2.21.2008 — The Asia Business Conference Is Coming Soon

The Asia Business Conference at Harvard will be taking place soon, on March 8 (Saturday) and 9 (Sunday). This year, HALS is subsidizing tickets for dues-paying members, so you can attend the ABC for free if you've paid your dues.

The ABC is the largest Asia-focused business conference in North America. This year, the ABC will have fourteen panels of three to five people discussing business, law, and government in Asia. There will also be five keynote speakers and two plenary panels. Panels organized or participated in by Asia Law Society members include those focusing on Environment and Energy Projects; Initial Public Offerings in Asia; and Mergers and Acquisitions. We will also have as a speaker a Morrison & Foerster senior partner who is in charge of the firm's role as head international counsel for the Beijing Olympics.

For more information, including a list of panels and speakers, please visit www.asiabusinessconference.org, which is being updated frequently with new information.

9.4.07 — Welcome Back to HLS!

The HALS board extends a warm welcome to all returning 2L and 3L students!

HALS welcomes you to Harvard Law School!

HALS is an organization that promotes a tight community based on shared interests and experiences of Asia, whether you are linked to Asia by travel, professional goals, heritage, or just somehow interested! Here is what we do at a glance:

The Asia Business Conference: the Asia Business Conference is a joint event with the Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government discussing major trends in business, law, and policy issues in Asia. Last year's speakers included the Chairman of Sony USA and the co-founder of The Carlyle Group. The Conference attracts more than 500 attendees annually.

HALS Asia Delegation: every year a delegation of HALS members visit a part of Asia during spring break to explore its culture and study its legal and political trends. This year we are heading to Hong Kong, the hub of financial and legal activity in greater China and beyond. In previous years we have visited Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan, where we met with both of the candidates in the upcoming presidential election.

Professional Development: Frequently we invite lawyers who have extensive experience practicing in Asia to share their war stories with us, along with some helpful hints for anyone thinking about practicing in Asia. We also work closely with the East Asian Legal Studies center at Harvard, which holds regular events discussing all aspects of the Asia related legal developments.

Cultural and Social Events: whether you crave mooncakes or in the mood for a thoughtful Asian film, we have the fix for you. We go on dimsum runs to Chinatown, we have an awesome end of the year banquet, and this year we are adding a few events like cooking lessons and workshops on eating etiquette in Asia. A trip to New York to visit the Korean Heritage Festival is also in the works.

Public Interest Projects: this year we are instituting several public interest projects where you can put your legal training and language skills to use. Stay tuned throughout the year for opportunities to help communities both in Boston and abroad.

Language Tables: you can pick up a new language or practice your skills at our language tables. It's also a great way to meet friends who share the same language skills and same cultural interests.

Finally, HALS has an extensive network of alums and current members, and we are the best place to meet LLMs from abroad, who carries with them a vast wealth of knowledge and expertise from their home countries. It's a great resource for everything Asia-related at HLS.

So check us out when you get here. Better yet, email any one of us now and we'll be happy to chat with you about anything you'd like to know more about us. We look forward to meeting all of you.

Co-Presidents
Alan Park
Chieh-Ting Yeh

7.28.07 — What Is Hals?

Welcome to HLS!

HALS is an organization for members of the Harvard Law School Community with interests in Asia be they the academic to the professional to the social. We hold a variety of activities throughout the year including running the Asia Business Conference in conjunction with the Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government and sending a delegation to Asia every spring break. We also bring speakers to campus, run Asian language tables, participate in community service, and provide networking, professional development, and social activities for our members.

Explore our website and drop us a line at HALS@law.harvard.edu! Feel free to make suggestions or tell us how you would like to get involved.

-- The HALS Board