How to Follow Harvard Law School News, Events, and Public Programming

Updated

Harvard Law School's official site, hls.harvard.edu, is the starting point for following its news, events, and public programming. The homepage surfaces current stories and upcoming events, and the main menu links to dedicated sections including Harvard Law Today (news), the Events Calendar, and the Library. If you want accurate dates, times, and locations, treat the official calendar and news pages as your source rather than secondhand listings.

Where news lives on the site

The primary news channel is Harvard Law Today, reachable from the main menu. The homepage also features recent stories directly, so a quick visit gives you a sense of what's current without navigating deeper.

Examples of the kinds of items that appear on the homepage:

  • Alumni and honors — e.g., Navanethem "Navi" Pillay LL.M. '82 S.J.D. '88 awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
  • Faculty and scholarship — e.g., a Schlesinger Library collection offering a closer look at Lani Guinier's work on voting rights, race, education, and equality
  • National and world affairs — e.g., pieces on the new Supreme Court term, gerrymandering and the midterms, and whether cities and counties can sue oil companies over climate change
  • Teaching and learning — e.g., faculty debating constitutionalism, democracy, and the limits of judicial power

If you're tracking a specific theme, the site organizes coverage under Featured Areas of Interest, a long list spanning Administrative and Regulatory Law, Constitutional Law, Human Rights, Immigration Law, Intellectual Property, Technology Law and Policy, and many others. Browsing by area is a practical way to filter news and programming toward your field.

Finding events and public programming

The Events Calendar is the central place for scheduled programming. The homepage highlights near-term items, which is useful for spotting something happening this month. Examples visible on the homepage include:

  • Fall Fest (Oct. 14)
  • Ask an Editor (Oct. 22)
  • HLS Library: Creepy Collections & Haunted Halls Tour (Oct. 27–29)
  • Take some time for you — events from The Well

For anything you plan to attend, confirm the details on the calendar entry itself. Homepage highlights rotate and may not carry full logistics.

Library programming

The Library section is worth checking separately if you're interested in collections-based events and tours, such as the haunted halls tour noted above. Library programming tends to be distinct from the broader lecture and panel schedule.

Following updates through social media

The site invites visitors to follow on social media, with links provided on the homepage. This is a reasonable supplement for timely updates, campus scenes, and photo-driven posts (the homepage shows items like first day of fall in Cambridge, Austin Hall renovations, and September campus scenes). Use social channels for awareness, but return to the official news and calendar pages for specifics.

A practical routine

Goal Where to go
Catch up on recent stories Homepage, then Harvard Law Today
Find something to attend Events Calendar; check homepage highlights for near-term items
Track a subject area Featured Areas of Interest
Library tours and collections events Library section
Passive updates Social media links on the homepage

Common sticking points

  • Homepage highlights are not a full schedule. They show a handful of upcoming items; the Events Calendar is more complete.
  • Dates on the homepage can be partial. Verify time and location on the individual event listing before making plans.
  • News and events are separate sections. A story about a talk doesn't necessarily link to the event itself.
  • The Areas of Interest list is long. Scan it once to find your field, then use that entry as a recurring entry point.