Dr. Patti Saris

Instructor

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Biography

Patti B. Saris is a Lecturer at Harvard Law School and served as the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts from 2013 to 2019. She was appointed to the United States District Court in 1994, previously serving as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court starting in 1989. Judge Saris also worked for the United States Sentencing Commission as Chair from January 2011 to January 2017. She graduated from Radcliffe College in 1973 with magna cum laude honors, and from Harvard Law School in 1976, also with cum laude recognition. After law school, she clerked for the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts before moving into private practice and taking on a role as staff counsel for Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who was then the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Saris served as an Assistant United States Attorney, eventually leading the Civil Division. Her extensive experience in both academia and the judiciary has established her as a prominent figure in the field of law.

Research Interests

Courses

Facts Lies, Fall 2025

Requirements for Harvard Law School

Master Program
Requirements
TOEFL
Listening
Required:25
Reading
Required:25
Writing
Required:25
Speaking
Required:25
Total
Required:100
Prerequisites
J.D. from an ABA-approved U.S. law school or a first law degree (LL.B. or equivalent) from a foreign law school
Application Checklist
  • Online application form
  • CV/Résumé
  • Personal statements (Parts A and B)
  • At least two recommendations
  • Official transcripts and diplomas
  • Official TOEFL report (if applicable)
  • Application fee ($85)
Specialization Notes

Applied for under 'Department of Law', 'Department of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law', 'Department of Constitutional Law', 'Department of Japanese Legal Studies', and 'Department of Human Rights'.