Area of Interest Legal History

From the legal framework of ancient Athens and the legally rich traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, to the long development of the English common law and the genesis of the U.S. Constitution, to the ensuing and enduring struggle for civil rights, the ways that different peoples have ordered their societies over the course of human history continue to influence modern legal theory and practice. Harvard Law School students enjoy unparalleled opportunities to study the historical evolution of law as contextualized within a larger world of social movements and political, cultural, and economic change.