February 5, 2022
Dear fellow Harvard Law School alumni,
I last wrote to you in the fall of 2020, about six months into the global COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, and unexpectedly, we can now say that we are almost two years into this uniquely challenging worldwide crisis. The pandemic and its effects on the social fabric have meant many things to people around the world. For most of us, whatever our experience, it has transformed our lives – the way we work, live, and interact with others. I believe it remains to be seen how many of those changes will be permanent, but to me it does not seem an overstatement to say that this shock, particularly because of its long duration, has forever changed the course of many aspects of the lives of people around the world, albeit in ways that are not yet clear to any of us.
I write now to wish you well, to express gratitude and admiration for all that our alumni have collectively accomplished personally and professionally, to commiserate with you on what we have lived through, and to console those who have suffered grave losses.
I also write to bring you some wonderful news.
I am honored to introduce to you the President-elect of the Harvard Law School Association, Lindsay Breedlove ’09. Lindsay, with whom I have had the pleasure of serving on the HLSA Executive Committee for several years, will succeed me on July 1, 2022 as President of the HLSA, the alumni association to which our over 40,000 alumni belong, and will serve in that capacity until July 2024. Since her election as my successor, she and I have worked very closely together with the staff of the Alumni Center and the HLSA Executive Committee, and I have great confidence in Lindsay’s ability to take the HLSA to greater heights.
I said last fall that I hoped that by the time the pandemic ended, the HLSA would have been transformed from an organization that depended on physical space and presence to one that is able to connect our alumni and current students across geographies, time zones, generations, and backgrounds. I think that hope has been fulfilled in many ways, just as the world itself has become a smaller place.
I have stopped trying to predict what that world will look like when we truly emerge from the pandemic, but I know it will have been improved by the arrival of Lindsay as my successor. I am pleased to share this platform with her as we send you this message.
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I am honored and excited to serve as President-elect this year and to take office as President in July 2022. I am an optimist by nature, and must admit to being filled with immense hope given the HLSA’s perseverance and successes during this continuing crisis. Our clubs and SIGs have pivoted to a virtual world and taken on timely, important, and challenging topics. To list only a few
- In September 2020, the Black Alumni Network hosted a panel discussion called Harvard Lawyers Reimagining Black Freedom
- In October 2020, the HLSA of Orange County hosted a panel discussion on Police Reform and Racial Justice
- In March 2021:
- The HLSA of Massachusetts put on a program called Covering the Justice Department During Turbulent Times A conversation with NY Times Reporter Katie Benner
- The Harvard Law Society of Illinois hosted a discussion about Maintaining Motivation in the Heart of the Pandemic
- The HLSA Women’s Alliance with HLSAs in California presented Inside the Boardroom: Senior Women Executives Share a View from the Top and their Pathways to Diversifying Corporate America
- In April 2021, the HLSA of Northern California presented a panel called Asian American Animus: A History and How to Show Up Now
- In August 2021, the Brazil Chapter of the HLSA Women’s Alliance launched a mentoring program that pairs HLS alums with teenage girls from underserved communities who seek guidance on how to achieve their scholastic and professional goals
- In January 2022, the HLSAs of DC and Massachusetts teamed up to present Recommitting to Your Wellness in 2022: A Focus on Lawyer Mental Health and Well-Being
- And twice over the last year, we demonstrated our virtual prowess with two HLSA International Forums (December 2020 and June 2021) with speakers from around the world participating in a series of back-to-back panels
Even though Zoom fatigue is real, we have learned that meaningful relationships and in-depth discussions are possible, and even invigorating, when we can’t engage in person. This opens a world of opportunities for the HLSA to connect with our alumni across the globe in cities and towns without their own clubs, or who for personal or professional reasons can’t always make it to an in-person event. We’ve seen how this new virtual world, by prompting new forms of engagement, has made the HLSA more accessible and more inclusive—and we’re excited to commit to continuing this journey with all of you.
Let’s keep the momentum going. Whether you’ve been attending HLSA events for years or haven’t yet taken the plunge, check out our upcoming events page to see what virtual (and in-person) engagement opportunities might be a good fit for you. Everyone is welcome and each person who actively joins our ranks enriches our community. I look forward to connecting with and learning from as many of you as I can over the coming years.
All the best,
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| Christopher L. Mann '89 | Lindsay Breedlove '09 |
| President | President-Elect |
| Harvard Law School Association | Harvard Law School Association |