From the legal framework of ancient Athens and the law-rich traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, to the long development of English common law and the emergence of the U.S. Constitution, to the subsequent and ongoing struggle for civil rights, the way different peoples have ordered their societies throughout human history continues to influence modern legal theory and practice. Harvard Law School students enjoy unprecedented opportunities to study the historical development of law in the context of a larger world of social movements and political, cultural, and economic change. Finally, the study of legal history helps us understand our world today. It allows us to participate actively in the debates of the day. Our courses explore how marriage has changed over time. Our faculty studies how immigrants and minorities in states have been treated and changed themselves. Our students learn what democracy meant and what it can mean. Together, we examine the role and power of judges, lawyers, legislators, organizers and ordinary citizens. In the first part of the series, “Cases in Brief,” Harvard law professor Dehlia Umunna discusses the infamous “Scottsboro Boys” case, Powell v.
Alabama (1932), in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled for the first time that defendants in capital punishment cases have the right to adequate counsel. Offered as a 1-credit course in six sessions, this workshop aims to provide students with historical perspectives on the intersections between law and society. The work and class discussions will include a mix of important work in the field of legal history, introducing students to critical methods and historical debates, and presenting presentations by leading historians on the regulation of gender, gender and sexuality. More information on presentations and meeting dates will be available in the fall. In the new film “On Juneteenth,” Gordon-Reed presents a 360-degree look at the story leading up to the party and beyond, weaving her perspective as a black woman with deep Texas roots. Welcome to the Legal History Program! This page is designed to help you navigate the many ways to study Harvard legal history. As you will see, our interests span a range of times, places, and problem areas. First, you will find a list of professors and graduate students who are interested in legal history.
They should be a resource for mentoring, counseling and guidance. Contact them. Second, we have compiled a list of courses that touch on aspects of legal history. Whether you are interested in the civil rights movement, democracy, or feudalism, you should find something interesting. While many of our courses are taught by the Department of History, you will also be encouraged to consider offerings from HLS and other departments. Finally, take a look at our upcoming events. We hope you will join us. Harvard Law Today recently spoke with Harvard Law School Professor Howell E. Jackson about what could happen if the U.S. defaults on its debt for the first time in history.
This workshop aims to provide students with a historical perspective on the phenomenon of legal pluralism in the world, but with an emphasis on the medieval and modern world, Europe and its colonies. The work and class discussions will include a mix of important work in the field of legal history, introducing students to critical methods and historiographical debates, as well as workshop presentations by prominent historians who are currently writing on issues of legal pluralism. Further information on the topics covered can be found on the course website soon in the autumn semester. Open to all, Historical & Special Collections (HSC) connects scholars around the world to legal history and supports Harvard Law School`s mission of researching, teaching, and learning. An overview of the main features of continental Europe`s legal history from the fall of the Roman Empire to the codifications of the 19th century. The course focuses on the main expressions of European legal culture during this long period: the “barbaric legal systems” (6th-10th centuries), the renewal of the academic study of Roman and canon law (11th-13th centuries), customary law (13th-16th centuries), academic law schools (14th-17th centuries: the “commentators”, the “humanists”, the “school of natural law” and the codification process (France and Germany, 18th and 19th centuries). Each period attempts to relate the types of laws that were produced to the social, political, and religious history of the period. No experience of continental legal history is assumed. All readings will be conducted in English. An introduction to the history of law and legal institutions in Anglo-Saxon England in the seventeenth century. Emphasis will be placed on the development of private law.
No prior knowledge of English legal history is required. A short job is required and two final tests, something like a home exam. Annette Gordon-Reed `84 on the complex history of her home state of Texas. This course provides an introduction to the legal and constitutional history of Anglo-Saxon England at the end of the Tudor period, essentially 600-1600. We will cover the development of private law (e.g. contract, tort, property) and public law (e.g. criminal and constitutional law). No prior knowledge of English legal history is required. Students will develop a historically grounded perspective on early developments in the English common law system, gain a comparative perspective on issues of enduring current interest for today`s lawyers, and develop a set of critical reading skills essential to the work of legal historians and practicing lawyers. The class will cover a wide arc of a thousand years, which means we won`t be able to devote much class time to basic political history. However, optional contextual reading is included in the course package. We are open by appointment only, Tuesday to Friday, from 10am to 5am.
To make an appointment, please email specialc@law.harvard.edu. Whether you`re planning to focus on history, considering studying law, or just want to take a course, we look forward to hearing from you. Nikolas Bowie `14, a specialist in constitutional law, municipal law and the history of law, has been appointed Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Legal history is important. Legal history is at the interface between disciplines. Its study enriches our understanding of the past and our own. We ask how the law is evolving. How did the rules that govern our lives develop? How did they resist? How were they changed? The study of legal history also opens our eyes to alternatives.
We see how societies that have operated in the past have adopted solutions that are completely alien to ours. On the one hand, it can lead us to question the logic of our methods – even if we don`t reject them. On the other hand, comparison helps us to understand the meaning of the characteristics of our society and the consequences of their change. The study of law in a historical context makes us aware of who the law serves. Which groups used the law? Which groups has the law failed? Who is right and what areas of society does it reflect? In short, we see how law and society interact. Email: specialc@law.harvard.edu Phone: 617-495-4550 Tomiko Brown-Nagin`s book chronicles the remarkable — and under-known — life and achievements of civil rights lawyer and Justice Constance Baker Motley In the first part of a Harvard Law School series on the Supreme Court and its role in American democracy, panelists discussed the impact of politics on Roberts Court. Caroline Zelaznik Gruss and Joseph S. Greetings Visiting Professor of Talmudic Civil Law Sheryll Cashin `89 The Georgetown law professor once asked his mentor Thurgood Marshall why he left out Constance Baker Motley to follow him when he followed him. Daniel P.S. Paul Visiting Professor of Constitutional Law 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, four African women leaders came together to explore opportunities for future progress on the continent. Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History, Emeritus September 2021 saw the launch of the American Journal of Law and Equality, a project developed by professors Martha Minow, Randall Kennedy and Cass Sunstein in collaboration with MIT Press. Join Professor Carol Steiker and the HLS Library for a conversation on the state of the death penalty today, followed by a reception and the opportunity to view the library`s exhibition: Visualizing the Death Penalty: Spectacle, Shame and Sympathy. Wednesday 12 October, 16:00 HLS Library Seminar Room 232 Reception at 17:00 in the Caspersen Room. Your place for HLS library announcements, research guides, new resources, staff news, and news about unique objects in our collections. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer `64, who focused on the consequences of his court decisions, announced he would step down after more than a quarter of a century in court. Note: This course is listed with FAS as History 2046. Use the Canvas website for this course.
Charles Fried, Richard Lazarus `79, Tejinder Singh `08 and Carol Steiker `86 discuss the growing emergency powers of the Supreme Court, known as the “shadow list.” To maintain public trust, Justice Breyer argued that change should not be achieved through political reform, but through a renewed commitment to the ideals of the Court itself and the American people. Members of Harvard Law School`s Veterans Legal Clinic represent a same-sex widower in his appeal to the VA and to the Federal Court in a potentially unprecedented case.
