David Helfeld


David Helfeld is the longest-serving dean of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law, currently a Professor Emeritus. At the age of 87 he was still teaching law. He also served as a close advisor to long-time UPR Chancellor and President Jaime Benítez.
Helfeld, who does not practice law, serves as an arbitrator and a Special Master appointed by the federal district court in Puerto Rico regarding a mental health class action against the Government of Puerto Rico.

Personal life

A resident of Puerto Rico, he was married to the late Raquel Armenteros Vázquez, a co-founder of Puerto Rico's League of Women Voters, and has several sons, including Jan, an attorney, Stephen and Peter.

Professional career

Helfeld was recruited by Chancellor Benítez to replace Dr. Raúl Serrano Geyls, who resigned as law professor to pursue a career in private practice that would eventually lead to appointment as an Associate Justice of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court. He began teaching Administrative Law and Labor Law, after being blacklisted as a result of a scathing attack by Federal Bureau of Investigation director J. Edgar Hoover, who accused Helfeld of being a communist. The attack was triggered for having co-authored as a graduate fellow at Yale University an article criticizing civil rights policies in the early days of what would come to be known as McCarthyism.
After being recruited at UPR, Helfeld completed his post-graduate studies, obtaining an SJD degree at Yale Law School in 1954.
When former Franklin D. Roosevelt Brain Trust member and former Governor Rexford Guy Tugwell returned to UPR, Helfeld met with him and helped him draft a new United States Constitution, which Tugwell wished to propose but which even Helfeld considered impossible to enact.
He was appointed Dean of the School of Law in 1960, succeeding professor Manuel Rodríguez Ramos, a position he held for over 13 years until 1974. During his term as Dean, he supervised the design, by architect Henry Klumb, and construction of the new Law School building and recruited a varied, internationally diverse faculty.
After resigning as Dean, he remained on the faculty until 1977, when he retired, and taught at the Pontifical Catholic University School of Law in Ponce from 1977 until 1987, when he returned to UPR on a part-time basis.

Publications

Books
Helfeld, D. M., Don Jaime Benítez: su papel creador como constitucionalista y en el desarrollo de la educación legal. Published in Don Jaime Benítez: entre la universidad y la política, edited by Acevedo, Héctor Luis. San Juan, PR: Universidad Interamericana,.
Helfeld, D. M. & Wipfier W. L. Mbareté: Ley superior del Paraguay: informe sobre la negación de los derechos humanos en el Paraguay por la Tercera Comisión de Investigación de la Liga Internacional de Derechos Humanos. New York: International League for Human Rights.
Helfeld, D. M. & Wipfler W. L. Mbareté: The higher law of Paraguay: report on the denial of human rights in Paraguay / by the Third Commission of Enquiry of the International League for Human Rights. New York: International League for Human Rights,.
Stephansky, B. S. & Helfeld, D. M. & Wipfler W. L. Denial of human rights in Paraguay: report of Second Commission of Enquiry of the International League for Human Rights. New York: International League for Human Rights,.
Helfeld, D. M. Informe sobre la renuncia en masa de 48 miembros del Cuerpo de Investigaciones Criminales: sometido a la Superintendencia de la Policía. San Juan, PR,.
Helfeld, D. M. Proposed conclusions, findings, recommendations and rate order, rulings on exceptions, and final recommended rate order. San Juan, PR: Economic Development Administrator,.
Helfeld, D. M. Report in the matter of rates, fees, rentals, and other charges applicable at the Puerto Rico International Airport for the three years beginning June 1, 1961. San Juan, PR: Economic Development Administrator,.
Articles
Thomas I. Emerson and David M. Helfeld, Loyalty among government employees, 58 Yale L. J. 1
David M. Helfeld, Historical prelude to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 21 Rev. Jur. U. P. R. 135
David M. Helfeld, Congressional intent and attitude toward Public Law 600 and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 21 Rev. Jur. U. P. R. 255
David M. Helfeld, Discrimination for political beliefs and associations, 25 Revista del Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico, 5
How Much of the Federal Constitution is Likely to be held Applicable to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico?', 110 F.R.D. 452
David M. Helfeld, “El Seminario sobre la Intimidad: su origen, el significado de su obra y su funcionamiento futuro”, RJUPR,, 2003, p. 651
David M. Helfeld, Narcotics, Puerto Rico, Public Policy: In search of truth and wisdom, RJUPR, Volumen 75, 2006, p. 1029
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho constitucional. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 77 no. 2.
Helfeld, D. M. El factor de la demora en los tribunales de Puerto Rico. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v, 76 no. 4.
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho constitucional. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 76 no. 2.
Helfeld, D. M. Narcotics, Puerto Rico, Public Policy: In Search of Truth and Wisdom. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico v. 75 no. 4 p. 1029-69.
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho laboral. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 74 no. 3 p. 709-35.
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho laboral. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 73 no. 3 p. 619-45.
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho laboral. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 72 no. 3 p. 459-95.
Helfeld, D. M. La política laboral constitucional del 1952: sus principios essentiales y los factores que la influenciaron. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 72 no. 2 p. 143- 62.
Helfeld, D. M., reviewer El arbitraje obrero-patronal. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 71 no. 1 p. 19 1-204.
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho laboral. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 71 no. 2 p. 447-69.
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho laboral. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 70 no. 2 p. 447-89.
Helfeld, D. M. La jurisprudencia creadora: factor determinante en el desarrollo del derecho de arbitraje en Puerto Rico. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 70 no. 1 p. 1- 128.
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho laboral. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 69 no. 2 p. 533-62.
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho constitucional. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 68 no. 2 p. 345-408.
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho laboral. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 64 no. 4 p. 82 1-56.
Helfeld, D. M. Hacia una revisión sistemática de la obra legislativa. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 64 no. 2 p. 165-178.
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho laboral. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 63 no. 2 p. 297-3 16.
Helfeld, D. M. Derecho constitucional. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 60 no. 3 p. 791-864.
Helfeld, D. M. Comentario a la ponencia del Magistrado Don Miguel Rodríguez Piñero . Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 57 p. 33-41.
Helfeld, D. M. How much of the federal constitution is likely to be held applicable to the commonwealth of Puerto Rico? Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 39 p. 169-206.
Helfeld, D. M. Annual report and prospectus for a ten-year plan. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 30 p. 3-32.
Helfeld, D. M., reviewer American colonial careerist. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 26 p. 359-362.
Helfeld, D. M., Recession . Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 26 p. 287-294.
Helfeld, D. M., reviewer American legal system; the administration of justice in the United States by judicial, administrative, military and arbitral tribunals. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 24 p. 295.
Helfeld, D. M., reviewer Labor relations and the law. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 23 p. 86-90.
Helfeld, D. M. Factors conditioning Puerto Rican labor policy. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 22 p. 310-78.
Helfeld, D. M., reviewer Prisoners at the bar. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 21 p. 350-4.
Helfeld, D. M. Congressional intent and attitude toward Public Law 600 and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 21 p. 255-320.
Helfeld, D. M., reviewer Guilty or not guilty. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 21 p. 350-4.
Helfeld, D. M. Historical prelude to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 21 p. 135-54.
Helfeld, D. M. El preludio histórico a la Constitución del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 21 p. 182-202.
Helfeld, D. M., reviewer for defense. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, y. 19 p. 2 19-26.
Helfeld, D. M., reviewer American democracy; a commentary and an interpretation. Revista Jurídica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, v. 19 p. 68-76.
Helfeld, D. M. NAALC in the eyes of the beholder. Connecticut Journal of International Law, v. 10 pp. 365–78.
Helfeld, D. M. How much of the United States Constitution and Statues are applicable to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico? Federal Rules Decisions, Vol. 110,, pp. 452–474.
Helfeld, D. M. Las relaciones constitucionales entre Puerto Rico y los Estados Unidos. Revista de Derecho Puertorriqueño v. 24 pp. 297–329.
Helfeld, D. M., reviewer U.S. multinationals and worker participation in management. Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law v. 16 pp. 721–34.
Helfeld, D. M. Toward an improved compact of association between Puerto Rico and the United States. Revista del Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico, v. 38 p. 509-27.
Helfeld, D. M. Discrimination for political beliefs and associations. Revista del Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico, v. 25 p. 5.
Helfeld, D. M., reviewer Freedom to read. University of Detroit Law Journal, v. 35 p. 416.
Helfeld, D. M., reviewer Comparative law---cases and materials. Tulane Law Review, v. 25 p. 539-45.
Helfeld, D. M. Study of Justice Department policies on wire tapping. Lawyers Guild Review, v. 9 p. 57-69.
Helfeld, D. M. & Emerson, Thomas 1. Loyalty among government employees. The Yale Law Journal, v. 58 p. 1-143.
Helfeld, D. M. & Emerson, Thomas 1. Reply by the authors . Yale Law Journal, v. 58 p. 412-421.
Groner, Isaac N.; Helfeld, David M., Race discrimination in housing . The Yale Law Journal, v. 57 p. 426-458.

Awards and recognitions

The University of Puerto Rico's Law Journal devoted an issue, No. 4, Vol. 76, 2007, as a tribute to Dean Helfeld, with articles such as The Legacy of a Brave Man, by Anthony Guadalupe Baerga, and Homenaje a Don David en Tres Actos, by Carlos G. Mera Lastra.