Fall Reunion 2026 Schedule of Events

Please note that space in each class is very limited. We kindly ask that you arrive on time, stay for the full duration of the course, and allow students to be seated before choosing your own seat. Thank you!

• 8:00 – 10:00 am: Corporations, Holger Spamann ’01, S.J.D. ’09
• 8:30 – 10:00 am: Legal Profession, Jamie Wacks ’98
• 8:30 – 9:50 am: Legislation and Regulation, Matthew Stephenson ’03
• 10:15 – 11:45 am: Patent Law, Louis Tompros ’03
• 10:30 am – 12:00 pm: Evidence, Daniel S. Medwed ’95

Located on the 4th floor of Langdell Hall, the Library’s Caspersen Room will have a special exhibit on display: “Rogues, Vagabonds, and sturdie Beggers”: Poor Laws of England and America, 1597-1948. The exhibit explores 350 years of welfare legislation in England and the United States. Beginning with the Elizabethan Poor Laws and ending with the New Deal in the U.S. and the National Assistance Act in the U.K., the exhibit is organized around four themes: the Tudor Poor Laws, the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, Poor Laws in the American Context, and Perspectives on Poor Laws.

Complimentary admission and reduced rates available at select museums with your reunion name badge (find rates on the general information page):

• Harvard Museum of Natural History (Reduced Rate)
• Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology (Reduced Rate)
• Harvard Art Museums (Complimentary, hours 10:00 am – 4:00 pm)
• Harvard Law School Self-Guided Tour

• Welcome:
  • Steven Oliveira, Associate Dean and Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, Harvard Law School

• HLSA Award Presentation:
  • John C.P. Goldberg, Morgan and Helen Chu Dean and Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
  • Arianne de Govia ’01, President, Harvard Law School Association; Partner, Freeman Wade LLP
  • Jee Young You ’05, Co-Chair, Awards Committee, Harvard Law School Association; Assistant General Counsel, Litigation, CrowdStrike, Inc.

• HLSA Award Recipients:
  • Lawrence S. Bacow ’76, President Emeritus, Harvard University
  • Morgan Chu ’76, Partner, Irell & Manella LLP

• Keynote:
  • America Unfinished: 250 Years of Law and Governance

• Moderator:
  • John C.P. Goldberg, Morgan and Helen Chu Dean and Professor of Law, Harvard Law School

• Speakers:
  • Guy-Uriel Charles, Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. Professor of Law and Faculty Director, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice, Harvard Law School
  • Alexandra Natapoff, Lee S. Kreindler Professor of Law, Harvard Law School

Freedom from the Inner Critic and Leadership of Self

In this training, Elizabeth Pyjov ’19 will discuss why freedom from the inner critic is especially valuable for lawyers and how they can use self-compassion as a tool in their everyday lives and careers. This interactive workshop takes a scientific, evolutionary approach to uncovering how the inner critic was created, what purpose it serves, and how lawyers can transform harsh judgments into wise discernments.

• Speaker:
  • Elizabeth Pyjov ’19, M.T.S. ’20, Founder and CEO, Self-Compassion for Lawyers

The Harvard Election Law Clinic and Building Local Power 

Launched in 2021, the Harvard Election Law Clinic trains the next generation of election lawyers through litigation and advocacy that bring novel academic ideas to the practice of election law. In this session, Clinic Director and Assistant Clinical Professor Ruth Greenwood and her students will share stories of their work to build power at the local government level for historically marginalized communities and to preserve voting rights despite a hostile federal judicial environment.

• Moderator:
  • Ruth Greenwood, Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Director, Election Law Clinic, Harvard Law School
• Panelists:
  • Olivia Ferdinand ’27, Advanced Student, Election Law Clinic, Harvard Law School
  • Sonia Kalia ’27, Advanced Student, Election Law Clinic, Harvard Law School
  • Rose Reilly ’27, Advanced Student, Election Law Clinic, Harvard Law School

A Conversation with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, LL.B. ’61

Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, LL.B. ’61, returns to Harvard Law School for a conversation with Richard M. Re, Fessenden Professor of Law. Inspired by themes from his memoir, Life, Law & Liberty, Justice Kennedy will reflect on a lifetime of public service, the values that shaped his career, and the role of law in preserving liberty. The discussion will consider constitutional governance, civic engagement, and the responsibilities of lawyers and citizens in a democratic society.

• Moderator:
  • Richard M. Re, Fessenden Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
• Speaker: 
  • Hon. Anthony M. Kennedy, LL.B. ’61 (Retired)
    Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States

Located on the 4th floor of the Langdell Library, the Root Room’s special pop-up exhibit will be available from 3:30 – 5:00 pm, featuring early manuscripts, a deposition given by Wyatt Earp, selections from our European and international legal collections, artifacts celebrating HLS history, and a display highlighting the library’s Digital Initiatives.

HLS Campus

Join all Reunion alumni for an opportunity to reconnect over a wide selection of food and beverages.

1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1981, 1986 & 1991

*1976 (50th Reunion)

*The Class of 1976 will celebrate their milestone 50th Reunion with a special toast. 

*Please note: At 3:00 pm, all registration materials will be transferred to the Four Seasons Hotel (200 Boylston Street, Boston) for the Reunion Class Dinners. Registration resumes at the Four Seasons Hotel from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. HLS staff will remain on campus until 5:00 pm for additional assistance, if needed.

Enjoy a traditional continental breakfast, including some savory hot breakfast options.

Complimentary admission and reduced rates available at select museums with your reunion name badge (find rates on the general information page):

• Harvard Museum of Natural History (Reduced Rate)
• Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology (Reduced Rate)
• Harvard Art Museums (Complimentary, opens at 10:00 am)
• Harvard Law School Self-Guided Tour

Science of Gratitude, Gratitude Practice, and Gratitude Across Cultures

Research suggests that gratitude leads to increased happiness, better health, a sense of connection, more energy, and more self-confidence, as well as less stress, anxiety, and depression. After this workshop, you’ll understand how gratitude impacts the body and why we need gratitude for better functioning brains. We will also try a meditation together.

• Speaker:
  • Elizabeth Pyjov ’19, M.T.S. ’20, Founder and CEO, Self-Compassion for Lawyers

Religious Liberty for All: Inside Harvard’s Religious Freedom Clinic 

The Religious Freedom Clinic represents people of all faiths who face obstacles to their ability to live their faith, building bridges across differences while remaining faithful to a vision of religious freedom for all. Faculty Director Josh McDaniel and clinic students will discuss the clinic’s casework—from First Amendment and statutory litigation to appellate advocacy and amicus briefs in cases of national and international importance—and what it means to train lawyers to serve the vulnerable and the overlooked in our pluralistic society.

• Speaker:
  • Josh McDaniel, Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Faculty Director, Religious Freedom Clinic, Harvard Law School

Artificial Intelligence, Copyright, and Creativity

Rapid advances in AI have raised questions about the nature and value of creative expression. Some of these questions are explicitly legal—e.g., does reproduction of a copyrighted work for purposes of AI training implicate the rights of the owner? Could that owner assert a copyright infringement claim against an AI developer? Could the developer assert a “fair use” or other defense? And on the output side, are works generated by AI proper subjects of copyright protection? Analyzing these questions under current law demands that we consider the purpose of human expression. Chris Bavitz will provide an overview of current policy debates and how the law, and culture more broadly, might or might not adapt.

• Speaker:
  • Christopher T. Bavitz, WilmerHale Clinical Professor of Law; Vice Dean for Experiential and Clinical Education; Managing Director, Cyberlaw Clinic; and Faculty Co-Director, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law School

• Introduction:
  • Morgan Chu ’76, Partner, Irell & Manella LLP
• Moderator:
  • Steven Oliveira, Associate Dean and Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, Harvard Law School
• Speaker:
  • John C.P. Goldberg, Morgan and Helen Chu Dean and Professor of Law, Harvard Law School

Stop by the Harvard Law Library in Langdell Hall to explore the updates, revisit familiar spaces, wander the stacks, and reminisce about your time spent studying at HLS.

Enjoy a sweet afternoon treat from a popular local dessert truck and coffee cart, Uncle Joey’s Cannoli and Perfect Pour. The trucks will be parked near Holmes Field.

All classes will gather outside at the Langdell Hall main stairs for class photos. On Holmes Field, signs will be displayed by Reunion year to help you connect and gather with your classmates prior to your scheduled photo time.

After each class session, we will offer LL.M. alumni the opportunity to gather for a separate group photo.

Please remember to bring your Class Photo Card (found in your Reunion Welcome Folder) with you to your class photo and arrive on time to your assigned location below.

Inclement Weather Location, Langdell Hall, 225 North

Planned and led by your Reunion Class Committee, Class Symposia are a unique experience for each class, providing an opportunity to engage in meaningful, thought-provoking dialogue or simply catch up on life, family, and career changes since you last came together. Please join us for an enriching custom experience with your classmates.

Classes of 1956, 1961, and 1966
Career Inflection Points

• Facilitators:
  • Charles Lubar ’66, Charles G. Lubar, Lubar Advisory; Former Senior Counsel, McDermott Will & Emery; Author, An Improbable Journey – Music, Money and the Law
  • Alan Morrison ’66, Adjunct Professor and Former Associate Dean for Public Interest Law, George Washington Law School
  • Steve Weiswasser ’66, Fit Expert, Road Runner Sports

Class of 1971
55 Years Later: Reflections and New Horizons

• Facilitators:
  • Jim Roosevelt ’71, Attorney, Verrill Dana, LLP and Democratic National Committee Member
  • Barbara Ann Shore ’71, Attorney, Baraba Ann Shore, PA

Class of 1976
50 Years of Perspective: Reflections from the Federal Bench

• Moderator:
  • Richard D. Friedman ’76, Alene and Allan F. Smith Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School

Class of 1981
Power Dynamics in The Federal Government: 45 Years Later

• Moderator:
  • Sam J. “Jim” Ervin, IV ’81, Of Counsel, Brooks Pierce, and Former Associate Justice, Supreme Court of North Carolina
• Panelists:
  • Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr. ’81, Partner, Arnold & Porter and Former Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • David Ogden ’81, Senior Counsel, Democracy Defenders Fund
  • Kathleen Sullivan ’81, Retired Partner, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

Class of 1986
An Extraordinary Life: Expectations, Turning Points, and What Comes Next

• Moderator:
  • Donald R. Carlson ’86, Founding Partner, Synesis Law LLC
• Panelists:
  • Amy Freilich ’86, Partner, Hepner & Myers LLP
  • Congressman Glenn Ivey (MD-04) ’86, United States House of Representatives
  • Paul Michalski ’86, Founder, Integrous LLC

Class of 1991
Our Next Chapter

• Moderator:
  • Ellen Bublick ’91, Foundation Professor of Law and Civil Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
• Panelists:
  • Norm Eisen ’91, Executive Chair, Democracy Defenders Fund
  • Don Gaffney ’91, Superior Court Judge, Orange County, California

Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston Street, Boston

Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston Street, Boston

• 6:00 – 7:00 pm: Cocktail Receptions*
• 7:00 – 10:00 pm: Class Dinners

Celebrate the bonds of time and friendship at your class-specific dinner*. Over an evening of nostalgic moments and joyful connections, indulge in delicious cocktails, dinner, and dessert among old and new friends.

*Evening receptions and dinners are reserved for alumni and their registered adult guests only.

A nondenominational memorial service to honor fellow Reunion-year alumni.

• 9:00 – 9:45 am*: Celebration of Life
• 9:45 – 11:30 am: Farewell Breakfast

*Please note that the Celebration of Life will contain a speaking program until 9:45 am. If you plan to attend the Farewell Breakfast only, please arrive at 9:45 am or later to ensure there is no disruption to the program.