Student Spotlights

Harvard Law School student Sarah Rutherford ’21 recently co-founded Black Bakers for Black Lives, an initiative to raise money for, and awareness of, organizations fighting for racial justice.

Talia Gillis’ work cuts a wide swath, one focus being the intersection of artificial intelligence and consumer loan discrimination. It’s driven by a question: “What does it mean for a credit pricing algorithm to discriminate?”

On May 28, 2020, Harvard Law students gathered to celebrate their graduation. The gathering did not take place at the foot of Langdell Hall, but rather in living rooms and backyards worldwide, from Cambridge to California, from New Zealand to the Netherlands, at all hours of the day and night.

This year, the Harvard Law School Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs has recognized six students from the Class of 2020 for their outstanding clinical and pro bono work.

As we close an unprecedented year, graduating J.D.s and LL.M.s reflect on their law school experience and share their hopes for the future of Harvard Law School.

Addressing graduating S.J.D.s, LL.M.s, and the first class of J.D.s he welcomed as dean three years ago, Dean John F. Manning ’85 saluted them for showing “resilience, strength, adaptability, and purpose,” and urged them to build “career[s] of meaning and purpose.”

The Class of 2020 chose Professor David B. Wilkins ’80 to receive the Albert M. Sacks-Paul A. Freund Award for Teaching Excellence.

During HLS' virtual commencement ceremony, a number of graduates were recognized for their outstanding leadership, citizenship and dedication to their studies.

Talia Gillis’ work cuts a wide swath, one focus being the intersection of artificial intelligence and consumer loan discrimination. It’s driven by a question: “What does it mean for a credit pricing algorithm to discriminate?”

Class of 2020, share your celebration with us!

Congratulations to the Class of 2020! We're excited to help you celebrate virtual HLS commencement and to share highlights of the day with the Harvard Law School community.

“I’ve always had a passion for engaging in my curiosity,” says João Marinotti ‘20, a linguist turned lawyer whose work focuses on sustainability, business, property, and private law.

With a background in chemical engineering and business, Brian Kulp ’20 is eyeing a future in appellate law

D Dangaran ’20, this year's William J. Stuntz Award winner, intends to focus on gender issues and transformative justice long-term.

Drawing inspiration from his time at HLS, Kelly Kapianga LL.M. ’20, who founded a nonprofit to provide legal services to juveniles, aims to combat corruption in Zambia.

A physician-researcher, Machteld van Egmond LL.M. ’20 explored the intersections among empirical science, law, and medicine during her LL.M. year at Harvard Law School.

With the aim of advocating for refugees, Niku Jafarnia J.D. / M.P.P.’20 focused on the intersection of refugee rights, armed conflict, and counterterrorism as joint law and public policy student at Harvard.

Lyla Wasz-Piper ’20 and Kennedi Williams-Libert ’20 have received the 2020 Outstanding Clinical Student Team Award from the Clinical Legal Education Association, recognized for their unique partnership and exemplary teamwork during their time as student attorneys at the Criminal Justice Institute.

The Office of Clinical Pro Bono recognizes Class of 2020 clinical students who have exemplified a pro bono public spirit and demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to delivering high-quality legal services.

Jeremy Ravinsky ’20, this year’s recipient of the Andrew L. Kaufman Pro Bono Award, was recognized for providing more than 2,000 hours of pro bono services with the Tenant Advocacy Project and Project No One Leaves.