Upcoming Events
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Constitutionalism & Its Discontents
September 23, 2026
12:30 pm – 1:30 pmIn the early 21st century, constitutionalism confronts numerous pressures and critiques. Some prominent critics are concerned that constitutionalism’s modern form may be unduly rigid in the face of changing social, economic, and environmental conditions. In their new book, Professors Mark Tushnet (HLS) and Bojan Bugarič (University of Sheffield) propose a “thin” idea of constitutionalism and suggest that we should scale back our expectations for what constitutionalism can achieve. Please join for a panel discussion about the book with Professors Tushnet, Doerfler and Visiting Professor Vlad Perju. -
How to Improve America’s Voting System
September 28, 2026
12:20 pm – 1:20 pmProfessor of Economics Eric Maskin contends that the country’s traditional voting system distorts how citizens are represented and that gerrymandering exploits and worsens these distortions. He will discuss other possible voting systems and how they could make America’s election results fairer. -
Supremacy: How Rule by the Court Replaced Government by the People
September 29, 2026
12:30 pm – 1:30 pmJoin in for a panel discussion of the new book Supremacy: How Rule by the Court Replaced Government by the People with HLS authors Nikolas Bowie and Daphna Renan and discussant Professor Guy-Uriel Charles. Court. In a sweeping narrative of over 200 years of American history, the authors demonstrate that “judicial supremacy” was not written into the Constitution and has always been challenged as fundamentally at odds with it. -
Gerrymandering and the Midterms
October 5, 2026
12:20 pm – 1:20 pmProfessors Nicholas Stefanopoulus and Ruth Greenwood discuss where things currently stand with voting maps, what to expect in November, and how partisan gerrymandering may affect future election cycles.
Amicus Libris: Briefs from the Harvard Law School Library
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Conference catch up: librarians, staff attend ALA, CALIcon, AALL
It’s conference season in the library, and we’ve been busy learning from our friends and peers at various convenings, including ALA, CALIcon, and AALL. Library and law school conferences are great ways to network with others working on the same challenges you are, engage with sessions addressing current issues, and talk to vendors and others
July 31, 2026
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What we do in the shadows: Library access to Supreme Court shadow docket filings
The United States Supreme Court’s shadow docket has been in the news and is a subject of continued scholarly interest. Here at HLS, for example, it was the subject of the recent Rappaport Forum, “The Docket That Shall Not Be Named: The Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders“. Harvard Law School research librarian Deanna Barmakian has turned a
June 1, 2026
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Remembering HLS community members on Memorial Day
On Memorial Day, we pause to remember all servicemembers who lost their lives in wartime service to the nation. With gratitude and reflection, we particularly honor members of the Harvard Law School community who made the ultimate sacrifice. The names of those lost in World War I and World War II are engraved into the
May 22, 2026
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