Nathan Isaacs (1886-1941) was one of the first Jewish tenured professors at Harvard University. Isaacs made groundbreaking contributions in the pages of the Harvard Law Review and the Yale Law Journal, identifying contracts of adhesion and absolute tort liability as aspects of the new legal order that emerged in the early 20th century. A key member of the Harvard Business School faculty in the 1920s and 1930s, and closely associated with Harvard Law School Dean Roscoe Pound, Isaacs advocated emphasizing the business function of legal devices rather than doctrine.
However, Isaacs's most lasting legacy may be that of a professor teaching at Harvard at the height of the University’s infamous quota system on Jewish enrollment. Notably, Isaacs was a Jewish communal leader, was deeply knowledgeable of Jewish texts and history, and was observant of Jewish law. He was also associated with Harvard Judaic Studies scholar Harry Wolfson.
Moreover, on a scholarly level, Isaacs’s study of Jewish law influenced his perception of American law, while his conception of secular law shaped his understanding of Jewish law. For example, drawing upon the history of Jewish law, Isaacs developed a “cycle theory” of law that he believed applied to all legal systems.
A panel of distinguished scholars will reflect upon the lessons and legacy of Nathan Isaacs's life and work.
Business Meeting at Program Conclusion.