Diving Deeper into Human Rights: An Interview with Langdell Professor of Law Martha Field

The interview with Martha Field, Langdell Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, conducted by the Harvard Undergraduate Law Review (HULR), provides a comprehensive overview of her distinguished career and her perspectives on a range of legal issues related to civil and human rights. Field's academic journey, spanning from her education at Radcliffe College and the University of Chicago Law School to her clerkship at the US Supreme Court, has equipped her with a unique vantage point on matters of constitutional law, disability law, and social justice.

The interview delves into her early experiences growing up in the Deep South during a period marked by racial segregation, which ignited her passion for activism and the pursuit of civil and human rights. Field's work has encompassed topics such as wrongful-life and wrongful-birth suits, surrogacy, and abortion law. Her insights shed light on the legal complexities surrounding these issues and emphasize the need for better protection of the rights of surrogate mothers.

Field also offers her thoughts on the evolving landscape of abortion law in the United States, particularly in the context of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, expressing concerns about the erosion of reproductive rights and the lack of judicial consistency in these matters.

The interview concludes with a call to action, with Field advocating for greater attention to disability rights and the need for more advocates in this field. She highlights the technical nature of disability law and its importance in combating systemic inequalities in the legal system. In addition, Field raises concerns about the narrowing of civil rights protections and the limitation of remedies, particularly punitive damages, in discrimination cases.

While Field acknowledges not currently working on any specific projects, her extensive contributions to the legal field and her ongoing role as the Langdell Professor of Law at Harvard Law School underscore her commitment to advancing civil and human rights through education and advocacy.