Harvard Law students

Harvard Law Makes History With New Student Body Presidents

Harvard Law School has elected its first openly queer pair of student body co-presidents.

Faith A. Jackson and Irfan Mahmud, both second year Harvard Law students, were elected as student body co-presidents this month marking a historic achievement in the law school’s history. Both are Harvard Law’s first openly queer co-presidents and Mahmud is the first Muslim candidate to be elected to the position, The Harvard Crimson reports.

Harvard Law’s student government includes standing committees on aspects such as academic affairs, student affairs, student organizations and journals, diversity & inclusion, and more. Jackson and Mahmud ran on a platform that prioritized “fun and inclusivity.” The co-president pair also advocates for funding for section retreats and reunions, more faculty in diverse areas, free professional headshots, mental health support, and the expansion of financial aid initiatives, according to the Crimson. In addition, the pair aims to foster a community of individuals with politically diverse backgrounds.

“It’d be helpful to have a more cohesive Law School community that makes some people feel more included than they do and then also ensures that they’re talking to others who may have diametrically different opinions but could find some common ground if we were actually having a strong group of community,” Jackson tells the Crimson.

Harvard Law students say the pair’s campaign focus of “fun and inclusivity” was refreshing, especially given the past year.

“In particular, this past year has been really difficult for all of us,” Kit A. Metoyer, a Harvard Law student who helped with campaign outreach, tells the Crimson. “I know that they’re committed to bringing everybody back to campus with a bang in a safe way, maximizing the amount of fun, and harnessing and really appreciating the different backgrounds of the student body.”

“It’s a huge moment for HLS to have their first Muslim president and a Black woman president, a team of two queer folks, at the helm,” Kirin Gupta, a first-year Harvard Law student and Mahmud’s fiancé, tells the Crimson. “Especially in this year and moment, I don’t think that can be understated.”

Sources: The Harvard Crimson, Harvard Law