Court
At Harvard Law School Forum, Former Justice Stephen Breyer Reflects on SCOTUS Career
Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer reflected on his 42-year career as a federal judge at a Harvard Law School forum on Monday afternoon alongside Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of the Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitutional Questions Arise as Cambridge Tries to Ban Crisis Pregnancy Centers
The Cambridge City Council resolved to ban the licensing of limited-services pregnancy centers, though legal and constitutional questions remain.
Judge Denies Harvard Professor Charles Lieber's Request for a New Trial
A federal judge on Thursday rejected Harvard professor Charles M. Lieber's request for a new trial, another legal blow to the embattled research chemist, who was convicted last year of lying to the government about his ties to a Chinese-government run recruitment program.
Federal Appeals Court Rejects Libel Lawsuit Against Harvard, The Crimson
A federal appeals court on Monday rejected a libel lawsuit filed against Harvard and The Crimson by a former University employee, upholding a lower court’s ruling.
Former Harvard Fencing Coach, College Parent to Go on Trial for Bribery in December
Former Harvard fencing coach Peter Brand and Harvard College parent Jie “Jack” Zhao will go on trial in December on charges they allegedly conspired to secure admission to Harvard for Zhao’s two sons with bribes totaling $1.5 million.
Borrowers Represented by HLS Organization Reach Settlement with Federal Government to Cancel $6 Billion in Student Loans
Student borrowers reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Education last month that will cancel around $6 billion in student loans across a group of more than 200,000 people if approved by a federal judge.
Mass. Supreme Court Allows Emotional Distress Claim Against Harvard to Proceed in Suit Over Photos of Enslaved People
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned a lower court’s dismissal of Tamara K. Lanier’s emotional distress claim against Harvard, according to a decision released Thursday morning, allowing Lanier to continue to seek damages from the University.
Appeals Court Revives Suit Alleging Harvard Wrongfully Denied Undergrad Degree After Sexual Assault Findings
A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that a lower court improperly dismissed one count of a 2019 lawsuit filed by a former Harvard undergraduate who alleges he was wrongfully denied his degree after being accused of sexual assault.
Harvard Asks Judge to Dismiss Comaroff Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Harvard filed a motion on Tuesday asking a federal judge to dismiss nine of 10 counts in a lawsuit filed by three Anthropology graduate students in Feburary alleging the University ignored years of sexual harassment and retaliation by professor John L. Comaroff.
SFFA Asks Supreme Court to Overturn Precedents Upholding Affirmative Action in Filing for Harvard, UNC Cases
The anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions asked the United States Supreme Court to ban affirmative action in American higher education by overturning precedents that allow universities to consider race as a factor in admissions in a brief filed with the court Monday.
Ketanji Brown Jackson ’92 Set to Face Questions About Harvard Governance Role in Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings
The confirmation hearings of Ketanji Brown Jackson '92 start today. Experts say she’ll be pressed on her ties to Harvard and her work as a public defender
Lieber Told FBI He ‘Wasn’t Completely Transparent’ in Prior Interview with Federal Investigators
Harvard professor Charles M. Lieber told the FBI in January 2020 that he “wasn’t completely transparent” in a separate interview with federal investigators two years prior, according to video of an interrogation presented in court by government prosecutors on Friday.
Attorneys Spar Over Documents Recovered in FBI Raids During Third Day of Lieber Trial
Defense attorneys representing Harvard professor Charles M. Lieber, who is facing trial for allegedly lying to federal investigators about his ties to China, sparred with prosecutors on Thursday over the evidentiary relevance of documents obtained during raids of the prominent chemist’s home and office.
As Trial Begins, Lawyers for Harvard Professor Charles Lieber Say He Did Not Conceal Ties to China
Lawyers for Harvard professor Charles M. Lieber, who is accused of lying to federal investigators about his ties to China, mounted a dramatic defense of the renowned chemist in federal court Wednesday, calling the government’s proof against him “mangled” and “misguided.”
Charles Lieber’s Trial Begins Tuesday: Here’s What You Need to Know
Former Harvard Chemistry chair Charles M. Lieber is set to stand trial Tuesday on six federal charges related to his ties to the Chinese government, nearly two years after his initial arrest.
Biden Administration Backs Harvard in Admissions Lawsuit
The Biden administration backed Harvard’s race-conscious admissions process in a brief filed to the Supreme Court Wednesday, recommending that the Court reject an appeal challenging the use of affirmative action in the school’s admissions process.
Judges Skeptical as Lieber Reiterates Harvard Should Pay His Legal Fees in Appeal Hearing
Justices on the Supreme Judicial Court appeared skeptical Wednesday as lawyers for former Harvard Chemistry chair Charles M. Lieber — who is preparing for trial on federal criminal charges — argued on appeal that Harvard should be obligated to pay for his legal defense.
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court — the highest court in the Commonwealth — is comprised of a chief justice and six associate justices, who hear appeals on both criminal and civil cases.
Mass. Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments Over Harvard’s Possession of Photos Depicting Enslaved People
In the opening salvo of their effort to appeal the March dismissal of Lanier v. Harvard, lawyers for Tamara K. Lanier and Harvard argued before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court about whether the University unlawfully possesses and profits from historic photos Lanier says depict her enslaved ancestors.
‘Hummus with a Side of Justice’: Local Pub Grendel’s Den Could Help Overturn Texas Abortion Law
A 1982 Supreme Court decision involving Harvard Square restaurant Grendel’s Den could serve as legal precedent to overturn Texas’s recent law banning most abortions, Harvard emeritus professors Laurence H. Tribe ’62 and David Rosenberg wrote in a Boston Globe opinion piece last week.
HLS Prof. Leads Appeal to Reshape Harassment Reporting For Federal Courts Employees
Harvard Law School professor Jeannie C. Suk Gersen filed a brief last month on behalf of an anonymous federal courts employee in a case that could overhaul the way the federal judiciary handles allegations of harassment within its own halls.
Lieber Case Moves Closer to Trial
Former Harvard Chemistry chair Charles M. Lieber on Friday moved one step closer to a trial on federal charges as his attorneys and prosecutors confirmed they have completed discovery and agreed to meet for a pretrial status conference.
Mass. District Court Dismisses Lawsuit Demanding Harvard Refund Tuition For Pandemic Closure
A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit brought by three Harvard graduate students in 2020 over the University’s refusal to partially refund tuition as classes moved online early in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Federal Judge Upholds Ruling Against Former Bolivian President in Human Rights Case Brought by HLS Clinic
HLS’s International Human Rights Clinic secured a historic victory as a federal judge turned down a former Bolivian president and defense minister's request to reverse a judgement against them for the massacre of Indigenous people.