Ralph Nader, one of the country's most effective consumer advocates and social critics, spread his message of activism during his visit to Harvard on Friday.

Nader, a 1958 Harvard Law School (HLS) graduate, spoke before a packed room of nearly 500 people at the HLS Forum. Held in the Ames Courtroom, the Forum annually invites distinguished individuals to speak before members of the Harvard community and the general public.

Nader spoke on "The Laws, The Practice, The Education: Continuing Illusion or Wake Up Time?" as he questioned the role of law students and lawyers in our society's continuing fight for justice.

Too many of today's law school graduates, he said, enter corporate law instead of public interest work, resulting in an unnatural concentration of power in the hands of large corporations.

"GM could buy Delaware if DuPont were willing to sell it," he said.

Nader used much of his time to delve into the role of a lawyer, questioning who lawyers are supposed to serve and whether they fulfill their role of fighting for justice.

He used his own experiences as a HLS student to illuminate some of the problems with the education of lawyers, taking several jabs at the HLS through his accounts.

"It was the triumph of narrow expectation levels, as Harvard Law School measured success by what big law firm we were recruited by," Nader said. "We were taught to become smart by becoming narrow. It demeaned the whole tradition of the law."