Samir Hanna

Samir Hanna co-teaches in the Housing Clinic and leads a new medical-legal partnership with Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston. In this partnership, students work holistically with Brigham’s Social Care Team to represent tenants in housing court as they deal with housing instability.

Prior to joining the Legal Services Center, Hanna taught at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (HLAB) where he supervised second and third-year students in housing cases, social security hearings and unemployment insurance hearings. At HLAB he successfully supervised students through a five-day jury trial leading to a verdict of over $10,000 for the tenant.

Hanna has also taught at the University of Michigan Law School in the Unemployment Insurance Clinic(now known as the Workers’ Rights Clinic). At Michigan Law, Hanna designed and taught clinic seminar classes for first, second, and third year students. Hanna supervised students in complex administrative litigation, appellate brief writing, and oral argument.

Prior to the being faculty at Michigan Law, Hanna served as an administrative law judge for the State of Michigan, presiding over and issuing more than 1,500 decisions in administrative appeals. In his capacity as an administrative law judge, Hanna developed unique insight into the administrative adjudication process and the inner workings of state administrative agencies.

Before joining the bench, Hanna worked in legal aid and maintained his own private practice, which focused on indigent clients charged with unemployment fraud. He has worked for the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice.