Who We Are
The Harvard Law & International Development Society (“LIDS”) is the premier student-run organization at Harvard University focused on issues at the intersection of law, policy and international development. LIDS members are graduate students at Harvard Law School, the Kennedy School of Government, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, the Harvard School of Public Health, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and other graduate schools in the Boston area.
LIDS was founded in light of the growing recognition that many pressing challenges in international development are legal in nature. For instance, rule of law development, regulatory reform, contract design, litigation of economic and social rights and land titling programs all require a deep understanding of both development practice and the law. We actively promote dialogue on these issues among our members, leading academics, and development practitioners.
Mission
Unlocking solutions to international development challenges by empowering a global community engaged in law, policy, and entrepreneurship.
What We Do
Student Training. LIDS gives students the opportunity to develop practical professional skills through participation in hands-on, real-world, non-litigation research and consulting projects for leading development organizations.
Client Services. Through its projects, and under the supervision of attorneys from Orrick LLP, LIDS gives leading development organizations concrete, customized solutions to challenges they face in achieving their own missions around the world.
Education, Dialogue & Networking. Through its multidisciplinary speaking events, symposia, white paper series, annual networking field trip, and other programs and events, LIDS fosters learning and dialogue between students, professors, and practitioners on a wide range of subjects in the field of international development.
Cross-Campus Networks. LIDS creates a cross-campus, multidisciplinary academic community that expands social networks and encourages out-of-the-box thinking.
Our Values
- Impact: We strive to have a tangible effect in the international development sphere by facilitating projects for real-world clients who are doing important work at the intersection of law and development.
- Innovation: We are a community of graduate students with the ability to contextualize and think critically and creatively about the latest challenges in international development.
- Collaboration: We believe in cross-disciplinary teamwork, we pride ourselves on implementing solutions from across the academic spectrum and working with organizations in all types of practice areas from around the world.
- Justice: Our conception of development includes the spread of justice, human rights and the rule of law for all people in the world, regardless of demographics or socio-economic status.
- Integrity: LIDS is committed to acting with the highest degree of integrity, in particular while dealing with client priorities and potentially sensitive and/or privileged information.
Getting Involved
We offer our members four ways to get involved with LIDS.
International Development Projects . Submit an application to participate in one of our semester and year-long, small-team projects. Work directly with NGOs, governments, and entrepreneurs from around the world—under the supervision of lawyers at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliff, LLP—to provide analytical support on a range of fascinating and challenging issues in the field of international development.
Core Committees . Join one of our committees that support LIDS and our community of students. We currently operate two active committees: Events & Symposium (responsible for inviting speakers, planning career activities, and promoting our events) and Career Committee (responsible for planning the annual career trip to New York City or Washington, D.C. and inviting speakers from high-profile development organizations). These committees are great ways to get involved in the organization, gain experience, and work up to a leadership position with LIDS.
Speakers & Events . Attend a lecture through our lunch-time lecture series, come to our annual symposium or International Women’s Day event, or participate in our annual career-networking field trip. Our events seek to both provoke conversations about development issues and education our members about opportunities for jobs in law and development.
Social Activities. Come get to know other students interested in international development at one of our happy hours or other community activities, such as potlucks or movie nights.