COVID-19 and the Law: Law and Policy to Address Basic Needs and Marginalized Populations

As we embark on this new semester amid the unusual challenges posed by COVID-19, Faculty Director of the Food Law and Policy Clinic, Professor Emily Broad Leib, is leading a unique opportunity to explore the particular difficulties and opportunities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This fall, Professor Emily Broad Leib and Professor Martha Minow are co-hosting a Colloquium series titled, COVID-19 and The Law: Law and Policy to Address Basic Needs and Marginalized Populations. The series will cover issues such as health law and COVID-19 (September 16, featuring Professor Robert Greenwald) and Housing and Food Law (September 23, featuring Professor Emily Broad Leib). Anyone in the Harvard community may register to participate in live sessions. Recordings, blog posts, and other resources developed throughout the series will be available online to the broader public. A full description of the Colloquium series is as follows:

Colloquium: 
Involving more than 40 experts from Harvard Law School’s faculty, clinics, and research programs, the Colloquium will include a weekly virtual discussion series with faculty experts who will share their expertise in topics ranging from public health and drug development to criminal justice, from social safety nets to finance, from issues involving race, gender, and disability to questions involving immigration and international relations, and from regulation of farms and meat-packing plants to election law. These sessions will take place from 12pm – 1pm each Wednesday starting Sept. 9; the live sessions are open only to members of the Harvard community (a Harvard email must be used at registration), however recordings will be posted online and shared with the public. 

The topics and participating speakers are listed on the Colloquium Blog, and registration is available HERE  (early registration is encouraged to secure attendance).  

Blog:
We will post the recordings of our colloquium sessions on the COVID-19 and the Law Blog. The Blog will also feature: readings and resources on each topic; blog posts by students, faculty, and other experts; and opportunities for students to volunteer their time and talents.

Opportunities for Credit:
For Harvard Law School students, there are currently two opportunities to get involved and secure credit(s) through the Colloquium:

1. Become a contributor to the blog (1 or 2 credits): author, edit, and help curate blog posts that provide deeper analysis of topics covered in the Colloquium, reports of ongoing developments and current events, insights from interviews with the faculty speakers and other experts, or examination of important and relevant topics not included in the Colloquium series. Sign up for this opportunity by contacting Professor Minow (minow@law.harvard.edu).
2. Write an independent paper with participating faculty members (2 credits): Many faculty members participating in the colloquium have indicated willingness to work with students on papers related to their session; you can contact professors directly and check the “Student Engagement” page on our Blog for the list of participating professors and their availability.

We hope you join for one, some or all of the sessions.