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Harvard Law School

Harvard Law Launches New, Historic Clinic

Harvard Law is launching the country’s first in-house election law clinic.

The law school’s new Election Law Clinic will offer students hands-on experience in litigation, legislation, administrative practice, and policymaking with a focus on issues such as redistricting, voting rights, campaign finance, and party regulation, according to Harvard Law Today.

“I am delighted that we are able to launch a new Election Law Clinic to address, and prepare our future graduates to address, an array of vital issues touching the way law structures, supports, and protects the democratic process,” John F. Manning, the Morgan and Helen Chu Dean of Harvard Law School, says. “With deep experience and keen insight into the field, Ruth Greenwood will skillfully teach our students to navigate complex, interesting, and highly consequential election law work that spans federal, state and local jurisdictions.”

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

The new clinic will offer students direct hands-on experience in aspects of election law such as writing amicus briefs, legal research, oral advocacy, and policy development.

The Election Law Clinic is the newest addition to the law school’s 46 legal clinics and student practice organizations that make up the school’s clinical program, according to Harvard Law Today.

GROWING IMPORTANCE

Election law has taken the stage in recent years. Just this month, Republicans passed a 98-page voting law that will reduce access for voters in Georgia by allowing less time to request absentee ballots and introducing stricter ID requirements for absentee ballots, according to the New York Times.

Harvard Law’s new election clinic comes at a ripe time as election law becomes more relevant than ever before.

“Having a premier law school start this clinic shows the critical importance of election law to legal education and the importance of bringing new lawyers into this field,” Ruth Greenwood, director of the clinic, tells Harvard Law Today.

Sources: Harvard Law Today, NY Times

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