Harvard Law Record
Encyclopedia
The Harvard Law Record is an independent, biweekly student-edited
newspaper based at Harvard Law School
. Founded in 1946, it is the oldest law school newspaper in the United States
.
, which is limited to publishing scholarly academic articles exclusively.
Although it is student-run, the Record is owned by the Harvard Law School Record Corporation, an independent non-profit organization
funded primarily through advertising
. It does not receive funding or substantial support from the law school.
The Record is home to fictional law student Fenno, who since the 1950s has satirically chronicled the adventures of an anonymous law student, and has lampooned prominent members of the Harvard Law School community in the process. It also publishes an annual April Fool's Day issue, renowned for its satire.
veterans who were unhappy with conditions at the School, particularly a lack of student housing. The three primary founders of the Record were Charles O. Porter
, who later served as a U.S. Congressman from Oregon, Charles Sweet, later a judge, and Paul Hellmuth, who became managing partner of the Boston law firm Hale & Dorr (now WilmerHale
).
Among the former editors of the Record is Ralph Nader
, who published his first article on unsafe conditions in the auto industry entitled, American Cars: Designed for Death, in the Record in 1958. The article was later expanded into Nader's seminal work on the subject, Unsafe at Any Speed.
In 1959, Nader and co-editor David Binder
traveled to Cuba
to report on the Cuban Revolution
in the Record, which coverage included an exclusive interview with Fidel Castro
.
Also in 1959, William H. Rehnquist, then a young Arizona
lawyer, wrote an editorial in the Record entitled "The Making of a Supreme Court Justice," in which he criticized the U.S. Senate for not questioning the judicial philosophy of Supreme Court
nominees. The article was later cited by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee
when he refused to answer questions during his confirmation hearings.
In April 1971, the New York Times reported that Harvard Law School professors Alan Dershowitz
and Paul Freund had quit after picking up the story from the Records April Fool's Day issue.
In the last decade the Record has won several awards from the American Bar Association
Law Student Division for outstanding writing, including the 2007 awards for Best Editorial and Best Feature Article.
The Record had been a weekly publication since its founding, but low advertising revenue coinciding with the onset of the global economic recession in 2008 forced the editors to cut the paper's frequency to biweekly. In that time, however, the paper has significantly expanded its online presence, offering continuous breaking news, a feed on Twitter
, and copies of its print edition available for download via Scribd
.
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
newspaper based at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. Founded in 1946, it is the oldest law school newspaper in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Characteristics
The Record, a biweekly publication, includes law school news, world and national news, and scholarly articles and op-eds written by Harvard Law School students and professors, as well as outside contributors. It should not be confused with the Harvard Law ReviewHarvard Law Review
The Harvard Law Review is a journal of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School.-Overview:According to the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, the Review is the most cited law review and has the second-highest impact factor in the category "law" after the...
, which is limited to publishing scholarly academic articles exclusively.
Although it is student-run, the Record is owned by the Harvard Law School Record Corporation, an independent non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
funded primarily through advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
. It does not receive funding or substantial support from the law school.
The Record is home to fictional law student Fenno, who since the 1950s has satirically chronicled the adventures of an anonymous law student, and has lampooned prominent members of the Harvard Law School community in the process. It also publishes an annual April Fool's Day issue, renowned for its satire.
History
The Record was founded in 1946 by a group of returning World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veterans who were unhappy with conditions at the School, particularly a lack of student housing. The three primary founders of the Record were Charles O. Porter
Charles O. Porter
Charles Orlando Porter was a politician from the U.S. state of Oregon.-Early life:Born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, to Frank Porter and Ruth Peterson, he graduated from high school in Eugene, Oregon and then went on to graduate from Harvard University with a B.S. in 1941...
, who later served as a U.S. Congressman from Oregon, Charles Sweet, later a judge, and Paul Hellmuth, who became managing partner of the Boston law firm Hale & Dorr (now WilmerHale
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, which also goes by the shorter market name WilmerHale, is an American law firm with twelve offices across the USA, Europe and Asia. It was created in 2004 through the merger of the Boston-based firm Hale and Dorr and the Washington-based firm Wilmer Cutler...
).
Among the former editors of the Record is Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
, who published his first article on unsafe conditions in the auto industry entitled, American Cars: Designed for Death, in the Record in 1958. The article was later expanded into Nader's seminal work on the subject, Unsafe at Any Speed.
In 1959, Nader and co-editor David Binder
David Binder
David Binder is a Broadway, off-Broadway, and West End theater producer.-Biography:David produced the first Broadway revival of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, starring Sean Combs, Audra McDonald, Phylicia Rashad and Sanaa Lathan...
traveled to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
to report on the Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
in the Record, which coverage included an exclusive interview with Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
.
Also in 1959, William H. Rehnquist, then a young Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
lawyer, wrote an editorial in the Record entitled "The Making of a Supreme Court Justice," in which he criticized the U.S. Senate for not questioning the judicial philosophy of Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
nominees. The article was later cited by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
when he refused to answer questions during his confirmation hearings.
In April 1971, the New York Times reported that Harvard Law School professors Alan Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz
Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He has spent most of his career at Harvard Law School where in 1967, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor of law in its history...
and Paul Freund had quit after picking up the story from the Records April Fool's Day issue.
In the last decade the Record has won several awards from the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
Law Student Division for outstanding writing, including the 2007 awards for Best Editorial and Best Feature Article.
The Record had been a weekly publication since its founding, but low advertising revenue coinciding with the onset of the global economic recession in 2008 forced the editors to cut the paper's frequency to biweekly. In that time, however, the paper has significantly expanded its online presence, offering continuous breaking news, a feed on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, and copies of its print edition available for download via Scribd
Scribd
Scribd is a Web 2.0 based document-sharing website which allows users to post documents of various formats, and embed them into a web page using its iPaper format. Scribd was founded by Trip Adler, Tikhon Bernstam, and Jared Friedman in 2006...
.
Notable editors and contributors
- Jacob M. AppelJacob M. AppelJacob M. Appel is an American author, bioethicist and social critic. He is best known for his short stories, his work as a playwright, and his writing in the fields of reproductive ethics, organ donation, neuroethics and euthanasia....
, fiction writer and bioethicist - Derrick BellDerrick BellDerrick Albert Bell, Jr. was the first tenured African-American professor of Law at Harvard University, and largely credited as the originator of Critical Race Theory. He was the former dean of the University of Oregon School of Law.- Education and early career :Born in the Hill District of...
, law professor at NYU Law School - Jeremy Blachman, author of the Anonymous Lawyer blog and books
- Alexander BoldizarAlexander BoldizarAlexander Boldizar is a writer, lawyer and art critic. He was the first post-independence Slovak citizen to graduate with a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School...
, novelist and art critic - Ruben BollingRuben BollingRuben Bolling is a pseudonym for Ken Fisher, a cartoonist, the author of Tom the Dancing Bug.- Biography :Bolling, who has no formal art training, read many comics when he was a child, and sometimes features their styles in his work...
, aka Ken Fisher, cartoonist and creator of "Tom the Dancing BugTom the Dancing BugTom the Dancing Bug is a weekly satirical comic strip by cartoonist and political commentator Ruben Bolling that covers current events from a liberal point of view. The strip appears in mainstream and alternative weekly newspapers, as well as on the Boing Boing website. Tom the Dancing Bug won...
" - Alan DershowitzAlan DershowitzAlan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He has spent most of his career at Harvard Law School where in 1967, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor of law in its history...
, law professor - Debra DickersonDebra DickersonDebra J. Dickerson is an American author, editor, writer, and current contributing writer and blogger for Mother Jones magazine. Dickerson has been most prolific as an essayist, writing frequently on race relations and racial identity in the United States.-Early life:She dropped out of Florissant...
, author and commentator - Robert FellmethRobert FellmethRobert "Bob" Fellmeth, one of the original Nader's Raiders, now teaches public interest law and other subjects at the University of San Diego School of Law....
, public interest law professor at the University of San Diego Law School - Martin D. GinsburgMartin D. GinsburgMartin David Ginsburg was an internationally renowned taxation law expert. He was Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. and of counsel to the law firm Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson....
, tax law expert at Georgetown University Law School - Philip Heymann, Deputy Attorney GeneralDeputy Attorney GeneralDeputy Attorney General is the second-highest-ranking official in a department of justice or of law, in various governments of the world. In those governments, the Deputy Attorney General oversees the day-to-day operation of the department, and may act as Attorney General during the absence of...
under Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and currently professor at Harvard Law - Ricardo HinojosaRicardo HinojosaRicardo H. Hinojosa is a United States federal judge, and served as the Chairman of the United States Sentencing Commission.Born in Rio Grande City, Texas, Hinojosa received a B.A. from the University of Texas, Austin in 1972, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1975. He was a law clerk to the...
, federal court judge - Murad KalamMurad KalamMurad Kalam is an American writer.Kalam was born to a Jamaican father and a white mother. His family moved around the country frequently before settling in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona, where he grew up. In 1999, Kalam graduated from Harvard College, where he studied writing under Jamaica...
, O. Henry AwardO. Henry AwardThe O. Henry Award is the only yearly award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American master of the form, O. Henry....
winning novelist - George N. LeightonGeorge N. LeightonGeorge Neves Leighton is a retired African-American judge.- Personal life :...
, U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Illinois - James Alan McPhersonJames Alan McPherson-External links:*...
, Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning essayist and short story writer - Johanes MalizaJohanes MalizaJohanes Maliza is an American soccer midfielder who, in 2004 and 2005, played for the Puerto Rico Islanders of the USL First Division. He has since entered politics and law.-Soccer:...
, professional soccer player - Jamie MetzlJamie MetzlJamie Frederic Metzl is a Senior Fellow at the Asia Society and was formally the Asia Society’s Executive Vice President. In this capacity, he was responsible for overseeing the institution's strategic directions and overall program activities globally...
, Executive Vice President of the Asia SocietyAsia SocietyThe Asia Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia. It has several centers in the United States and around the world Hong Kong, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, and Melbourne...
and former State Department official - Patrick Miles Jr.Patrick Miles Jr.Patrick A. Miles, Jr. is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based business attorney and was the Democratic nominee for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District in the 2010 congressional election.- Background and Education :...
, 2010 Michigan congressional candidate - Makau Mutua, Dean of the University at Buffalo Law SchoolUniversity at Buffalo Law SchoolThe University at Buffalo Law School, the State University of New York is a graduate professional school at the University at Buffalo. It is part of the State University of New York system and is the SUNY system's only law school. U.S...
- Ralph NaderRalph NaderRalph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
, consumer advocate and U.S. presidential candidate - Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... - Charles OgletreeCharles OgletreeCharles J. Ogletree is Jesse Climenko Professor at Harvard Law School, the founder of the school's Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, and the author of numerous books on legal topics....
, law professor - Joel PollakJoel PollakJoel Barry Pollak is an American politician and author. In 2010 he was the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress from Illinois's 9th congressional district, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Democrat Janice D. “Jan” Schakowsky....
, 2010 Illinois congressional candidate - Charles O. PorterCharles O. PorterCharles Orlando Porter was a politician from the U.S. state of Oregon.-Early life:Born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, to Frank Porter and Ruth Peterson, he graduated from high school in Eugene, Oregon and then went on to graduate from Harvard University with a B.S. in 1941...
, U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... - Richard PosnerRichard PosnerRichard Allen Posner is an American jurist, legal theorist, and economist who is currently a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School...
, federal circuit court judge and law professor at the University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890... - William RehnquistWilliam RehnquistWilliam Hubbs Rehnquist was an American lawyer, jurist, and political figure who served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States and later as the 16th Chief Justice of the United States...
, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States - Henry SternHenry SternHenry J. Stern ; was a member of the New York City Council from 1974 to 1983 and appointed as the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation from 1983 to 1990 and again from 1994 to 2000.-Early life:...
, member of the New York City CouncilNew York City CouncilThe New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
and Commissioner of New York City Parks and Recreation - Jerome J. ShestackJerome J. ShestackJerome Joseph "Jerry" Shestack , was a Philadelphia lawyer and human rights advocate active in Democratic Party politics who served as president of the American Bar Association from 1997 to 1998...
, former American Bar Association president - James B. StewartJames B. StewartJames Bennett Stewart is an American lawyer, journalist, and author.-Life and career:Stewart was born in Quincy, Illinois. A graduate of DePauw University and Harvard Law School, James B. Stewart is a member of the Bar of New York and Bloomberg Professor of Business and Economic Journalism at the...
, journalist, Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning author - Kevin WerbachKevin WerbachKevin Werbach is a leading expert on the business, policy, and social implications of emerging Internet and communications technologies. Werbach is an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania...
, business and technology expert at the Wharton School
See also
- The Harvard CrimsonThe Harvard CrimsonThe Harvard Crimson, the daily student newspaper of Harvard University, was founded in 1873. It is the only daily newspaper in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is run entirely by Harvard College undergraduates...
, Harvard's undergraduate newspaper - Harvard Law ReviewHarvard Law ReviewThe Harvard Law Review is a journal of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School.-Overview:According to the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, the Review is the most cited law review and has the second-highest impact factor in the category "law" after the...
, a student-edited academic journal
External links
- Official website
- Twitter feed
- Issues in PDF format on ScribdScribdScribd is a Web 2.0 based document-sharing website which allows users to post documents of various formats, and embed them into a web page using its iPaper format. Scribd was founded by Trip Adler, Tikhon Bernstam, and Jared Friedman in 2006...