{"id":9329,"date":"2023-01-02T21:50:18","date_gmt":"2023-01-03T02:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journals.law.harvard.edu\/ilj\/?p=9329"},"modified":"2025-09-11T10:48:26","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T14:48:26","slug":"tribute-to-professor-william-p-alford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journals.law.harvard.edu\/ilj\/2023\/01\/tribute-to-professor-william-p-alford\/","title":{"rendered":"Tribute to Professor William P. Alford"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Introductory Remarks from the Editors-in-Chief<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Editors-in-Chief of the Harvard International Law Journal<\/em>, we are delighted to formally launch our tribute in honor of Professor William Alford after stepping down from his role as Vice Dean for the Graduate Program and International Legal Studies at Harvard Law School following nearly 20 years in that role.<\/p>\n

Because of Professor Alford, HLS has expanded its international and comparative law curriculum, brought leading scholars from across the globe to teach, concluded its first exchange programs with foreign universities, facilitated over a thousand students studying or working abroad, and further advanced its stellar LL.M. and S.J.D. programs while markedly strengthening the nation\u2019s most substantial policy of need-blind admission and need-based financial aid for graduate students in law. \u00a0Professor Alford continues to chair the nation\u2019s oldest program concerning law in East Asia and co-founded the HLS Project on Disability (HPOD) which has provided its pro bono services in more than 40 nations.<\/p>\n

We have invited scholars, alumni, and friends from around the world to commemorate his legacy and impact. \u00a0Our website presentation includes tributes covering Professor Alford\u2019s work with respect to international law, comparative law, advocacy work, East Asian law studies, disability issues, as well as his teaching and leadership more broadly, touching the lives of countless students and colleagues. \u00a0We are also previewing here a collection of print tributes that will be published in our winter issue of Volume 62.<\/p>\n

We would like to express our thanks all those involved with putting together this tribute, in particular Siqi Zhao, our external outreach chair, who coordinated the tribute submissions and editorial process. \u00a0We also thank Mitchell Wellman, who served as primary editor of the print submissions, and the following ILJ editors who helped with the online submissions: Natalie Hills, Celia Reynolds, Carolina Rocha Richart, Lukas Roth, Mason Ji and Trinidad Alonso Quiros. We also could not have done it without support of Beier Lin and Tyler Kohring for their help with website design.<\/p>\n

Finally, we would like to the opportunity to thank Professor Alford for his wise advice and patient support as our board advisor over these many years.\u00a0 It truly has been a privilege to put this tribute together.<\/p>\n

We hope you enjoy reading this tribute and if you would like to submit your own, please reach out to hlsilj@mail.law.harvard.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Best wishes,<\/p>\n

Roberta Mayerle and Steven Wang[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator border_width=”2″][vc_column_text el_id=”tribgallery”]<\/p>\n