Harrison Institute for Public Law
Attend an information session to learn more about the Harrison Institute's policy clinic:
Wednesday, March 20th, 3:30-5:00 pm, McDonough 342; or
Thursday, March 21st, 1:30-3:00, McDonough 437.
The Harrison Institute supports actors who shape and make public policy. Some of our clients are nonprofit coalitions that promote policy change at various levels – local, state, federal, and international. Others are decision-makers, primarily at the state level – legislators, attorneys general, regulatory agencies, and their national associations.
Our students and staff analyze law-making authority, identify options for changing policy, help our clients plan their strategy, and draft policy documents based on client choices. Here are some of the questions we tackle:
Climate – How can states sustain their role as innovators on climate policy? How can local governments adapt to rising seas, hotter summers, and expanding droughts? Do states have the authority to reduce carbon in transportation fuels?
Health & food – How can states and communities promote better nutrition, particularly in schools? Do cities have the authority to build a new food economy? Does the Affordable Care Act empower federal agencies with new tools to police waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid and Medicare?
Worker strategies – What are the most innovative strategies to give workers a voice outside of the traditional union setting? What are the legal barriers that constrain these strategies? How can governments encourage or require that their vendors provide decent working conditions?
Trade – How do global tobacco companies use trade agreements to lobby against tobacco-control policy? Do the proposed new trade agreements (Trans-Pacific and Trans-Atlantic) increase the risk of litigation against restrictions on tobacco advertising or distribution? How can developing countries harmonize their investment treaties with domestic constitutional law?
