Harshbarger to Join HLS Faculty

Former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger '64 has been appointed as a Visiting Professor of Law from Practice for the fall semester, the Law School announced yesterday.

"It's a great opportunity for me," said Harshbarger, who is currently a Visiting Professor at Northeastern University School of Law and College of Criminal Justice.

Harshbarger will teach a course entitled "The Government Lawyer: Role and Enforcement Issues." According to Director of the law School News Office Michael J. Chmura, the class has been offered every year for some time, but this year the course will focus more on state issues and less on federal ones.

"My focus will be on the role and ethical responsibility of the government lawyer, particularly at the state level," said Harshbarger, who has also been a lecturer in professional responsibility at Boston University Law School for 20 years.

Harshbarger said class will cover issues he dealt with as attorney general, including health care fraud, gun and tobacco litigation, and the impact of race and ethnic bias.

The course will also tackle larger themes, he said, such as "the opportunity to effect change and really push the envelope by using civil enforcement."

Chmura said he hopes Harshbarger's experience as attorney general will allow him to bring innovative ideas to the traditional class.

"He did a lot to expand the office, covering new areas of the law," Chmura said.

Harshbarger said he would like his experience to motivate others to pursue jobs similar to his in the public sector.

"My hope is to interest many law students in public service and the public practice," Harshbarger said, adding he would like to show his students "the incredible opportunities that exist to practice and really make a difference at the state and local level."

"I've been very lucky to be able as a professional to perform in jobs where every day I have a chance to make a difference," he added. "It's very challenging, very rewarding."

Harshbarger received the job after approaching Law School Dean Robert C. Clark about a teaching position last winter.

"I spoke to Dean Clark in December just as I was leaving as Attorney General," he said. "I had the position at Northeastern Law School and I was interested in what might be available at Harvard Law."

Although Harshbarger will be a member of three faculties during the semester--at Northeastern, Harvard and Boston University--he said he does not think the responsibilities will be too difficult to handle.

"It's a great luxury to have the freedom to only be teaching," he said. "Only to teach two courses in one semester is really quite a luxury...It's a wonderful time to sort of stand back and sort out what I'm doing."