Harvard Legal Aid Bureau
Encyclopedia
The Harvard Legal Aid Bureau ("HLAB") is the oldest student-run legal services office
in the country, founded in 1913. Located at 23 Everett Street in Cambridge, MA, the Bureau's mission is to provide an important community service while giving student attorneys the opportunity to develop professional skills as part of the clinical programs of Harvard Law School
. Historically, the Bureau was one of three honors societies at the law school, along with the Harvard Law Review
and the Board of Student Advisers, and membership was determined by first year grades. Although selection procedures are different today, students who are selected for more than one of these three organizations may still only join one.
The Harvard Legal Aid Bureau is a student-run law firm serving clients in housing law (landlord-tenant relations, public housing
, subsidized housing, foreclosure defense), family law (divorce, custody, paternity, child support
), government benefits (Social Security
, unemployment benefits
, Veterans' benefits
, welfare
), and wage and hour cases (including unpaid or underpaid wages, benefits, and overtime). The Bureau employs eight supervising attorneys and selects approximately twenty-five student members annually. Students practice under the supervision of admitted attorneys; however, students are primarily casehandlers on all matters. As a result, students gain firsthand experience appearing in court, negotiating with opposing attorneys, and working directly with clients. Students receive both classroom and clinical credits for their work at the Bureau.
Unlike most clinical programs at Harvard, the Bureau is a two-year commitment. This gives students a chance to have a much more sustained and in-depth academic experience. In addition to the substantive legal experience, students gain practical experience managing a law firm. The student board of directors makes all decisions regarding case intake, budget management, and office administration.
Famous members include Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick
, activist and First Lady Michelle Obama
, and professors Erwin Chemerinsky
and Laurence Tribe
.
who provide free legal services to a diverse population of low-income clients in the Greater Boston area. It is Boston's second largest legal services provider.
Members of the Bureau practice under Rule 3:03 of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
, which allows them to appear in court as counsel of record for low-income clients. The Bureau currently employs eight practicing attorneys who train and supervise members.
Bureau members practice in the following general practice areas: housing law, family law, government benefits, and employment law. Students usually focus primarily on housing or family law. Within these practices, students work on matters such as eviction defense, domestic violence, child custody and support, divorce, social security benefits, wage and hour violations, and employment discrimination cases. As of 2011, students also practice in veterans benefits.
In addition, many students in the housing practice have become involved with the Bureau's Foreclosure Task Force, which offers assistance to every individual in Boston facing eviction as a result of foreclosure. Working in coordination with Project No One Leaves
, the Bureau has attracted national attention for its success in protecting neighborhoods, defending tenants in court, and changing state law.
The student-run nature of the Bureau leads to a great deal of flexibility within the program. Students are encouraged to play a role in shaping the Bureau as it expands to meet new challenges and practice in new areas. Most recently, the Bureau has responded to the foreclosure crisis by developing a canvassing organization, Project No One Leaves
, which works with students and community activists to organize tenants facing foreclosure. No One Leaves is now being used as a model for similar organizing efforts across the nation. In addition, Bureau members are currently working on pilot programs in Employment Discrimination Law
and Discharge Upgrades
for Military Veterans
.
, a philanthropic organization at Harvard College
, joined to form an organization aimed at providing legal services to individuals who could not afford to hire private counsel. Within a year, the organization incorporated under Massachusetts law as the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, established an office in Harvard Law School’s Austin Hall
, and developed a client base. The Bureau was composed of twenty-five students at the law school. The student Board of Directors, composed of a President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, and two at-large members, managed the affairs of the office.
The Bureau grew during the late 1920s and 1930s, retained a Boston Legal Aid attorney as its part-time supervisor, and moved to the law school’s Gannett House. The Bureau suspended its operations in 1942 at the onset of World War II
because of declining enrollment at the law school, but since re-opening in 1946 it has consistently provided training to students and legal services to individuals in need.
The Bureau was once an honor society whose admissions were based solely on academic achievement, along with the Harvard Law Review
and the Board of Student Advisers. Bureau members are currently selected in the spring of their 1L year through an application process that involves a writing competition, resume and cover letter review, and interviews. The Bureau is now located at 23 Everett Street on the Harvard Law School campus.
Legal clinic
The phrase legal clinic may refer to any private, nonprofit law practice serving the public interest. In the academic context, these law school clinics provide hands-on experience to law school students and services to various clients. Academic Clinics are usually directed by clinical professors...
in the country, founded in 1913. Located at 23 Everett Street in Cambridge, MA, the Bureau's mission is to provide an important community service while giving student attorneys the opportunity to develop professional skills as part of the clinical programs of 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...
. Historically, the Bureau was one of three honors societies at the law school, along with the Harvard Law Review
Harvard 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...
and the Board of Student Advisers, and membership was determined by first year grades. Although selection procedures are different today, students who are selected for more than one of these three organizations may still only join one.
The Harvard Legal Aid Bureau is a student-run law firm serving clients in housing law (landlord-tenant relations, public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
, subsidized housing, foreclosure defense), family law (divorce, custody, paternity, child support
Child support
In family law and public policy, child support is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child following the end of a marriage or other relationship...
), government benefits (Social Security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
, unemployment benefits
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
, Veterans' benefits
Veterans benefits
Throughout history war veterans have received compensation. Roman soldiers were given rewards at the end of their service including cash or land . Augustus fixed the amount in AD 5 at 3000 denarii and by the time of Caracalla it had risen to 5000 denarii...
, welfare
Welfare
Welfare refers to a broad discourse which may hold certain implications regarding the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed "social solidarity"...
), and wage and hour cases (including unpaid or underpaid wages, benefits, and overtime). The Bureau employs eight supervising attorneys and selects approximately twenty-five student members annually. Students practice under the supervision of admitted attorneys; however, students are primarily casehandlers on all matters. As a result, students gain firsthand experience appearing in court, negotiating with opposing attorneys, and working directly with clients. Students receive both classroom and clinical credits for their work at the Bureau.
Unlike most clinical programs at Harvard, the Bureau is a two-year commitment. This gives students a chance to have a much more sustained and in-depth academic experience. In addition to the substantive legal experience, students gain practical experience managing a law firm. The student board of directors makes all decisions regarding case intake, budget management, and office administration.
Famous members include Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
, activist and First Lady Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
, and professors Erwin Chemerinsky
Erwin Chemerinsky
Erwin Chemerinsky is an American lawyer and law professor. He is a prominent scholar in United States constitutional law and federal civil procedure...
and Laurence Tribe
Laurence Tribe
Laurence Henry Tribe is a professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School and the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard University. He also works with the firm Massey & Gail LLP on a variety of matters....
.
Overview
The Bureau is composed of approximately fifty second- and third-year student attorneys at Harvard Law SchoolHarvard 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...
who provide free legal services to a diverse population of low-income clients in the Greater Boston area. It is Boston's second largest legal services provider.
Members of the Bureau practice under Rule 3:03 of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SJC has the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Western Hemisphere.-History:...
, which allows them to appear in court as counsel of record for low-income clients. The Bureau currently employs eight practicing attorneys who train and supervise members.
Bureau members practice in the following general practice areas: housing law, family law, government benefits, and employment law. Students usually focus primarily on housing or family law. Within these practices, students work on matters such as eviction defense, domestic violence, child custody and support, divorce, social security benefits, wage and hour violations, and employment discrimination cases. As of 2011, students also practice in veterans benefits.
In addition, many students in the housing practice have become involved with the Bureau's Foreclosure Task Force, which offers assistance to every individual in Boston facing eviction as a result of foreclosure. Working in coordination with Project No One Leaves
Project No One Leaves
Project No One Leaves is a Boston non-profit tenants' rights organization which provides legal education to people living in foreclosed homes to enable them to understand and protect their legal rights...
, the Bureau has attracted national attention for its success in protecting neighborhoods, defending tenants in court, and changing state law.
Governance
As a student run law-firm, the operations of the Bureau are overseen entirely by a Student Board of Directors elected by the general membership. The Board is responsible for developing and implementing Bureau policies, as well as overseeing day-to-day operations at the Bureau. Each Board member is elected for a term of one year by the general membership of the Bureau at the annual election meeting in January.The student-run nature of the Bureau leads to a great deal of flexibility within the program. Students are encouraged to play a role in shaping the Bureau as it expands to meet new challenges and practice in new areas. Most recently, the Bureau has responded to the foreclosure crisis by developing a canvassing organization, Project No One Leaves
Project No One Leaves
Project No One Leaves is a Boston non-profit tenants' rights organization which provides legal education to people living in foreclosed homes to enable them to understand and protect their legal rights...
, which works with students and community activists to organize tenants facing foreclosure. No One Leaves is now being used as a model for similar organizing efforts across the nation. In addition, Bureau members are currently working on pilot programs in Employment Discrimination Law
Employment discrimination
Employment discrimination is discrimination in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, and compensation. It includes various types of harassment....
and Discharge Upgrades
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
for Military Veterans
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
.
History
In the spring of 1913, several students associated with the Phillips Brooks House AssociationPhillips Brooks House Association
Phillips Brooks House Association is a student-run, staff supported public service/social action organization at Harvard College providing a variety of services to the Greater Boston community...
, a philanthropic organization at Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, joined to form an organization aimed at providing legal services to individuals who could not afford to hire private counsel. Within a year, the organization incorporated under Massachusetts law as the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, established an office in Harvard Law School’s Austin Hall
Austin Hall (Harvard University)
Austin Hall is a classroom building of the Harvard Law School designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson. The first building purpose built for an American law school, it was also the first dedicated home of Harvard Law. It is located on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge,...
, and developed a client base. The Bureau was composed of twenty-five students at the law school. The student Board of Directors, composed of a President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, and two at-large members, managed the affairs of the office.
The Bureau grew during the late 1920s and 1930s, retained a Boston Legal Aid attorney as its part-time supervisor, and moved to the law school’s Gannett House. The Bureau suspended its operations in 1942 at the onset of World War II
World 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...
because of declining enrollment at the law school, but since re-opening in 1946 it has consistently provided training to students and legal services to individuals in need.
The Bureau was once an honor society whose admissions were based solely on academic achievement, along with the Harvard Law Review
Harvard 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...
and the Board of Student Advisers. Bureau members are currently selected in the spring of their 1L year through an application process that involves a writing competition, resume and cover letter review, and interviews. The Bureau is now located at 23 Everett Street on the Harvard Law School campus.
Alumni
Prominent alumni of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau include:- William J. Brennan, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
- Deval PatrickDeval PatrickDeval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts - Michelle ObamaMichelle ObamaMichelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
, First Lady of the United States - Erwin ChemerinskyErwin ChemerinskyErwin Chemerinsky is an American lawyer and law professor. He is a prominent scholar in United States constitutional law and federal civil procedure...
, constitutional law scholar and founding dean of University of California, Irvine School of Law - Hon. Ojetta Rogeriee ThompsonOjetta Rogeriee ThompsonOjetta Rogeriee Thompson is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and a former Rhode Island Superior Court justice.- Early life and education :...
, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit - Hon. Karen Nelson MooreKaren Nelson MooreKaren Nelson Moore is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Her chambers are located in Cleveland, Ohio.-Education and legal training:...
, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit - Hon. Matthew Kennelly, United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois
- Hon. William SchwarzerWilliam SchwarzerWilliam W. Schwarzer is a United States federal judge serving on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.Born in Berlin, Germany, Schwarzer served in the United States Army during World War II, beginning in 1943. He attained the rank of Second Lietuenant, and was...
, senior United States District Judge for the Northern District of California - Hon. Jed Rakoff, United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York
- Hon. Fernande R.V. DufflyFernande R.V. DufflyFernande R.V. Duffly is an American lawyer and jurist from Massachusetts. She was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick in December 2010 to serve as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Her appointment comes following the elevation of Roderick L. Ireland as Chief Justice...
, Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts - Raymond Sanger Wilkins, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts and founding member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau
- Laurence TribeLaurence TribeLaurence Henry Tribe is a professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School and the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard University. He also works with the firm Massey & Gail LLP on a variety of matters....
, constitutional law scholar and Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard Law School - Stephen W. PrestonStephen W. PrestonStephen W. Preston is a United States lawyer who served as General Counsel of the Navy from 1998 to 2000 and in 2009 was nominated by Barack Obama as General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency.-Biography:...
, General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency and former General Counsel of the Navy - Will A. GunnWill A. GunnColonel Will A. Gunn is an American lawyer and former officer in the American Armed Forces. He has been recently nominated by President Barack Obama to be the new general counsel for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs....
, General Counsel, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Willard Tom, General Counsel, Federal Trade Commission
- Charles Munger, Vice-Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and business partner of Warren Buffett
- Alan KhazeiAlan KhazeiAlan Khazei is an American social entrepreneur. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Be the Change, Inc., a Boston-based group dedicated to building national coalitions of non-profit organizations and citizens to enact legislation on issues such as poverty and education...
, CEO of Be the Change, U.S. Senate candidate - Raj GoyleRaj GoyleRajeev Kumar Goyle is a Democratic politician from Kansas, who represented the 87th District in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011. He was the 2010 Democratic nominee for .-Early life, education and career:...
, State Congressman representing the 87th district of Kansas. - Hon. Frank Padgett, former associate justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii
- Major General Wilton B. Persons, Jr., former U.S. Army Judge Advocate General
- Joseph Anthony Califano, Jr, 12th United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
- Paul D. Carrington, Professor and former Dean, Duke University School of Law
- Richard Stewart, University Professor, NYU School of Law
- Earl Leiken, Mayor of Shaker Heights, Ohio
- David L. KirpDavid L. KirpDavid L. Kirp, is a professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, former member of the Barack Obama Presidential Transition Team and author. His research has explored a wide range of social policy domains, including primary and higher education, race...
, Professor of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley - Robert J. Reinstein, Professor and former Dean, Temple University Beasley School of Law
- Jeffrey SteingartenJeffrey SteingartenJeffrey Steingarten is a leading food writer in the United States. He has been the food critic at Vogue magazine since 1989. His monthly columns in Vogue have earned him a National Magazine Award, and nearly a dozen James Beard Awards and nominations...
, author and food editor of Vogue Magazine - Hon. Emily C. HewittEmily C. Hewitt-Early life:Hewitt graduated from the Roland Park Country School in Baltimore, Maryland and earned an A.B. from Cornell University in 1966. She received an M.Phil. degree from the Union Theological Seminary in New York City in studies focusing on religion and education, and was ordained to the...
, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims - Howard Learner, President and Executive Director, Environmental Law and Policy Center.
- Teresa McHenry, Chief of Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, U.S. Department of Justice
- Mark Rosenbaum, Legal Director, ACLU of Southern California and Professor at University of Michigan School of Law
- Hon. Frank M. CoffinFrank M. CoffinFrank Morey Coffin was an American politician from Maine and a United States federal judge. He was a Democrat.-Early life, education, and career:...
, Federal Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit - Hon. Daniel Joseph O’Hern, Justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court
- Prof. Peter MurrayPeter Murray (Harvard Law School)Peter Murray is the Robert Braucher Visiting Professor and Edward R. Johnston Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School. He is an authority in the fields of evidence, comparative law, trial advocacy, comparative civil procedure, and admiralty law. Murray graduated from Harvard Law School...
, Harvard Law School Professor - Leonard Rubenstein, President of Physicians for Human Rights and Professor at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Jill Owens, Senior Special Counsel to the New York Stock Exchange
- Bruce Gelber, Principal Deputy Chief at the U.S. Department of Justice