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Maroussia Lévesque
LL.M.’20, Harvard Law School

I met Professor Alford early during orientation and had the chance to have a seminar on China-US relations with him. From the start he was a remarkable presence, kind, astute and mindful of various viewpoints. His ability to bridge across cultures is a true gift and Harvard was lucky to have him as Vice Dean. Thank you Professor Alford, and all the best in your future/continuing activities!

Christopher Mirasola
J.D./M.P.P.’18, Harvard University

It is difficult to fully express gratitude for the many blessings Professor Alford has brought to my life. He is a mentor in the truest sense of the word. He is wise and freely shares his wisdom. He believes in his students, and causes them to believe in themselves. He corrects where needed, but always with kindness. He cares deeply. As someone who thought I might not find an intellectual or emotional home at HLS, he is an important reason why I did. The list of reasons to be grateful would stretch for far too long; so, I will simply express how lucky we, his students, all are that he has committed and continues to commit so much of his life to our development and care. 

Ellen Zeng
J.D. ’10, Harvard Law School

Professor Bill Alford’s influence impacted my whole law school experience and enriched my life. I took his China comparative law class spring of my 1L year and it was the highlight of my first year. He made us question our basic assumptions and required that we never take anything as given. This questioning and at times interrogative stance helped me grow. I remember still how patient he was with what I sure felt like my millions of questions during office hours, always with that amused smile. I ended up taking another class of his, as well as doing an independent clinical that he supervised. On reflection, not sure if he thought that was a good idea or bad idea as I’m sure I exasperated him at times!

Professor Alford went out of his way to be supportive and encouraging of my interests. During winter 2009, he supervised an independent clinical where I had the opportunity to do international public interest work at International Bridges to Justice in China. It was very eye opening seeing firsthand some of the lessons from his classroom. While I’m glad that he’s able to have more time to pursue his interests, future HLS students will miss out on an amazing professor and his warmth.

Zeynep Ülkü Kahveci
LL.M.’18, Harvard Law School

I feel lucky for having had the chance to be guided by Professor Alford’s mentorship during my LL.M. year. One of the things I enjoyed the most during the LL.M. was taking his Comparative and International Law Workshop where we delved into intellectual conversations while enjoying the snacks that he brought us every week! Also unforgettably, thanks to Professor Alford, I had the chance to go to my first ever ice hockey game when he was very generous to organize an outing for all LL.M.s to the ice hockey game between Harvard and Princeton. He gave us an informative speech before the game began and kept us updated with his live comments. As an aspiring academic, I take Professor Alford as a role model and hope I can become a professor who touches students’ lives both academically and culturally like him. I wish Professor Alford all the best in the new chapter of his career. Thank you for everything!

Alex Cottingham
J.D. ’20, Harvard Law School

Professor Alford was one of the first faculty members that I met during my ASW weekend. I remember that I was immediately struck by how friendly and genuinely open that he was. He gave me his card and, a few days after I returned home, I gave him a call to talk to him more about my decision process before the May 1st deadline of deciding which law school to choose. Professor Alford helped me weigh my options, and he intrigued me with his discussion of the amazing comparative law opportunities at HLS. 

In the spring of my 1L year, I took Professor Alford’s China Law class. Taking this class was one of the best experiences I have had in law school. Professor Alford’s approach to comparative law is both refreshing and thoughtful. When Professor Alford led discussion, he makes a genuine effort to not be just an outside observer of a foreign country’s legal system. He takes you into the history and foundation of a culture, history, and legal system. This bottom-up approach, deeply rooted in primary sources and the minds and context that developed the law that we studied, was a sensitive and open approach to learning about a place different from what we were familiar with. Professor Alford resisted the urge I found that many American professors can have to compare everything to the United States when conducting comparative studies. 

Professor Alford greatly impacted my three years in law school as a dedicated mentor, intellectual inspiration, and great person dedicated to seeing other succeed.

Ding Xiaoyu (Christine)
LL.M. ’20, Harvard Law School; Research Scholar, Yale Law School 

“Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.” 

He remembers. He cares. He helps. 

There are several encounters with Prof. Alford that I will never forget, among which the most memorable was on the evening of February 27, 2020, on the fourth floor of Langdell.  

I was in the midst of being uncertain and worried about the result of my medical examination, sitting at the computer area of Langdell and trying to understand what the CT scan images meant. Prof. Alford saw me as he was rushing to an event. He stopped and asked about my medical examination and told me that he knew several doctors who might help if needed.  

I was deeply touched at that moment – I didn’t expect that a busy professor like him would ever remember the medical examination a student just briefly mentioned in a casual conversation; I didn’t expect that when rushing to an event, he would stop and take the time to ask; I didn’t expect that to help a student, he would offer his personal connections. He may never know how much courage and comfort he has given and how important it is for a student struggling alone in a foreign country.  

This is only one drop in the ocean, and I believe many others have experienced the same. Prof. Alford indeed has a heart for his students.  He cares about them feeling welcome, endeavors to give them a memorable experience, and makes HLS their home. 

I am lucky enough to be one of those students. Even if one day I forget all the knowledge I have learned here, the caring spirit will never fade away.  
That’s what he teaches us, and that’s what I want to pass on.