Richard Lazarus named professor of law

Richard J. Lazarus, J.D. ’79, one of the nation’s foremost experts on environmental law and also a leading practitioner in the U.S. Supreme Court, will join the Harvard Law School (HLS) faculty this summer as a tenured professor of law.

Lazarus currently teaches environmental law, natural resources law, Supreme Court advocacy, and torts as the Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Professor of Law and faculty co-director of the Supreme Court Institute at the Georgetown University Law Center. He also recently served as executive director of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, appointed by President Barack Obama, J.D. ’91, to investigate the root causes of the Gulf oil spill.

Announcing the appointment of Lazarus to the HLS faculty, Dean Martha Minow said: “I am thrilled to welcome back to the HLS our alum, Richard Lazarus. Pre-eminent scholar-practitioner of environmental law, superb Supreme Court advocate, and consummate teacher and mentor, Richard is an all-star. It is fantastic that he will bring his enormous talents and wisdom to this community, where students, faculty, and staff eagerly await his arrival.”

“I am thrilled to be returning to Harvard Law School and look forward to working with Professor Jody Freeman and Professors Cass Sunstein and Wendy Jacobs to build upon the fabulous environmental law program Harvard already enjoys and to fulfill our shared ambition to establish the best environmental law program in the nation,” said Lazarus. “No less exciting, however, is the tremendous opportunity to work closely with HLS students.”

Read the full release.