Just hours after embattled South African President Thabo Mbeki announced that he would resign on Sept. 21 students in a Harvard Law School classroom are absorbing the reverberations from a hemisphere away.
Writ Large: Faculty Books
Intelligent Design
Cass Sunstein shows how “choice architecture” can help people make better decisions
Faced with important decisions about their lives, people often make pretty bad choices—choices they would not have made if they paid full attention and possessed complete information, unlimited cognitive abilities, and complete self-control. To take just one example, many people never get around to joining their employer’s retirement savings plan, even when it is heavily subsidized.
Constitutional Ink—Visible, and Invisible
The Constitution, writes Laurence Tribe, is more than the words on the parchment
The U.S. Constitution is 219 years old now, and the revolutionary system of government it created has survived and spread across the globe. No wonder many Americans consider it an almost sacred document, the final say on governmental powers and individual rights.
Urban Legend
The power of City Hall is a myth sometimes, say David Barron and Gerald Frug—and they explain why
“City Bound: How States Stifle Urban Innovation,” forthcoming from Cornell University Press in December, examines how state laws shackle cities. Barron and Frug look at how state law determines what cities can and cannot do to raise revenue, control land use and improve schools.Continue Reading »
Tax Policy, Writ Large
From Louis Kaplow, an integrated theory of taxation and public economics
In a new book, Professor Louis Kaplow ’81 “steps back and considers the relationships among the parts.” The book — “The Theory of Taxation and Public Economics” (Princeton 2008) — stands to secure him a place in the firmament of public economists and scholars in public finance.
Alumni Notes and Newsmakers
Special Campaign Section:
Defining the Future—A Celebration
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“Here, Have a Seat”
Often, there’s a bond between the donor of a new chair and the scholar who occupies it.Continue Reading »
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World-Class Support
HLS continues to expand its international focus—and its graduates are taking notice.Continue Reading »
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A Growing Treasury of Public Servants
The law school’s investment in public service is paying dividends.Continue Reading »
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Infotopia!*
With a cluster of research programs, HLS is a collection of think tanks rolled into oneContinue Reading »
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A Fundamental Advantage
From new alumni to retirees, broad-based giving is the lifeblood of HLS.Continue Reading »
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The Money Trail
There’s a saying: Do what you love, and the money will follow. For Adam Szubin ’99, it’s a little different: With some early help from a Heyman Fellowship, he’s been able to do what he loves—and follow the money.Continue Reading »