Category Archives: Notices

Is the Obama Health Care Reform Constitutional? Panel Discussion

Posted on by

Is the Obama Health Care Reform Constitutional?

Thursday, March 24, Noon to 1:30pm
Ames Courtroom at Harvard Law School

Introductions: Dean Martha Minow
Panelists: Randy Barnett, Charles Fried and Laurence H. Tribe
Moderator: I. Glenn Cohen

America’s most significant health care reform initiative in over 50 years, and the centerpiece of President Obama’s domestic policy agenda, is currently being challenged in federal courts across the country. Thus far, two district courts have pronounced the measure (at least in part) unconstitutional focusing on its individual mandate, while two courts have upheld the measure. Appeals are pending before the Circuit courts, and with more litigation on the way the question may soon end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.  Is the reform constitutional? How is the Supreme Court likely to rule?  This panel, involving the nation’s leading constitutional law scholars, will address these issues.  Co-sponsored by the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics and the Harvard Law School Federalist Society. Free pizza from “Otto’s” available while it lasts.

2011-2012 HLS On-Campus Housing Application Available

Posted on by

Application is now available for 2011-2012 HLS on-campus housing.  All current 1Ls and 2Ls may apply for housing between today and 5:00 pm March 28, 2011.  Anyone who applies after March 28, 2011 will be placed on the wait list.  Applicants who apply on time will receive random lottery numbers on April 4, 2011.  Students with lottery numbers 1 – 79 will select rooms on April 6th, while those with lottery numbers 80 – 159 will select on April 7th.  Students who receive lottery numbers higher than 159 will be placed on the waitlist.  Please note that, historically, we have been able to accommodate all students on the waitlist who applied on time.  Also note that applying for housing and participating in room selection is not a binding agreement.  You will be able to decline your dorm with no penalty up until May 31st, 2011. 

2011-2012 On-Campus Housing Application:
https://www.law.harvard.edu/apps/housing/forms/secure/housingapp/

For more information about the lottery and room selection process:
http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/student-services/housing/on-campus/lottery-/-room-selection-process.html

For information on the dorms:
http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/student-services/housing/on-campus/index.html

Please contact Hayley Brown at 617-496-6054 or hbrown@law.harvard.edu if you have any questions about the application, lottery, or room selection.

Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP): Call for Proposals

Posted on by

Call for Proposals: “Impact: Global Poverty”

Academics Stand Against Poverty Launch Conference at Yale (April 23rd, 11am-6pm)

We invite you to submit your proposal for a project aimed at reducing world poverty.

Selected proposals will receive a slot in the upcoming conference and be carried out with the support of the Academics Stand Against Poverty network and organization.

Background: Academics Stand Against Poverty, or ASAP, is a new organization in which academics collaborate in order to have a greater impact on issues of global poverty. Its aim is to help academics leverage their expertise on such issues by making effective interventions in public debates, by supporting good work by international agencies and non-governmental organizations, and by launching real-world projects aimed at realizing positive change. For more information go to: www.yale.edu

The conference: On April 23rd we will hold our launch conference at Yale University. In the conference we will present two ongoing projects, “Health Impact Fund” and “Climate Voices”, and discuss selected proposals for new ASAP projects. The discussion will be led by a panel of leading academic activists who will pass their experience and insight to the new ASAP project leaders.

Call for proposals: This is an open call for contributions of up to 1,500 words outlining a project proposal that academics might initiate with good prospects of reducing world poverty. Guidelines and examples of proposals that are well on their way toward implementation are listed below. All proposals are due by April 7th.

Selected proposals will be posted on the ASAP website for open discussion. Following this, all proposal submitters will be invited to vote for the best of these proposals. These chosen proposals will become the next ASAP projects, will be presented and discussed in the launch conference, and shared-interest groups will be formed to take them forward. If your proposal isn’t selected you will be invited to join one of the teams working on a selected proposal.

Becoming an ASAP project means benefitting from the support of the international ASAP network, having a page on the website and being able to raise funds through our non-profit organization.

All those, including faculty, graduate or undergraduate students, working on aspects of global poverty, global justice and related issues are invited to submit proposals and attend the meeting. You need not submit a proposal to attend, and broad participation will be encouraged

To submit a draft proposal, or if you have any questions, please contact: Gilad Tanay (Yale University, Philosophy Department)  gilad.tanay at yale.edu
Examples of proposals or efforts underway:

1. Giving What We Can (Toby Ord, Oxford University): http://www.givingwhatwecan.org/
2. Clean Trade in Natural Resources (Leif Wenar, King’s College, London) http://cleantrade.org/sitebuildercontent…
3. Health Impact Fund (Thomas Pogge, Yale University) http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/igh/

Guidelines for writing a proposal

Your project proposal should clearly describe the real-world change the project aims for and the effects this change would have on global poverty. It should also describe the academic and political efforts through which a suitably composed group of academics could achieve the envisioned change.

In writing your proposal we recommend that you keep the following questions in mind:

1. What is the aim of your project? Why is this aim valuable? Why is it more valuable than other aims that could be achieved at the same cost?
2. Why, morally speaking, ought people to invest resources in this project?
3. What means are you proposing to achieve your aim?
4. How practical is your proposal? Is it feasible? Is it cost effective? Is it sustainable? Is it reproducible?
5. Try to address ethical consideration. For example: does this project worsen the condition of some in order to benefit others? If so, what is the justification for this?
6. How do you propose to build a team that will implement this project? What resources do you have and what resources will you need to move this project forward? How do you envision that this will take place?
7. Who else is working on this issue? How will your work combine, interact and benefit from the work done by others?

How To Register for 2011/2012 Courses and Clinics

Posted on by

There will be two “How to Register” information sessions to provide guidance on how to register for 2011/2012 courses and clinics on MyPlan.  Both the Registrar’s office and Clinical office will talk about how to navigate MyPlan, as well as provide tips on registration and answer your general questions. 

– Session 1:  Monday, March 28 from 12pm-1pm in Ames Courtroom
– Session 2: Thursday, March 31 from 5pm-6pm in Austin North

Annual Wall Street Trek for Business Careers

Posted on by

On Friday, March 25th the Harvard Association of Law and Business will take a group to New York City for our second annual Wall Street Trek. If you are interested in investment banking or consulting, this is a great opportunity to visit some of the best firms, and learn how you can use your JD to work in either of these fields while meeting with HLS alums. This year we will be visiting Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Co., Morgan Stanley, CitiGroup, and Perella Weinberg Partners.

We will leave early Friday morning and will meet at 6:00 AM at South Station to leave by bus. The trip will return late that that same night, though students are welcome to stay in the city at their own cost. Attendance is limited to 50 students on a first come first serve basis. HALB will subsidize 50% of travel costs via bus, so the cost will be roughly $20. If you are interested, please RSVP via CSM by clicking on “Events” by March 15th. (Co-sponsored by OCS)

Feel free to email  mschoenfeld at jd12.law.harvard.edu or  csnow at jd12.law.harvard.edu with questions about the event.

OCS Seeking Peer Advisors for 2011-12 Academic Year

Posted on by

The Office of Career Services is seeking applications from current second-year students to serve as OCS Peer Advisors for the 2011-2012 academic year.  Peer Advisors are responsible for assisting OCS staff with our various career-related initiatives.  This involves assisting with career programs, monitoring developments in the legal market, counseling students, conducting career-related research, drafting content for the OCS website and blog and advising the OCS staff on student issues and concerns.   Because of OCS’s close relationships with employers, working in OCS offers a unique perspective on what is happening in the private sector.  Peer Advisors receive $11.00 per hour and work 10-12 hours/week, including paid training sessions.

If you are interested in helping others navigate through the job search process and working as part of the OCS team, then this would be a great opportunity.  Please submit a cover letter and resume via email by Wednesday, March 23rd to  yshen at law.harvard.edu.    For additional information or questions, please contact Yih-hsien Shen, Assistant Director for J.D. Advising, by email at  yshen at law.harvard.edu or by phone at 617-495-3049.

Commencement 2011 Harvard Regalia information

Posted on by

Congratulations to all 2011 Graduate Degree candidates!

FORE REGALIA RENTAL:
Reservations are required- taken at the Harvard Coop March 21st to April 6th

  • GSAS, GSD, HDS, HGSE, HKS, HLS
  • ALL EXTENSION SCHOOL STUDENTS

Store hours:
Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Rental Fees, Cap, Gown, & Hood: $81

If you cannot visit the store, you may reserve by mail or fax. Download the RENTAL ORDER FORM at www.thecoop.com

If you do not reserve your regalia before April 6th, extra gowns and hoods are available for rental May 23rd-26th.  There is an additional $25 late for these rentals.

Pick up your rental order during store hours from May 19th-26th.  The Coop will open early on May 26th for pickup. The return deadline is Friday, June 11, 2011.

Please note: Harvard Regalia RENTALS are only available for the Harvard Commencement in May.  If you need regalia for use at another school’s ceremony, you will need to purchase the regalia.

FOR REGALIA PURCHASES: Order in store or download the Purchase order form at www.thecoop.com .  Custom regalia is made to order, and takes to 4 to 6 weeks.  For use at the Harvard Commencement, the deadline is April 22, 2011. 

Commencement regalia provided by:
THE HARVARD COOP
617-499-2000\ 1400 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE\ HARVARD SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE
INQUIRIES: Nancie Scheirer/ Cap & Gown
E-mail: hbooks@bncollege.com
Phone: 617.499.2070
Fax: 617.499.2015
Web: www.thecoop.com
www.facebook/The HarvardCoop

Harvard College Bone Marrow Registration Drive

Posted on by

Harvard Law Community,

Thank you to everyone who came out in support of the bone marrow registration drives at the law school last week.  Over the course of two days, we registered almost 250 donors.  I wanted to let you all know that this coming week we will also be hosting two drives at Harvard’s undergraduate campus.  The information is below:

Dates: Monday, Feb. 21st, and Wednesday, Feb. 23rd

Times: 11AM-2PM

Location: Adams House Lower Common Room (Adams House is located at 26 Plympton Street, between Mass Ave and Mt. Auburn.  The Lower Common Room is right inside C-Entryway, right before the dining hall).

Here’s a link to the Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152377761485497

If you weren’t able to register last week, please come out on Monday or Wednesday.  Also, we are still in need of volunteers, so if you have a free hour or more on either of those days we could use the help!  Any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me (Charlie – Henry’s cousin) or Kevin (Henry’s brother).

Thanks for your support,

Charlie Hernandez

—

Every year more than 10,000 children and adults who are suffering from cancer would benefit from a bone marrow transplant from a non-family member. Many of these patients never find a donor and lose their battle with this dreadful disease.

Henry Hernandez is a student at Harvard Law School and an ’08 graduate of Harvard College. He is a snowboard instructor and enjoys competing in marathons. Henry was recently diagnosed with Leukemia and may be in need of a marrow transplant, for which a matching donor will be needed. While Henry’s match will most likely be someone from a Hispanic ancestry, donors from all racial backgrounds are needed.  Minority groups especially are underrepresented in the National Bone Marrow Registry.

It is very easy to join the bone marrow registry — it takes just a few minutes to give your DNA by swabbing the inside of your cheek. You will need to be between the ages of 18-60 and meet several health guidelines. If you are someone’s miracle and a match, being a stem cell donor is also easy; it’s a very similar process to giving blood. The donor merely provides blood from which a machine extracts the stem cells that are provided to the patient to grow new marrow. There is no actual extraction of bone marrow from the donor.

Please join us in the search for a match for Henry and many others battling cancer today.  If you cannot attend, you can sign up online at: http://join.marrow.org/hope4henry A DNA kit will be sent directly to your home.

—
Charles Hernandez
Candidate for B.A. in Latin American Studies
Harvard College, Class of 2011
(626) 354-5510

Spring Research Assistant

Posted on by

The Health Law and Policy Clinic is looking for a research assistant to help launch a new project, which will focus on developing a national advocacy strategy for laws and policies that will expand access to prevention, care, and treatment for people living with cancer.  Work will include analysis of current federal cancer mandates and policies, with a particular focus on the impact of health care reform.   The research assistant will report to the Director of the Clinic and can expect to work 10 hours per week.  The Health Law and Policy Clinic is located at the Legal Services Center in Jamaica Plain, but most research can be completed from home.  For more information, please send a recent C.V. to Amy Killelea,  akillelea at law.harvard.edu or call 617-390-2568 with questions.

2011 Commencement Orations Competition

Posted on by

Graduating in 2011?

Looking for 5 minutes of fame?

Want to make your mother proud?

Could you use $1,000?

2011 Commencement Orations Competition

Orators sought for the Senior Latin Salutatory, Senior English Address, and Graduate English Address to be delivered at the Commencement Morning Exercises, Thursday, May 26, 2011, in Tercentenary Theatre.

For more information and to enter the competition, visit the following website:  www.commencementoffice.harvard.edu

HLS has recorded its 18th straight month of energy reductions

Posted on by

Despite a warmer summer than usual, HLS has recorded its 18th straight month of energy reductions!

HLS Energy Facts

  • HLS used 19% less energy in FY10 compared to FY09
  • Year to date, HLS has used 5% less energy compared to FY10
  • Energy use during the first six months of FY11 is 27.7% less than the first six months of FY09

Read more at: http://green.harvard.edu/hls-has-recorded-its-18th-straight-month-energy-reductions

Questions? Contact HLS Sustainability Coordinator at  sustainability at lists.law.harvard.edu

Yearbook Portraits and ordering information

Posted on by

Yearbook Portraits

Greetings 1L, 2L, 3L and LLM Harvard Law School Students,

The yearbook staff has made special arrangements to have Prestige Portraits’ Professional Photographers on campus for FINAL sessions the week of February 21st from 9am-6pm (break from 1pm-2pm).

Please visit www.photoappointment.com to schedule an appointment, but if you find your schedule unpredictable, WALK-INS are welcome.

School Password: HLS

There is No Charge for the session. Each student photographed will receive a packet in the mail and have the opportunity to choose the pose which will appear in the yearbook, as well as order personal portraits for family and friends.

The photographer will be set up on the 1st Floor of the Harkness Commons Student Center- Hark Box Area (by the fireplace). Business attire is suggested. Classic styles in solid colors look best.

This will be the last opportunity to be photographed for the 2011 yearbook. Don’t be left out!

If you already received a proof packet, be sure you log onto https://shop.prestigeportraits.com/Login.jsf  to choose the photo that will appear in the yearbook. The session number and access code are located on the 4×5 card included in the packet.

 Yearbook Photo Submission

Get your pictures in the yearbook! The Yearbook Staff invites HLS students, family or friends to submit photos for the 2011  HLS Yearbook. If you have great photos of school and community events or you and your friends just having fun, we’d like to see them. Our photographers can’t be everywhere so we want you to help us get as many photos as possible to in order to create the best yearbook possible.

 Here is how you can submit photos online:
   • Go to: https://images.jostens.com/login
   • If it does not automatically log you into the site, enter username:400110918 and password:hls
   • Browse to select the photo(s) you wish to upload. (minimum recommended resolution of 400X600pixels)
   • Enter information about the photo and provide contact information in case the staff needs additional information.
   • Click “Save Details”.

It’s that easy! Submit your photos today!

*Please note that the Yearbook Staff will review all photos and determine final yearbook content. We cannot guarantee that all submissions will be used in the book.

 Order Your Copy Today!

 Yearbooks are $75 and can be purchased online: http://jostensyearbooks.com?REF=A03427596.

Due to the inclusion of Commencement in the yearbook, books will ship in July.

Please contact the Dean of Students Office with any questions.

dos@law.harvard.edu

617-495-1880

Resident Advisor Application Available Online Today

Posted on by

Applications to be a 2011-2012 Resident Advisor are available today, February 11, 2011!  To read more about being an RA and to get application materials, go to the following website:

http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/student-services/housing/on-campus/resident-assistants.html

You can turn in application materials to Hayley Brown in person at the Dean of Students office in Pound 310 or by email to hbrown@law.harvard.edu.  All application materials are due by 5:00 pm EST on February 25, 2011. 

For questions please contact Hayley at hbrown@law.harvard.edu or 617-496-6054.

A message from Dean Cosgrove-Gathering space

Posted on by

We have reserved Pound 201 from 10 am until 4:45 pm today for Greg Tang’s friends and others who are affected by his death and wish to spend time together.  We’ll have refreshments throughout the day so you can stop in to chat with friends of just spend some time by yourself.  We’ll have a campus chaplain there from 12 to 1.

February 15 Deadline to Submit Applications for Fall 2011 Semester Abroad

Posted on by

The Semester Abroad Program is a wonderful opportunity for Harvard Law School students to receive a semester of ungraded credit towards the Harvard J.D. degree for study at a law school overseas. HLS J.D. students may study abroad in either semester of their second or third year.

Students who would like to participate in a semester abroad program fall term 2011 must submit an application by Tuesday, February 15, 2011 to: Sara Zucker, Director of International Legal Studies Programs, in Lewis 231, or by e-mail to  szucker at law.harvard.edu.

Application instructions are available on the International Legal Studies (ILS) website:

http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/degrees/special-programs/study-abroad/semester-abroad-proposal-requirements.html

General information about the study abroad programs available to HLS students can be found on the ILS website: http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/degrees/special-programs/study-abroad/semester-abroad.html

Please feel free to direct any questions about semester abroad to Sara Zucker ( szucker at law.harvard.edu) or Ben Cook ( bcook at law.harvard.edu).