Student Voices

Rising 3Ls Jess and Gabe reflect on their path to Harvard Law School, and on the queer spirituality community they have worked to grow on campus.

Susan, a rising 3L who joined HLS after 1L year, reflects on the considerations she grappled with before ultimately choosing to transfer law schools, and on the meaningful opportunities she has found here.

Rising 3L Sara shares her experience transferring to Harvard Law School, and joining the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.

Sean Drohan, a rising 3L who transferred to HLS after his 1L year, recounts his decision to transfer law schools, and the community he found at HLS.

Like all of the students here at Harvard Law School, military service members come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, and with many different identities and interests. In particular, the number of enlisted veterans is a growing part of the military community at HLS.

I followed an unconventional path to Harvard Law School. I’m the first in my family to be born in the United States, I studied pre-med in undergrad, I only applied to one law school, and I never even took the LSAT.

Deven Hurt is a rising 2L at Harvard Law School and CEO of PredictionStrike. 

A little over a year ago, I got a call around 11am from a number I didn’t fully recognize. The area code, however, was not unfamiliar; by now, I knew that 617 meant Massachusetts. Like many other admits might tell you, it was a moment I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

We recently sat down with current 3L Brice Ngameni to learn more about his work as president and co-founder of Pembe, a non-profit organization focused on supporting students of African descent trying to get into — and succeed at — American law schools. 

Dear Future Colleague (DFC)  is a national nonprofit that provides encouragement, mentorship, and guidance  to underrepresented students applying to law school. We spoke with Nancy Fairbank (2L, HLS) and Melody Zargari (1L, University of Florida Levin College of Law) about how DFC was founded, what issues it seeks to address, and what’s in store for the future.

With the turn of the calendar to January, we often wish one another a happy new year. But it has been hard to do so in the past week. As we all reflect on the first days of 2021, I wanted to share a message from our student body co-presidents to the HLS community. I found Noelle and Billy’s words meaningful, and I hope you do too. - Dean Jobson

APALSA works to create community during remote teaching and learning

Each year, HLS students join our community from around the country, and the world. This year's 1L class includes a contingent of students from West Virginia - J.R., Patrick, Arka, and Travis. They connected on Zoom before the semester started. We thought we'd pass along their insight and reflections here on our blog. 

Phebe Hong is a 3L at Harvard Law School. She graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology. Prior to law school, she worked as a consultant advising pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. She is a Research Assistant at the Program on Regulation, Therapeutics, and Law (PORTAL) and an Articles Editor for the Journal of Law and Technology. Her research interests include FDA regulation of biologics and pharmaceutical patent law.

Admitted students often ask us to introduce them to current students who attended the same undergraduate institution. Last year, a few admitted students who attended women’s colleges asked to speak to current students who also attended women’s colleges. Those connections inspired this blog post. We thought we would interview a few women’s college graduates to pass on their insights more broadly.

It has often been said that you can do anything with a J.D. from Harvard Law School. But that statement is somewhat misleading, because HLS students put their knowledge, leadership, ambition, and blossoming legal skills to use well in advance of graduation. Keep reading to learn more about the exciting and diverse experiences of four of our AFA members from this past summer!

There are plenty of ways to engage with the scholarship and legal conversations that happen here at HLS—including through podcasts. We thought it would be helpful to share some current and recent podcasts that are of interest to anyone considering becoming a lawyer or applying to HLS.

Students enrolled in the HBS/HLS four-year joint degree program come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Many are interested in pursuing careers that operate at the intersection of business and law, and they seek to utilize the resources that are offered throughout the program. Reshma Lutfeali (JD/MBA 2021) and Viroopa Volla (JD/MBA 2021), co-presidents of the JD/MBA Association, offer their perspectives on the program and what they have learned about the HLS/HBS joint degree.

As I reflect back on my first year at Harvard Law, I undoubtedly believe I made the right choice in picking a law school.

I’ll be honest: I’m incredibly attached to the members of the Class of 2021 that I admitted off the waitlist in summer 2018. They’re amazing. And one of them has some advice for you.