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Lawyering in moments of crisis

Recent events highlighting anti-Black state violence and police brutality around the nation spark the question: what can lawyers do in these moments of crisis?

The Importance of Legal Aid

"What the Poor Really Need is Legal Aid" by Susan Beck discusses the need for Big Law to support legal aid services.

Alumni Spotlight: Shifting Paths Within the Public Interest Field

Jill Tauber (HLS, 2005) never expected to be an environmental attorney. While she was committed to doing public interest work in her career, she started off focused on civil rights and had been working already on establishing a background around housing issues. It was her experience through Hurricane Katrina that deepened her curiosity about climate justice and led her down the path she is currently going down as an attorney with Earthjustice.

Alumni Spotlight: From Direct Service to Policy Work at the State Level

Jacquelyn Greene has spent her much of her career focused on youth and child advocacy, but in different public interest practice areas. Students may often wonder (and wrestle) with the decision of doing direct legal work vs. doing policy work. Jacquelyn's career has taken her through both arenas. Read about Jacquelyn's career path and how it's often important to focus on your passion to help you figure out your next steps.

Source of Support Form

If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you must submit the online LL.M. Visa Request and Source of Support Form (the “Source of Support Form”) with all required documentation as soon as possible after you accept your admission offer and in any event by no later than May 31, 2021.

Alumni Spotlight: Making the Jump from Big Law to the Public Sector

Lee Strock (HLS, 2009) made the transition from the private sector to the public sector in 2012 when he made the jump to become the Director for the Peter Cicchinio Youth Project at the Urban Justice Center. The jump wasn't easy, but with deliberate action at various stages of his career, and maintaining (and building) of his network, Lee was able to make the transition into a position he felt deeply committed to.

Tip from Students - Medical

While the Student Health Insurance Plan portion of your insurance will cover one routine eye exam for purposes of an eyeglass prescription, further exams and…

Tip from Students - Off-Campus Housing

These apartments are available to all staff and students of all the various Harvard schools, so one’s neighbors wouldn’t necessarily be law students.  The apartments…

Tip from Students - Housing

When choosing your accommodations, evaluate how important it is for you to live in a place that is 100% comfortable. If you do not care…

Tip from Students - First Steps

The standard of spoken English varies widely among LL.M.s. Most LL.M.s come from non-English speaking countries, so they will be very accepting of your English…

Alumni Spotlight: Developing a Career in International Law

Jason Gelbort (HLS, 2013) had an eye towards international work when entering HLS, but didn't quite know how he was going to use a law degree to move that focus forward. After a few years of exploring HLS and the opportunities available to him through clinics, student groups and summer internships, he began to see how he would harness his experiences at HLS and direct it towards the work he wanted to be doing abroad. Jason emphasizes that it's important to keep an open mind when exploring your legal education, and use all the resources available to you to foster that learning.

Alumni Spotlight: Advocating on Behalf of Gender Rights at all Levels

Lexie Kuznick is just 8 years removed from HLS, and she has already had a varied career path. From an Equal Justice Works Fellowship at the Urban Justice Center's Domestic Violence Project to a position on Capitol Hill, to her current role as a policy director with Colorado's Human Service Directors Association, she's been exposed to different work settings, both legal and non-legal, that have allowed her to pursue her passions and interests, while also providing new challenges at different turns. Kuznick's experience shed's light on how one's legal skills can apply broadly, not just to the legal field. It may all depend on how you pitch it.

Alumni Spotlight: A Career Path Through Immigration Work

Nisha Agarwal, ’06, is the Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), an office charged with promoting the well-being of immigrant communities – no small task in a city with an immigrant population larger than the total population of Chicago.