LAWS9153 · Law

Restorative Justice: Transforming the Law from Within

Boston College Law School

This course is designed to train students in implementing restorative justice principles and practices in legal practice. Students will learn how to facilitate restorative justice circles and how to incorporate restorative justice into their daily lives through an interdisciplinary framework combining the head and heart with the aim of cultivating compassionate lawyers committed to transforming themselves and the justice system. We will identify practices which nurture and strengthen the inner life and the connection between the inner life and well-being of lawyers and the quality of legal practice. To transform the justice system through restorative justice, future lawyers must be committed to transforming themselves and their way of being in the world. We will explore the roots of restorative justice, contemporary examples of its application in post-conflict settings in the US and the world, and examine its utility in addressing the pressing mass incarceration crisis, the current penal system and mode of punishment in the US. We will practice and apply Critical Race and Systems Theories to sharpen the students' ability to assess themselves, and their future clients, through a systems lens and to examine the impact of racism, sexism, gender discrimination and other systems of oppression on behavior and on the justice system. We anticipate holding at least one class session off-campus at a correctional facility. The grade will be based upon attendance, participation, written assignments, and facilitation skills.