Category Archives: Graduate Program

International Party 2014 – Snapshots

Posted on by

Photo courtesy of Heratch Photography.

The 2014 LL.M. class hosted the International Party on Saturday, February 15, a highly-anticipated annual event in which students, faculty, staff, and family members celebrate the graduate students’ cultural heritage. Decked out in traditional outfits, students shared their favorite culinary treats, which ranged from Taiwanese Boba tea to Swiss chocolates to Indonesian Gado-gado. With full plates and bellies, the crowd gathered to watch performances that included a traditional Maori song, a Chinese folk dance, and an Indian Bollywood dance. View a slideshow of the party on the HLS Student Spotlights Web page.

2013-2014 LL.M. Class Notes

Posted on by

On August 19th we opened our doors to welcome this year’s cohort of masters of law (LL.M.) students to the Harvard Law School campus.  We were greeted by 181 enthusiastic men and women from around the world, eager to explore Harvard and prepare for an amazing year ahead of intellectual and personal growth.  The group includes:

  • 181 students (98% are international students)
  • 53% women, 47% men
  • 32% hold advanced degrees, including 7 doctorates
  • 67% have 2 or more years of practice or teaching experience
  • 11 Supreme Court or Constitutional Court Clerks (for courts in Australia, Canada, Colombia, India, Israel, New Zealand, the Phillipines, Puerto Rico, and Singapore)
  • 1 prosecutor, 6 judges, and 5 law teachers
  • 20 Fulbright students
  • 65 countries/jurisdictions represented, from A (Argentina) to V (Vietnam)
  • In addition to law, LL.M.s in this class hold degrees in architectural engineering, Asian studies, broadcast communications, business, civil engineering, criminal justice, economics, finance, geography & resource development, history, journalism, Maori resource management, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, and pharmaceutical science
  • Fun Facts: This year’s LL.M. class includes a former professional soccer player, a licensed pharmacist, a former radio and television host, a documentary film producer, a number of black belt martial artists, a military parachutist, a former police officer, two former journalists, and a trained opera singer

We are excited that this outstanding group of students is with us this year, enriching our community.  Come visit the bulletin board outside the Graduate Program suite (Wasserstein 5005) to see profiles of our LL.M. and exchange students.

Disability Rights Advocate, S.J.D. Candidate, and 2012 Chayes Fellow

Posted on by

“Disability rights victories in European Court of Human Rights won by HLS advocate,” a news story just posted on the HLS web site, profiles the work of Hungarian disability rights activist János Fiala-Butora (LL.M. ’10), an S.J.D. candidate at Harvard Law School and an associate of the Harvard Law School Project on Disability.

Jan’s advocacy, and his research, focuses on the idea that “people with disabilities should be able to make decisions about their medical treatment, just like everybody else.” His S.J.D dissertation will explore the institution of guardianship for people with disabilities in countries around the world.

This summer, he continued his work in Hungary and Croatia, traveling there with the support of the Chayes International Public Service Fellowship. Working with the Disability Rights Center in Hungary and the Office of the Ombudswoman for Persons with Disabilities in Croatia, he drafted a proposal to the Croatian government on the implementation of Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and researched international human rights standards and problems relating to the application of legal capacity (guardianship) legislation in Croatia and other Central European countries.

The Chayes Fellowships are dedicated to the memory of Professor Abram Chayes, who taught at Harvard Law School for more than 40 years. Please click here to find detailed information about the program.