Dedicated to equal justice for all, Raymond Lohier was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2010 as a federal appellate judge—the first Haitian American to serve in that role.  

“Pursuing truth, enabling opportunity, promoting diversity, learning from our differences, and striving for justice are all fundamental to university life. At a moment when these aims are so important, I would be proud to serve Harvard.”

Lohier sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, one of the nation’s most influential courts. He chaired the Judicial Conference Committee on Defender Services, which seeks to ensure the right to counsel for all federal defendants who cannot afford an attorney. 

He previously served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where he supervised securities fraud cases, including the prosecution of Bernard Madoff, and received the department’s highest honor for attorneys, the John Marshall Award. He also previously served in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, combatting employment discrimination nationwide.  

An executive committee member of the American Law Institute, Lohier has also served as an adjunct professor, trustee, and alumni association director for NYU School of Law. Active in the civic life of his community, he served for years on Brooklyn Community Board 6, which advises elected officials and government agencies.

“Harvard’s research and teaching play a vital role in addressing issues of inequality and inclusion, sustainability and climate change, and the erosion of public understanding and civic education about institutions of democracy.”