To learn more about the Clinical Curriculum and Registration, please visit our Clinical Registration Center. You can also find more information on How to Register for Clinics and How Clinical Credits Work.

For more information about this clinic, please visit the Clinic Website, Clinic Q&A and OCP Blog Highlights.

Enrollment in this clinic will fulfill the HLS JD pro bono requirement.

Required Class Component: Students in the spring clinic must enroll in either Food Law and Policy (2 spring classroom credits) or Policy Advocacy Workshop (2 spring classroom credits), or must have taken one of those courses in a prior semester. Students who enroll in the spring clinic will be enrolled in one of the required courses by the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs. Students are guaranteed a seat in one of these two required courses, but are not guaranteed their first choice. Students enrolled in either course under a clinical seat will lose their seat if they choose to drop the clinic.

Additional Co-/Pre-Requisites: None.

By Permission: No.

Add/Drop Deadline: December 13, 2024.

LLM Students: LLM students may enroll in this clinic through Helios.

Placement Site: HLS.

The Food Law and Policy Clinic of Harvard Law School (FLPC) provides students with the opportunity to practice using legal and policy tools in order to address the health, environmental, and economic impacts of our food system. FLPC utilizes substantive expertise in food law and policy and a robust policy skill set to assist clients and communities in understanding and improving the laws impacting the food system.

Students enrolled in the clinic get hands-on learning experience conducting legal and policy research for individuals, communities, and governments on a wide range of food law and policy issues. Students have the opportunity to: comment on federal regulations, such as the Food and Drug Administration rules around health claims and healthy labels; identify and promote creative policies to reduce the 40% of food that goes to waste in the U.S.; train and empower food policy councils and community coalitions to achieve their food system goals; and research and recommend policies increasing access to healthy food at all levels of government.

Students develop a variety of transferable skills in areas such as research, writing, creative problem-solving, project management, oral communication, and leadership. In particular, students will have the opportunity to draft memoranda, white papers, and regulatory comments; conduct statutory interpretation; compose legislation and regulations; petition for agency rulemaking or enforcement actions; conduct interviews and fact-finding; and prepare and train communities about civic engagement, the food system, and policy change. Clinic clients are located around the United States and the globe, and some students may have the opportunity to travel.

For more information about the clinic, please email Professor Broad Leib at ebroad@law.harvard.edu or visit our clinic at 1607 Massachusetts Avenue, 4th floor.

Successful completion of appropriate written work in this offering satisfies the professional writing requirement for matriculants to the J.D. program from 2023 onward.