Public Policy

With the Women Heads of State Initiative virtual summit, Teresa Clarke J.D. ’87/M.B.A. ’88 and Professor Ruth Okediji LL.M. ’91 S.J.D. ’96 brought together four female African heads of state to explore opportunities for the continent’s future advancement.

Susan Hendrickson ’93, the new executive director of the Berkman Klein Center, recently spoke with Harvard Law Today about her career path, her advice for law students, what keeps her up at night and why, nevertheless, she continues to be optimistic about tech.

The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University has announced its Institute for Rebooting Social Media’s inaugural cohort of Visiting Scholars.

The Harvard Law School Democrats recently hosted a Q&A with White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain ’87. who answered students' questions on the administration’s agenda on voting rights, student loan debt, global vaccine inequities, the war in Ukraine, and other hot topics.

In recent paper, Howell Jackson and Timothy Massad propose that the U.S. Treasury Department implement a new mechanism to improve financial services for financially vulnerable households and expedite delivery of government benefits.

Former San Antonio mayor and HUD secretary Julián Castro ’00 was named the Klinsky Professor of Practice for Leadership and Progress. He will teach a course next fall on leadership in urban communities.

On the 50th anniversary of President Nixon's visit, China experts William Alford and Mark Wu discuss whether the president may be getting too much credit for his history-making journey.

Former Federal Reserve Bank member Daniel Tarullo says the Fed has “fallen behind the curve” in raising interest rates to help tame rising inflation and “needs to play some catch-up.”

HLS Professor Andrew Crespo was one of 59 members elected to the American Law Institute this year. Thirteen Harvard Law School alumni were also elected.

Former White House Counsel Neil Eggleston says President Biden has “restored dignity and public purpose to the White House” but that his agenda faces strong opposition from some state attorneys general.

Harvard Law Professor Christine Desan says the Biden administration is harnessing fiscal and monetary policy to bolster the economy, but should move faster to address climate change, crypto markets, public banking.

At the recent Rappaport Forum, panelists discussed abortion rights and whether the Supreme Court should honor precedent — or jettison Roe v. Wade. 

When asked what he wanted to be remembered by, longtime Harvard Law Professor and former Watergate prosecutor Philip B. Heymann ’60 replied: “Speaking truth to power.” Heymann, a beloved colleague and distinguished public servant, died Nov. 30 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 89.

Social media’s business model of personalized virality is incompatible with democracy, agreed experts at a recent Harvard Law School discussion on the state of democracy.

At a Harvard Law School Library Book Talk, Martha Minow, along with Vicki Jackson and Nikolas Bowie, discussed why the press is in danger — and how to save it.

Leaked revelations about Instagram’s impact on teens have united Republicans and Democrats in considering legal reforms, say Harvard Law School scholars.

Harvard Law Today recently spoke with Harvard Law School Professor Howell E. Jackson about what could happen if the United States defaulted on its debts for the first time in history.

At a Federalist Society event, David French ’94 says government “should keep its hands off” social media and argues that support for free speech is waning across the political spectrum.