Harvard Law School offers WordPress websites on a managed hosting platform and provides Harvard domains for approved school-wide initiatives, research programs, clinics, student organizations, student journals, faculty, projects, and conferences. HLS does not currently offer websites for individual students, staff, visiting faculty, researchers, or lecturers.
General Overview
- The hls.harvard.edu domain is exclusively reserved for the flagship Harvard Law website. Domains including “hls.harvard.edu” such as name.hls.harvard.edu are not offered.
- All HLS websites, irrespective of where they are hosted or their domain, must comply with WCAG AA accessibility guidelines. Harvard’s Digital Accessibility Services (DAS) can assist with questions or best practices.
- HLS does not currently offer or support websites on content management systems outside WordPress.
Faculty
Domains
- Faculty sites have the domain convention faculty.law.harvard.edu/name and the administrator will customize the “name” portion, typically the faculty member’s name (examples: faculty.law.harvard.edu/joseph-singer and faculty.law.harvard.edu/steven-shavell).
Technology/Platform
- Sites must be built within the HLS-provided WordPress multi-site and hosted on the HLS web hosting platform. A faculty.law.harvard.edu domain cannot be pointed to an outside website server.
Access
- Full-time HLS faculty members may request a website on the HLS WordPress faculty multisite.
Responsibilities
- The HLS Communications Office will help set up the initial site based on a template.
- Faculty members or their faculty assistants will be trained to use WordPress to update and maintain the site.
- The Communications Office and ITS will provide technical support with platform and plugin updates, but not regular content updates.
Research Programs and HLS Initiatives
Domains
- Research programs and approved HLS school-wide initiatives may request a law.harvard.edu domain with the following structure (name.law.harvard.edu), in which the “name” portion will be customizable (examples: https://animal.law.harvard.edu/ or https://eals.law.harvard.edu/ ).
- Research programs are permitted to purchase their own custom domain (examples: charleshamiltonhouston.org and www.harvardlegalaid.org). If the site is hosted by HLS, the Communications Office and ITS will make sure the site is properly pointed to the custom domain. Please begin this process by submitting a Communications ServiceNow ticket. However, HLS does not provide support with domain issues.
Technology/Platform
- Sites for research programs and HLS initiatives provided by HLS will be on the WordPress platform, with website hosting managed by the Communications Office.
- If web development assistance is needed beyond the basic offering, please submit a Communications ServiceNow ticket to discuss the scope of the work. The Communications Office may be able to assist with a small basic site, but outside development and design may be required and are not funded by the HLS Communications Office.
- Research programs opting to pursue web hosting outside of the HLS-provided WordPress ecosystem will not be supported by ITS or the Communications Office.
Access
- Requests for a WordPress site install and customizable theme should be made by submitting written approval from the HLS administration in a Communications ServiceNow ticket. The Communications Office team will review the request and, if approved, submit it to ITS to create the domain and the site.
Responsibilities
- The website owner is responsible for the day-to-day updates and maintenance of the sites hosted by HLS, including content changes, information architecture organization, maintaining theme and plugin updates, etc.
- The web hosting provider will manage major WordPress upgrades as well as daily backups and security protocols.
- If server-related issues arise that require assistance, please file a ServiceNow ticket and the Communications Office and ITS will provide additional support to resolve the issue or, when necessary, elevate the concern to the host provider.
Outside Development
- Programs and initiatives may contract with external developers to create their sites, but the Communications Office will manage their level of access to the web host server to ensure that all sites have proper security and other guardrails in place.
- The Communications Office can provide consultation for reviewing external vendor proposals.
- If working with an outside development vendor, access to the web hosting platform is available upon request. This provides access to the FTP settings as well as the webhost support chat.
Clinics
Domains
- Clinic sites will have the domain convention of clinics.law.harvard.edu/name and the administrator will be able to customize the “name” portion, which is typically an abbreviated version of the clinic’s name or an acronym (examples: clinics.law.harvard.edu/deltaproject and clinics.law.harvard.edu/animallaw).
Technology/Platform
- Clinical websites are hosted on a WordPress multisite install.
- HLS can provide a WordPress website and a customizable theme with a basic structure. If additional web development is required beyond that, please submit a Communications ServiceNow ticket to discuss scope.
- The web hosting provider will manage major upgrades to WordPress as well as daily backups and security protocols.
- Clinics opting to pursue web hosting outside of the HLS-provided WordPress ecosystem will not be supported by ITS or the Communications Office.
Access
- Only current HLS clinics, externships, independent clinical programs, or student practice organizations, as designated by Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs (OCP), are eligible.
- Requests for new sites should come from OCP to the Communications Office.
Responsibilities
- The Communications Office may be able to assist with development of a basic site, but outside development and design may be necessary and are not funded by the Communications Office. The Communications Office can recommend outside vendors.
- The website owner is responsible for the day-to-day updates and maintenance of the sites hosted by HLS. If issues arise that require assistance, please file a ServiceNow ticket and Communications and ITS will provide additional support to resolve the issue or elevate to the host provider when necessary.
Student Organizations
Domains
- Student organization sites will have the domain convention of orgs.law.harvard.edu/name and the administrator will be able to customize the “name” portion, which is typically an abbreviated version of the organization’s name or an acronym (examples: orgs.law.harvard.edu/a4e/ and orgs.law.harvard.edu/animallaw/).
- Custom domains are not available to student organizations.
Technology/Platform
- Student organizations are hosted on a WordPress multisite install.
- Student organizations may not create websites anywhere except the Harvard Law School designated offering.
Access
- Only current and active student organizations, as designated by the Dean of Students and Office of Community Engagement, Equity, and Belonging (DOS-CEEB), are eligible.
- Requests for new sites, technical updates to existing sites, or general support should be made through DOS-CEEB.
Responsibilities
- Student organizations are responsible for keeping their site up to date, with the information about the organization, contact information, and other components required by DOS-CEEB.
- Student organizations with questions or requests regarding their website should contact DOS-CEEB.
Student Journals
Domains
- Student journal sites will have the domain convention of journals.law.harvard.edu/name and the administrator will be able to customize the “name” portion with Dean of Students and Office of Community Engagement, Equity, and Belonging (DOS-CEEB) approval, which is typically an abbreviated version of the organization’s name or an acronym (examples: journals.law.harvard.edu/crcl and journals.law.harvard.edu/blackletter).
- Custom domains are not available to student journals.
Technology/Platform
- Student journals are hosted on a WordPress multisite install.
- Student journals may not create websites anywhere except the Harvard Law School designated offering.
Access
- Only current and active student journals, as designated by DOS-CEEB, are eligible.
- Requests for new sites, technical updates to existing sites, or general support should be made through DOS-CEEB.
Responsibilities
- Student journals are responsible for keeping their site up to date, with the information about the journal, contact information, and other components required by DOS-CEEB.
- Student journals with questions or requests regarding their website should contact DOS-CEEB.
HLS Projects and Conferences
Domains
- Project sites will have the domain convention of projects.law.harvard.edu/name and the administrator will be able to customize the “name” portion, which is typically the project’s name (examples: projects.law.harvard.edu/briefingpapers and projects.law.harvard.edu/fintechlaw).
Technology/Platform
- Sites must be built within the HLS-provided WordPress multi-site and hosted on the HLS web hosting platform. A projects.law.harvard.edu domain cannot be pointed to an outside website server.
Access
- HLS projects or conferences that are not official HLS research programs or school-wide initiatives, as approved by the HLS administration, may be eligible for a WordPress website within the HLS projects multisite.
- Projects or conferences that have an HLS full-time faculty member managing or overseeing the project or conference may request a site through the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA). Once approved, OAA will request the site from the Communications Office.
Responsibilities
- The HLS Communications Office can help set up the initial site based on a template, but additional design or development work is the responsibility of the project.
- Staff members supporting the project must be trained to use WordPress to update and maintain the site.
- The Communications Office and ITS will provide technical support with platform and plugin updates, but not regular content updates.