What is Harvard Law School's official website (hls.harvard.edu)?

Updated

hls.harvard.edu is the official website of Harvard Law School. Use it when you want authoritative information about the school itself — its degree programs, faculty, courses, clinics, news, and events — rather than commentary from third parties. The site is published in English, and its content reflects what the school itself chooses to publish.

Who the site is for

The homepage's main navigation points to several distinct audiences, each with its own entry point:

  • Prospective students — J.D. Admissions and Graduate Program pages
  • Current students — For Students, Course Catalog, Clinics at HLS, Student Career Planning
  • Faculty and staff — For Faculty, For Staff, Faculty Directory, Department Directory
  • Alumni — For Alumni, plus alumni-focused news
  • General public — Harvard Law Today (news), Library, Events Calendar

If you fall into one of these groups, the site is organized so you can jump straight to the relevant section instead of browsing everything.

What you can find there

The homepage and its menus surface a consistent set of core resources:

Category What it covers
Admissions J.D. Admissions, Graduate Program
Academics Course Catalog, Clinics at HLS, Academic programs
People Faculty Directory, Department Directory
Scholarship Featured Areas of Interest (e.g., Constitutional Law, Human Rights, Environmental Law and Policy, Technology Law and Policy)
News Harvard Law Today, covering school, national, and world affairs
Events Events Calendar, including lectures, tours, and community programming
Library HLS Library resources and collections

The Areas of Interest list is long and specific — from Administrative and Regulatory Law to Trusts, Estates, and Fiduciary — so it doubles as a map of the school's teaching and research strengths.

How to use it well

  1. Start with the audience menu. If you are applying, go to J.D. Admissions or Graduate Program rather than searching the whole site.
  2. Use the Course Catalog and Faculty Directory together. The catalog tells you what is taught; the directory tells you who teaches it.
  3. Check Harvard Law Today for current context. The homepage highlights recent stories, such as a faculty debate on an Article V constitutional convention or coverage of a new Supreme Court term.
  4. Watch the Events Calendar for public programming. Listings have included Fall Fest, an "Ask an Editor" session, and a library "Creepy Collections & Haunted Halls Tour."

Things to keep in mind

  • The site is in English (language: en-us), so non-English speakers may need translation tools.
  • Content is official school material. For independent perspectives on the school, you would need outside sources.
  • The homepage references a Pro Bono Program and SPOs page; specific program details, eligibility, and any requirements should be read on that page rather than assumed.
  • Nothing on the homepage indicates pricing, login requirements, or access restrictions for general browsing, so treat those as unconfirmed until you check the relevant page.

In short: hls.harvard.edu is the place to go for first-hand information about Harvard Law School's programs, people, courses, and public events.