Dear Classmates of the HLS Class of 2001:

 

The years continue to fly by since we parted ways as the Class of 2001 — 20 years ago, we graduated, but it seems like just yesterday. Last time I wrote a letter to you for this publication, I wrote about the challenges we faced after graduation with the “The Dot-Com Bust” and “The Great Recession.” Never did I think we’d add a global pandemic to the mix, but COVID-19 and its effects have challenged us even more than the prior two events.

 

In the prior letter, I stated how “the Class of 2001 was ready to weather every storm we faced, based on the great personalities, tremendous wisdom, and overall positive attitudes our class possessed.” This has not changed, and I know that our Class has a diverse group of “movers and shakers” that will be on the front lines and behind the scenes helping the United States and the world rebound from the unprecedented issues we have all faced in 2020 and 2021 so far.

 

I am disappointed, like many of you, that we cannot gather for our reunion this year, but the beauty of social media (even despite some of the criticisms we hear of it) is that we have a front-row seat to watch each other continue to change the world for the better on an ongoing basis. Yet, there are many classmates that we might lose touch with along the way — and that is why I am thankful for Harvard Law School’s continued dedication toward publishing the “Red Book” (albeit virtually this year) for us to rebuild our connections with those classmates we have not heard from in several years.

 

Let us not wait for 2026 to get in touch with each other. The pandemic reminded us that nothing is guaranteed in life, and that we need to embrace our relationships, near and far, whenever we can. I challenge you to use the information in the “Virtual Red Book” to connect with at least five classmates you have not heard from in some time to let them know you are thinking of them. Such interactions and relationships are the centerpiece of what has made our Class of 2001 so special; our bond in Cambridge was always strong and social. Let us continue that in 2021 and beyond.

 

I look forward to seeing all of you soon, be it in Cambridge or elsewhere, when we are allowed to gather together again.

 

All my best,

Class Secretary — Class of 2001