With great sadness we report the passing of Harold J. Berman on Wednesday, November 13. He was an expert on comparative, international, and Soviet law as well as legal history and philosophy and the intersection of law and religion.

Berman joined the faculty of Harvard Law School in 1948 and served on the Executive Committee of the Russian Research Center from 1952 to 1984. He contributed four volumes to the RRC Studies Series: Justice in Russia (1950); Soviet Military Law and Administration (1955); Documents on Soviet Military Law and Administration (1955); and Soviet Criminal Law and Procedure (1966).

Berman left Harvard in 1985 for Emory Law School, where he held the Robert W. Woodruff Professorship of Law. After the fall of the Soviet Union, he advised leading Russian officials on proposed legislation and led seminars for political leaders and academics on the development of legal institutions.

A uniquely learned scholar and teacher in his field, Berman leaves a powerful legacy. He is warmly remembered by all who knew him and will be greatly missed.

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