Imagine if lawyers, judges, and decision makers used rigorous evidence to design and run the U.S. justice system. They could: Enable far more people, especially those who can’t afford to hire lawyers, to access civil justice;Make the criminal justice system fairer and more efficient; andPromote the dignity and respect of individuals and families as they…
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
The Ash Center believes that diverse perspectives are paramount to better understanding and addressing real-world problems. As a global community that brings together students, faculty, staff, and fellows, with practitioners and policy makers from around the world, we focus on advancing excellence in democratic governance and innovation. We are committed to fostering an environment of…
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is the hub of Harvard Kennedy School’s research, teaching, and training in international security and diplomacy, environmental and resource issues, and science and technology policy. In 2021, the Belfer Center was named a “Center of Excellence” by the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program,…
Belfer Center Harvard Project on Climate Agreements
The Harvard Project on Climate Agreements identifies and communicates scientifically sound, economically sensible, and politically pragmatic public policy options for addressing global climate change. The Harvard Project’s research focuses on policy architecture, key design elements, and institutional dimensions of international and domestic climate-change policy—and draws upon leading scholars and policy practitioners from around the world….
Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising
The primary goal of the Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising (OPIA) is to encourage law school students and lawyers to incorporate an ongoing commitment to public service work throughout their careers. We view our role as one of helping students and alumni find a vision of the type of work they want to…
Carr Center for Human Rights Policy
The Carr Center advances HKS’ mission and complements the broader HKS research and curriculum by developing a research, teaching, and convening agenda that addresses the most intractable public policy problems that governments and markets have not addressed or may have even exacerbated. The Carr Center brings a global, cosmopolitan, multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving, drawing…
Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation
The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School advocates for legal, regulatory, and policy reforms to improve the health of vulnerable populations. CHLPI is a clinical teaching program that houses the Health Law and Policy Clinic (HLPC) and the Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC), and mentors students to become skilled,…
Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship
The Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship is the hub and department that provides support for all public service efforts at Harvard College. It is home to academic engagement through the Mindich Program in Engaged Scholarship, student leadership development programs, student professional development programs, and active citizenship efforts through volunteering in the Greater Boston…
Charles Hamilton Houston Institute
The Houston Institute approaches public policy through “Community Justice.” This approach reflects both Charles Hamilton Houston’s admonition that “all our struggles must tie together” and a fundamental truth about public policy-making: in the United States, public policies are formulated by the few to serve the few. The standard policy-making mechanisms reward those who participate in…
Child Advocacy Program
“The Child Advocacy Program (CAP) at Harvard Law School is committed to advancing children’s interests through facilitating productive interaction between academia and the world of policy and practice, and through training generations of students to contribute in their future careers to law reform and social change. We are committed to a broad vision of advocacy,…