Dr. Larry Schwartztol

Biography

Larry Schwartztol is a Professor of Practice and Faculty Director of the Democracy Rule of Law Clinic at Harvard Law School, where he teaches, writes, and advocates for democracy, voting rights, civil rights, and anti-discrimination law. Prior to his faculty appointment, Schwartztol served in the Biden Administration as Associate White House Counsel and Special Assistant to the President, focusing on policies to advance racial justice and equity, particularly in the realm of voting rights. He spent 15 years as a litigator, advocate, and researcher on issues related to democracy and racial justice. From 2017 to 2021, he was counsel at Protect Democracy, leading legal and policy advocacy efforts for democracy reform and voting rights. He previously served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School, a center dedicated to research and advocacy for criminal justice reform. His background includes being a staff attorney in the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program, where he led complex litigation on various civil rights issues. Schwartztol began his career as a Liman Fellow in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, and he clerked for Judge Harry T. Edwards on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He earned his J.D. from Yale Law School and his B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Research Interests

Courses