HLS Beyond

Join us for an in-depth exploration of upcoming changes to the standard repayment plan, income-driven repayment plans, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, and how private loan repayment will impact broader financial planning, lead by Derek Brainard of Accesslex.  Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for integrating these updates into their student loan repayment strategy after graduation.

Though technology regulation has traditionally been treated separately from antitrust concerns, panelists in this session argue that the current antitrust regimes and regulatory practices in the US and the EU have worked together to stifle competition and innovation. While navigating the critical tension between fostering innovation and mitigating risks, they will explore the need and possibility of establishing an international legal standard and shared regulatory framework to guide competitive, responsible progress.

In this session, led by fellow Dan Be Kim from the CDT, together you’ll work through a series of short exercises designed to help make our inner experiences with AI more visible and explicit. Focusing not only on what AI does for us, but on what AI does to us — shaping our habits, pressures, and decision-making both individually and collectively-- you’ll leave with an approach to AI informed by a greater awareness and intention in your personal and professional lives. Registration Required. Lunch will be provided.

The development of quantum computers has seen rapid progress in recent years, with global players like Google, IBM and academic labs from Harvard and MIT competing to drive innovation. Amidst this race, multiple different platforms and techniques for achieving scalable, robust quantum computation have emerged. Mikhail Lukin's Group (Quantum Optics Laboratory), along with MIT scientists, are developing technologies based on ultracold neutral atoms. They will discuss the unique advantages and drawbacks of this platform, highlight one of the last remaining challenges towards scalable neutral-atom quantum computing, and outline how their recent work published in Nature Magazine on the continuous operation of a defect-free array of 3,000 qubits - a world record - addresses this challenge.

Professor Danielle Allen explores the history of how government and university research became intertwined, what that relationship has produced since 1945, but also what was missing in that vision that has led higher education into the vulnerable territory it now finds itself. Facing a decline in trust by the public as well as the challenges posed by the Trump administration, she proposes that a new social contract which makes central a firm educational foundation in Civic Strength is what these times call for.

Bring your laptops and your appetite and join Debbie Ginsberg of HLSL's Research Services team for a demonstration of the AI tools currently available to law students. We’ll examine AI products from Lexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg, and the HU Sandbox.

American democracy is in trouble if we cannot learn to see the humanity in the people with whom we disagree.  Harvard Psychology Professor Joshua Greene and his team have created Tango, a cooperative online quiz game that turns members of opposing groups into teammates. Their research shows that playing Tango for less than an hour reduces political animosity, with positive effects lasting four months.

The panel Why I Changed My Mind features HLS faculty members’ stories of professional moments of reckoning when ideas they had previously thought settled in their worldview changed.

This panel discussion focuses on the divergent regulatory approaches to artificial intelligence in the European Union and the United States. Given the ever-changing political and regulatory landscape, HLS student panelists will examine the critical question of democracy's role in governing emerging technologies given and the broader implications for global AI leadership.

Recent legislation and public rhetoric have focused critical attention on how new policies affect the lives of transgender individuals. Join HLS Cyberlaw Clinic's Alejandra Caraballo and the HLS LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic's Deborah Lolai for a conversation and discussion about current legal challenges and civic engagement strategies regarding transgender rights.

Owning and investing in real estate plays a significant role in increasing your net worth over a lifetime. During this session, AccessLex Institute’s Director of Financial Education, Derek Brainard, will discuss the benefits of real estate ownership, trends, how to prepare yourself financially for the homebuying process, and considerations for those looking to use real estate as an investment in the future.

Come get help from our faculty research librarian, Debbie Ginsberg, who specializes in leveraging technology for all things law! She'll cover using styles,  creating a table of contents, adding Roman and Arabic numbers to the same document, and creating a table of authorities.

The news industry has two primary tasks: Accurately report what’s going on and present that info in a way that reaches people. It’s been failing at the latter — as of 2024, more people say they deeply distrust the media than trust it, and audiences are moving from traditional outlets to social platforms and individual creators. Ben Reininga, former Head of Editorial at Snapchat and 2024/5 Nieman & Berkman-Klein fellow is researching what makes users trust news videos — with the hope of providing more insight and tools to news publishers to help them connect with users.

The TechReg Reading Group (TRRG) is a series of faculty guided discussions about TechReg policy developments as they are announced by the Trump Administration (White House, OMB, OSTP, Commerce, DHS, DOJ, FCC, FTC, etc.). Specific topics will likely include Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Privacy, Electronic Surveillance, Emerging Technologies & National Security, Internet Speech & Social Media, and International Data Flows. Topics and discussion will be guided by HLS Lecturer on Law and  Berkman Klein Center Affiliate, Alan Raul, with invited guests as topics warrant. 

This workshop will introduce you to tools for saving, spending, budgeting, and investing with a focus on actionable strategies so you can gain clarity on which financial demands to prioritize during the transition from law student to legal career.

Come spend your lunch hour with the former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (2021-2023), John Tien. Learn about the development of policy, risk management, and the broad swath of security issues he oversaw across multiple agencies including CISA, FEMA, CBP and ICE), TSA, USCG, USCIS, and HSI. Bring your questions and expect candid answers from someone who has served in various capacities across 4 administrations.

Join Lowry Yankwich (JD 22) for this two-session crash course on podcasting which will introduce you to the medium and provide the opportunity to learn–and practice–the main skills needed to bring a podcast to life. In Session One, attendees will practice skills that feed directly into good lawyering: conducting an interview, and writing a hook that captures the listener’s attention. In Session Two, you’ll learn about the technical side of podcasting, from the basics of audio editing, to distribution platforms for putting a podcast out into the world!