Harvard Law Review Blog

The Harvard Law Review Blog fosters legal inquiry and argument that is fast-paced and timely — a complement to the long-form, in-depth analysis that has filled our pages for over a century. We hope the ideas presented through this new platform will generate debate, uncover new questions, challenge our readers, and inspire continued exploration.

Criminal Law Blog Essay

Reframing the Indigent Defense Crisis

Today marks the 60th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on the right to counsel. In Gideon, the Court found that “reason and reflection require us to recognize that in our adversary system of criminal justice, any person haled into court, who is too poor to hire a lawyer, cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is provided.” Despite Gideon’s recognition that lawyers in criminal courts “are necessities, not luxuries,” our failure to provide adequate representation to defendants in our criminal courts has been well documented.
Disability Law Tribute

Remembering Judy Heumann

Judy Heumann, a preeminent and internationally acclaimed activist, died on March 4, 2023, at age 75. Widely regarded as the “mother of the disability rights movement,” Judy, a visionary and tireless activist, committed her life to advancing the rights of people with disabilities in the United States and abroad. As a disabled woman and disability scholar, I have been profoundly impacted by Judy, both personally and professionally. More, she was a friend and mentor whom I was privileged to know
Disability Law Tribute

Honoring Judy Heumann’s Legacy

So what would Judy have us to do to honor her iconic legacy? The short answer is that we must continue to march forth and keep fighting until every law, policy, program, organization, and activity not only acknowledges but meaningfully includes disability at every level and in every area of life. For Judy, meaningful inclusion meant much, much more than inserting “persons with disabilities” in a long list of marginalized groups. And by every level, Judy meant every level, from the highest decision-makers to the individuals with whom persons with disabilities interface every day. And every area of life meant not stopping at ensuring that every school is accessible and every teacher trained, but also that persons with disabilities are centered in existential issues, such as climate action. Like the best kind of mindful aunt, she would expect more of all of us.