk about the opportunities this program offers and answer questions.

Sponsored by International Legal Studies

Wednesday, April 4
12:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 3008

Study Abroad Information Session

Study abroad can provide excellent opportunities for academic and personal growth. This session will offer information on semester abroad programs, including our new exchange agreement with Seoul National University School of Law in South Korea, and the University of Cambridge joint-degree program. Come find out how an international experience could work for you!

Lunch will be served.

Applications for spring 2012 semester abroad are due on Thursday, September 20, 2012. Please see our webpage for more details.

Sponsored by International Legal Studies

Thursday, April 5   
1:30- 5:00 p.m. 
Room S030, CGIS South
1730 Cambridge Street   
Cambridge, MA 

  "Examining the Preservation and Sustainability of Myanmar's Resources"

   In the wake of the most recent elections in Myanmar, please join the South Asia Initiative at Harvard University for a half-day event with country experts.  

The first panel, from 1:30- 2:45 p.m., will feature David Dapice, Associate Professor of Economics, Tufts University, in dialogue with David Steinberg, Distinguished Professor of Asian Studies, Georgetown University.  The second panel, from 3:00- 4:15 p.m., will feature Tyler Giannini, Clinical Professor at Harvard Law School and Clinical Director of the Human Rights Program, in discussion with Tom Vallely, Director of the Vietnam Program at Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.   

A reception will follow from 4:15- 5:00 p.m.

Friday, April 6
12:00-4:00 p.m.
Wasserstein Milstein East C  

"Fragmentation: Human Rights and International Investment Law"

   A Harvard Human Rights Journal Symposium  

The Harvard Human Rights Journal presents its annual symposium, with introductory remarks by Tyler Giannini, Clinical Director of the Human Rights Program, and a keynote speech by Professor Alain Pellet, former Chairperson of the International Law Commission of the United Nations. The event will feature two case study presentations: Pac Rim Cayman LLC v. Republic of El Salvador and the Chevron/Ecuador dispute.   

  For the full schedule, click here.

   Monday, April 9
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Hauser 103

 "Advising Presidents: Robert H. Jackson and the Problem of Dirty Hands"

a talk by

William R. Casto
author and Paul Whitfield Horn University Professor, Texas Tech University School of Law 

  An expert in constitutional law, William R. Casto is a prolific author whose publications have been cited extensively throughout the nation, including by the U.S. Supreme Court. He is currently working on a book dealing with the nature of the attorney advisory process in government.

In his talk at Harvard Law School, Casto will discuss whether a government attorney may properly render an advisory opinion that the attorney believes to be erroneous. Among other things, he concludes that on one occasion, Attorney General (later Supreme Court Justice) Robert Jackson properly did so. Time permitting, he will compare and contrast Jackson's opinion with the infamous Bush II Torture Memorandum.

Summer International Travel Pre-Departure Information Sessions

The session will be offered at two different times:

Tuesday, April 10
12:00-1:30 p.m.
Wasserstein Milstein East C

Friday, April 13
12:00-1:30 p.m.
Wasserstein 3019

HLS requires ALL students who are receiving credit or funding for summer international travel to:

• attend one of the information sessions noted above.  The sessions will provide information about health, safety, and other travel considerations, as well as facilitate interaction among students who are going to particular regions and those who have spent time there.  For more information or to determine which sessions will focus on particular regions, e-mail Alexis Boyce.
• register the trip in the Harvard Travel Registry.  This enables the University to locate travelers quickly and provide assistance in the event of an emergency (i.e. natural disaster, civil unrest, etc). Students should create a profile in the Travel Registry and then record their specific travel information and make sure the information stays up-to-date.
• review, sign, and return the appropriate Assumption of Risk and General Release
• obtain an International SOS membership card and review the program’s services

For more information on each of these steps, and traveling abroad in general, please be sure to visit the international travel webpage.

Please note that attending the sessions and registering travel is strongly recommended for HLS students who will be traveling abroad this summer but not receiving Harvard funding or credit.

Drinks and dessert will be provided at the pre-departure sessions; feel free to bring your lunch.

Tuesday, April 10
12:00- 1:00 p.m.
Wasserstein B015

"Causes and Consequences of the Stalemate in Syria" 

a discussion with two Middle East Experts

As the crisis in Syria continues to unfold, please join us for a discussion with two experts in Middle East affairs: Roger Owen, the A.J. Meyer Professor of Middle East History at Harvard University, and the author of the forthcoming book, The Rise and Fall of Arab Presidents for Life; and Elaine Hagopian, Professor Emerita of Sociology at Simmons College. They will discuss the causes and consequences of the uprising and the ongoing stalemate- both within Syria and internationally- over how to respond.  

     For more information on these events, please email hrp@law.harvard.edu or call 617-495-9362.

Wednesday, April 11
6:00-7:30 p.m.
Wasserstein 1023

Women's Law Association presents

“Legal and Institutional Relationships Between Hybrid Criminal Courts and Local Legal Systems - Drawing from Experiences of Kosovo and Cambodia”

UN-appointed international judge

Agnieszka Klonowiecka-Milart
Supreme Court, Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia

Judge Agnieszka Klonowiecka-Milart currently serves as an international judge on the Supreme Court Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia [ECCC], a hybrid tribunal for international crimes committed during the period of the Khmer Rouge, 1975-1979. Prior to her appointment to the ECCC she was UN-appointed international judge on the Supreme Court of Kosovo, adjudicating among others, charges of genocide and war crimes arising from the conflict 1998-1999. Judge Klonowiecka-Milart started her legal career as an assistant–professor at the Law Faculty of the university in Lublin, Poland. She entered judiciary in 1991 and since was several times seconded to the Ministry of Justice to work on harmonization of Polish laws with international standards. Since 1998 she is active on the international Rule of Law arena, including UN judicial and legal reform programs in Bosnia and Afghanistan.

Sponsored by Milbank, Human Rights Program, International Legal Studies, East Asian Legal Studies, OPIA, Harvard European Law Association, Harvard National Security and Law Association, Harvard Human Rights Journal, and Harvard National Security Journal

Thursday, April 12
5:00 p.m.
Wasserstein 1015

"The Future of European Integration in Light of the Fiscal Compact"

A significant change is occurring in the EU due to the recently agreed Fiscal Compact. 25 of the 27 Member States have agreed to this, but the UK and the Czech Republic remain outside it. So, while it will mean further economic and monetary integration for those states which agreed to it, what will it mean for the UK and the Czech Republic will there now be a two tiered EU?

Keynote speakers:

Prof. Miguel Maduro (EUI)
Prof. Damian Chalmers (LSE)

Moderated by:

Associate Prof. Vlad Perju (BC)

Drinks and non-pizza dinner will be served.

Sponsored by Harvard European Law Association, Institute for European Studies (CEU - San Pablo University), and International Legal Studies

Event archives:
Fall 2008
Spring 2009
Fall 2009
Spring 2010
Fall 2010
Spring 2011
Fall 2011