Richard J. Lazarus
Charles Stebbins Fairchild Professor of Law
Richard J. Lazarus is the Charles Stebbins Fairchild Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, where he teaches environmental law, natural resources law, and Supreme Court advocacy. He has represented parties in 40 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and presented oral argument in 14 of them. His book The Rule of Five tells the inside story of the landmark climate change case Massachusetts v. EPA. He served as Executive Director of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
Teaching Style
Professor Lazarus is a master teacher who combines deep environmental law expertise with decades of Supreme Court litigation experience. He uses the Socratic method effectively, cold-calling students and walking them through the strategic and doctrinal dimensions of environmental cases. His teaching is enriched by war stories from his 40 Supreme Court cases, making abstract legal principles concrete. He received the Sacks-Freund Award for Teaching Excellence at Harvard.
Cold Call Tips
- 1Understand the major environmental statutes and their regulatory frameworks
- 2Be prepared to discuss the strategic aspects of Supreme Court advocacy in environmental cases
- 3Know the constitutional dimensions of environmental regulation -- Commerce Clause, standing, federalism
- 4Read The Rule of Five to understand how climate litigation actually works at the Supreme Court level
Areas of Expertise
Education
- B.S., University of Illinois (Chemistry)
- B.A., University of Illinois (Economics)
- J.D., Harvard Law School
Notable Publications
- The Rule of Five: Making Climate History at the Supreme Court
- The Making of Environmental Law
Research Interests
More Professors at Harvard Law School
Constitutional Law, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Supreme Court Advocacy
Constitutional Law, Law and Religion, International and Comparative Law, First Amendment
Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Behavioral Law and Economics, Regulatory Policy
Environmental Law, Administrative Law, Energy Law and Policy, Climate Change Law
Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Mass Incarceration
Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Legislation, National Security Law