hls.harvard.edu

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:

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.

Harvard Law School's official site, hls.harvard.edu, organizes audience-specific resources under a Full Menu with dedicated entry points: For Students, For Faculty, For Staff, and For Alumni. If you already know your affiliation, start there. If you are not sure which section holds a service, use the site search ("Looking for something?") or open the Full Menu and scan the audience lists.

Audience entry points in the main navigation

The homepage's Full Menu lists these four role-based links alongside general destinations such as J.D. Admissions, Graduate Program, Faculty Directory, Course Catalog, Academics, Clinics at HLS, Student Career Planning, Professional and Lifelong Learning, Harvard Law Today, Library, Events Calendar, and Department Directory.

What you can reach without a role-specific login

Several resources are openly linked from the homepage and are useful regardless of affiliation:

• Library — HLS Library services and collections, including event programming such as the "Creepy Collections & Haunted Halls Tour."
• Events Calendar — talks, panels, and community events (for example, Fall Fest, Ask an Editor, and wellness events from The Well).
• Faculty Directory and Department Directory — find people and offices.
• Course Catalog — browse HLS course offerings.
• Student Career Planning — career resources for students.
• Professional and Lifelong Learning — continuing education offerings.
• Harvard Law Today — news and features, including faculty commentary and school announcements.

Where to look for specific things

• Admissions (J.D. or graduate) — use the J.D. Admissions and Graduate Program links in the main menu.
• Academic programs, clinics, and courses — Academics, Clinics at HLS, and Course Catalog.
• News and school announcements — Harvard Law Today, which carries items such as the Nobel Peace Prize award to Navanethem "Navi" Pillay LL.M. '82 S.J.D. '88 and coverage of the new Supreme Court term.
• Subject-based interests — the "Featured Areas of Interest" list on the homepage spans dozens of fields (constitutional law, human rights, tax law and policy, technology law and policy, and many others) and is a fast way to find related faculty, courses, and programming.

Access and permissions

Some resources behind the For Students, For Faculty, For Staff, and For Alumni sections may require a Harvard login or specific permissions. The site does not state that these areas are open to the public, so treat role-based pages as potentially restricted and sign in with your Harvard credentials when prompted.

If you cannot find something

1. Use the search field near the top of the homepage ("Looking for something?").
2. Open the Full Menu and check the audience list that matches your role.
3. Try the Department Directory if you are looking for a specific office rather than a service.
4. Check the Events Calendar if the item is time-based rather than a standing resource.

hls.harvard.edu lists a broad set of legal fields under Featured Areas of Interest, and pairs that list with academic entry points such as the Faculty Directory, Course Catalog, Clinics at HLS, and Harvard Law Today. Together these pages let you see what the school teaches and researches, and who works on it. The areas list is a snapshot of current coverage, so treat it as a starting point rather than a fixed catalog — fields and faculty change over time.

Featured Areas of Interest on the site

The homepage groups its subject coverage into a long, alphabetized list. The fields shown include:

The list also covers American Indian Law, Animal Law, Arts, Entertainment, and Sports Law, Children and Family Law, Conflict of Laws, Contracts, Courts, Jurisdiction, and Procedure, Criminal Law and Procedure, Education Law, Employment and Labor Law, Financial and Monetary Institutions, Intellectual Property, Law and Philosophy, Law and Political Economy, Law and Religion, Leadership, Legal History, Private Law, Property, Torts, and Trusts, Estates, and Fiduciary Law.

Academic resources that go with the list

• Faculty Directory — find who teaches and researches in a given field.
• Course Catalog — see the actual courses offered in a subject area.
• Clinics at HLS — clinical and experiential work tied to practice areas.
• Harvard Law Today — news and analysis that show how these fields play out in current debates.
• J.D. Admissions and Graduate Program — entry points if you are looking at the school as an applicant rather than a researcher.

How to use these pages

1. Pick a field from Featured Areas of Interest that matches your question.
2. Cross-check it against the Course Catalog to confirm what is actually taught.
3. Use the Faculty Directory to identify people working in that area.
4. Read Harvard Law Today for recent commentary and cases in the field.

One caveat: the areas list reflects the site at the time you read it. Offerings, faculty, and emphasis shift by term and by hiring, so verify details against the Course Catalog and Faculty Directory before relying on them.

Harvard Law School's official website, hls.harvard.edu, is the authoritative source for admissions information. The homepage's main menu links directly to J.D. Admissions and Graduate Program sections, which are the two primary entry points for prospective students. Use these official pages rather than third-party summaries, since requirements and deadlines can change.

Where the admissions links live

The hls.harvard.edu homepage presents an "Explore Harvard Law" menu that includes:

• J.D. Admissions — for the Juris Doctor program
• Graduate Program — for LL.M., S.J.D., and other graduate degrees
• Faculty Directory — to research professors and their areas of interest
• Course Catalog — to review the curriculum

These entries appear in the site's main navigation, so you can reach them from the homepage without searching.

What each section typically covers

The homepage also surfaces current news and events, such as the announcement that Navanethem "Navi" Pillay LL.M. '82 S.J.D. '88 was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, and features on teaching, scholarship, and campus life.

Practical steps

1. Go to hls.harvard.edu.
2. Open the main menu and select J.D. Admissions or Graduate Program, depending on your target degree.
3. Read the requirements and deadlines on the official page.
4. Cross-reference the Course Catalog and Faculty Directory to understand curriculum and faculty before applying.
5. Check the site's news and events for updates, and treat the official pages as the final word over any third-party account.

A note on accuracy

Because admissions criteria, deadlines, and program offerings can change, always confirm details on the official hls.harvard.edu pages. The site's own navigation and announcements are the most reliable reference for prospective applicants.

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

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.