Center for Justice Reform
Overview
The Center for Justice Reform at Vermont Law and Graduate School is a statewide, regional, national, and international educational and training location for justice reform efforts including restorative justice. The center trains law and graduate students, community members, criminal justice professionals, educators, social service providers, and policymakers. Our center offers courses that focus both on justice reform, working to improve the criminal justice system, as well as restorative justice, working to offer students new approaches to solving problems and meaningfully addressing harm.
Our residential and online educational programs include a Master of Arts in Restorative Justice (MARJ), joint JD/Master of Arts in Restorative Justice, and a Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice. Coupled with meaningful experiential learning opportunities, students gain the skills to become agents for change within the justice system, schools, nonprofits, and a range of other contexts.
The Center for Justice Reform is uniquely positioned to address deficiencies in our justice systems and to train the next generation of justice leaders. We help our students to understand the history of criminal justice systems and challenges within these systems. Students can take courses in criminal law, victim rights, sexual and domestic violence, and police use of force.
A special aspect of our program is that we offer one of the only graduate programs in restorative justice in the country. In particular, because we are part of the Vermont Law School, we are the leading program in restorative justice focused on the criminal legal system. However, our restorative justice offerings are not limited to criminal justice; we offer courses in global restorative justice practices like Truth and Reconciliation Commissions as well as how restorative justice can be used in education, environmental policy, social work, and a range of other focus areas. We also offer a course on the indigenous roots of restorative justice.
Download the Center for Justice Reform Brochure
The Center for Justice Reform Mission
Achieving justice requires new ways to think about and respond to harm, conflict, and crime. Wrongdoings are not just transgressions against government or institutions; harm involves a breach of relationships among individuals. Responding to harm requires more than punishment—more than retribution—the response requires an opportunity for acceptance of responsibility, amends to the aggrieved parties, and the creation of an environment that promotes healing.
By bringing together students committed to developing new ways of thinking about harm with national and international restorative justice leaders, Vermont Law and Graduate School will educate the next generation of leaders, leaders who understand principles and practices of restorative justice who are equipped to infuse systems and communities with principles of problem-solving, dialogue across differences, compassion, and positive change.
People
Staff
Quixada Moore-Vissing
- Director, Center for Justice Reform
- Visiting Assistant Professor
Robert Sand
- Founding Director, Center for Justice Reform
- Professor of Law
Brett Stokes
- Assistant Professor of Law
- Director, Center for Justice Reform Clinic
Claudia Tetreault
- Program Manager, Center for Justice Reform
Osvaldo Viera Martiatu
- Office Manager, Center for Justice Reform Clinic (Burlington Office)
Faculty
Dr. Desirée Anderson
- Adjunct Professor
Marilyn Armour
- Adjunct Professor
Lisa Bedinger
- Adjunct Professor
Suzanne Belleci
- Adjunct Faculty
Aviance Brown
- Adjunct Professor
Jordan Burke
- Course Developer
David Cahill
- Specialist in Digital Evidence
Jared Carter
- Professor of Law
- First Amendment Law
Honorable Timothy Connors
- Presiding Judge, Washtenaw County Peacemaking Court
Cara Cookson
- Adjunct Professor
Justine Darling
- Course Developer
Alex Frank
- Course Developer
Kevin Goodan
- Adjunct Professor of Law
Emily Gould
- Adjunct Professor
Sean Horrigan, Ph.D.
- Lecturer
Nicole Jenkins-Rosenkrantz
- Adjunct Professor
Jon Kidde
- Consultant, Restorative Justice, School Discipline and Juvenile Justice Reform
Inga N. Laurent
- Adjunct Professor
Dr. Mikhail Lyubansky
- Adjunct Professor of Law
Dr. Ian D. Marder
Brenda McKinney
- Course Developer
Arti Mohan
Lindsey Owen
- Adjunct Professor
Dr. Thomas Reed
- Adjunct Professor
Anton Robinson
- Course Developer
Robert Sand
- Founding Director, Center for Justice Reform
- Professor of Law
Erika Sasson
- Adjunct Professor
Anna Saxman ’85
- Adjunct Faculty
Sarah Scanlon (they/she)
- Adjunct Faculty
Karen Tronsgard-Scott
- Adjunct Professor
John Ungerleider, Ed.D.
- Adjunct Faculty
Andrea Van Liew
- Adjunct Professor
Marc Wennberg
- Adjunct Professor
Joel West Williams
- Adjunct Faculty
Alumni
The Center for Justice Reform prepares students in both the master’s and professional certificate program to become leaders and advocates in the field of restorative justice at a regional and national level.
Students gain an in-depth understanding of the history of restorative justice domestically, internationally, and cross culturally. Restorative Justice courses combine concepts of theory and practices for students to apply in different areas of work.
Our alumni are utilizing restorative justice in a variety of work settings, from nonprofits to schools, from police forces to prisons. Some of our alumni career paths include:
- Restorative Justice Centers
- Attorney General’s Office
- Youth/Adult Diversion Programs
- Police Reform
- Prison Reform and Education
- K-12 Education
- Higher Education
- Research Coordinators
- State Legislature
- Department of Corrections
- The Innocence Project
- Social Work
- Domestic/Sexual Violence agencies
- Community Development/Organizing
Curriculum
The Center for Justice Reform offers innovative educational and training opportunities for restorative justice both on-campus and online. We also offer “intensive courses” that allow accelerated in-person study that are open both to residential students and online students who wish to come together for brief periods with peers. The center trains law and graduate students, community members, criminal justice professionals, and policymakers in the value of restorative and innovative criminal justice programs.
Master of Arts in Restorative Justice (MARJ)
The MARJ program was created both for students who want to improve the criminal justice system and those who are interested in becoming specialized leaders in restorative justice. Because of our unique positioning as a law school, master’s students have an opportunity to take law courses as well as courses explicitly focused on restorative justice. This allows for our students to develop deep understandings of how the legal aspects of the criminal justice system work. We also allow for experiential learning opportunities, such as externships, that prepare graduates for careers in restorative justice.
For more information visit the Master’s Degrees page.
JD/Master of Arts in Restorative Justice (MARJ)
The JD/MARJ degree program offers students the opportunity to earn both a Juris Doctor (JD) and a Master of Arts in Restorative Justice (MARJ) in three academic years—the period of time ordinarily required to earn the JD. The joint degree program combines traditional law courses with restorative justice courses to prepare graduates to address deficiencies in our justice system and become the next generation of restorative justice leaders. Many of our JD students are attracted to the restorative justice program because it allows them to become the kind of lawyers they want to be as they develop both an ethical lens as well as practical skills for working with people who have experienced trauma.
For more information visit the Joint Degree Programs page.
Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice
The Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice is a unique curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students, restorative justice leaders, state and non-profit managers, and other professionals who wish to develop a career focusing on restorative justice. This 9-credit program includes courses in restorative justice theory and practice, public speaking for advocates, and other course offerings.
For more information visit the Non-Degree Courses page.
Perspectives From our Alumni
“My vision, is for a system that is more collectively geared towards the betterment of society communities, individuals, the families; everybody.” – Emily Severson MARJ’19, Mitigation Specialist, Public Defenders Office
A Conversation with Emily Severson MARJ’19, November 12, 2021
“My focus is on creating those relationships in the community, educating them about restorative practices, building that capacity with partnerships to be able to provide a program outside the legal system.” – Delinda Passas MARJ’20
Alumni Spotlight: Delinda Passas MARJ’20, November 12, 2021
Courses
7325/Advanced Restorative Practices
The Advanced Restorative Practices course teaches students how to design, prepare for, and facilitate a variety of restorative practices. Students will learn from restorative justice experts and then design and lead simulated restorative practices on their own. Students will be graded on a High Pass, Pass, Low Pass, and Fail basis. The Principles of Restorative Justice or Origins, Evolution and Critical Issues course (described above) is a prerequisite for this course.
7360/Advanced Victim Rights Seminar
This course builds upon the foundation of Adversity, Trauma and Victimization to explore deeply the legal interplay between victim rights and the criminal justice system. Students will engage in a detailed analysis of victim rights law and their juxtaposition with constitutional and other protections for criminal defendants. Students will contemplate fair statutory structures to ensure appropriate and inclusive victim input into justice systems and will develop a detailed proposal for establishing, safeguarding or expanding victim rights. Prerequisites: RSJ7210 or
7210/Adversity, Diversity, Trauma and Victimization
This course will explore the legal, historical, cultural, and psychological frameworks underlying victim rights law, as well as best practices for effective victim/survivor engagement across the American criminal justice system.
7140/Applied Criminal Justice
This course will explore the use of criminal legal systems to address social and environmental harms. Following an introductory section covering the basics of criminal law and procedure, the course will explore conventional and alternative criminal justice applications to address crimes against people including drug and internet offenses, animal abuse, and environmental harms. The course will also explore new arenas in which criminal law might be used to advance social justice.
7270/Clemency, Pardon and Expungement
This course will examine clemency in full beginning with its historical development and interpretation by the U.S. Supreme Court. The class will analyze all facets of clemency: pardons, commutations, fines and forfeitures, reprieves, and amnesty, and engage in discussions about the applicability of clemency today. The discussions will also compare and contrast the broad federal pardon power with the more limited pardon power given to the Governor in Vermont’s Constitution.
5122/Communications, Advocacy and Leadership
Designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to operate effectively in a variety of careers. Topics include communications to achieve public policy aims; development and implementation of legislative and policy campaigns; and management of enterprises. Offered as both ENV and RSJ.
7290/Drug Policy Reform
This seminar looks at the history and evolution of drug laws in this country, the science and physiology of substance use disorders, and the historical, contemporary, and anticipated new directions in drug policy. Students will be evaluated on their class engagement, submission of a final paper, and presentation.
7350/Ethics and Restorative Justice
This course provides a brief review of ethical codes of conduct applicable in various professional disciplines and analyzes the possible tension between modern codes of conduct and a pure restorative approach to harm and conflict. Students will be presented with a series of ethical dilemmas by guest practitioners across various disciplines and will be asked to analyze the ethical issues in each problem. The course will draw upon philosophical underpinnings and will analyze and explore how to discern a proper path in complex ethical situations.
7250/Global Restorative Justice: Restorative Practices Around the Globe
This course will consider how other places and countries have adopted and utilized restorative practices to address systemic harm. The location or locations that form the basis of the semester will depend on the expertise of the professor. The initial time this course will be offered it will focus on “Recent Advances in Rwanda.”
7333/Juvenile Justice and Law
This course will explore the historical and current administration of juvenile justice in the US, including the legal and policy justifications for having a separate system for young offenders, and whether this division continues to make sense today. This course will also explore contemporary alternatives to the more traditional juvenile justice responses to include the use of restorative practices.
7215/Narrative Writing Seminar
Today, being an advocate requires more than knowing how to write a brief. Fluency in a variety of written forms – memorandums, op-eds, letters, emails, blog posts – is all but required. This course will cover these forms and others. Students will be graded on regular written assignments and a final paper.
7320/New Approaches to Domestic and Sexual Violence
This course will address how we respond to domestic and sexual violence, the shortcomings of our current approach, and explore meaningful alternatives to our current responses. The course will consider the political, cultural, and legal factors that are influencing shifting attitudes toward crimes of interpersonal violence.
7120/Origins, Evolution, and Critical Issues in Restorative Justice
This course covers the evolving definitions and history of restorative justice and related regulatory and relational practices and approaches. Faculty and students will consider the ways concepts and debates in restorative justice are evolving and being used to tackle some of society’s most challenging problems.
7270/Peacemaking Courts
This course introduction begins with the exploration of the roots of peacemaking from indigenous nations within our national border. Students will learn about differing world views, tribal justice systems (through Native voices), and tensions between Native justice systems and Western model court systems. In addition, students will learn about current efforts to nurture communication, collaboration and common ground between the two.
7380/Pleas, Sentencing and Accountability
This course will combine a statutory, rule, and case-law based exploration of plea bargaining and sentencing law and procedure with an experiential component of interviewing and writing background biographical reports about criminal defendants in actual Vermont cases. These reports will augment the Pre-Sentence Investigative Reports (PSI) prepared in major felonies and, in other cases without a PSI, assist judges, community justice centers, and parole boards in understanding the “whole person” upon whom consequences are pending.
7355/Police Use of Force
This three-credit seminar explores the constitutional and other implications of police use of force. Students will learn about police training and consider the application of that training in the context of instances of alleged excessive force. Students will write a graded paper and present at the end of the semester.
7115/Principles of Restorative Justice
This highly participatory course will explore restorative justice and the ideas that form its foundation, question its strengths and shortcomings, examine restorative practices, and investigate opportunities to put the theory into practice.
7340/Race, Crimes, and Restorative Justice
This course explores the impact of race on the criminal justice system and how restorative justice approaches might help address the systemic racism that permeates the system. Starting with the US Constitution, the course will explore the 13th Amendment, convict leasing, Jim Crow, and the War on Drugs, mass incarceration, and racial disparities in arrest, prosecution, and sentencing practices.
7330/Restorative Justice in Educational Institutions
This course explores how restorative justice approaches can provide important alternatives to more traditional responses to harm within educational settings. Restorative justice has three primary applications in school settings, which include both K-12 schools and higher education. Restorative circles are commonly used to build and strengthen relationships between students and with their teachers. Restorative practices help develop “social-emotional learning.” Restorative conferences are used in response to conflict and misconduct.
7230/Restorative Justice in Indigenous Communities
This course will focus on how indigenous people from many countries and cultures respond to conflict and harm. The course will consider how contemporary restorative practices find roots in the approaches from indigenous people.
7365/Teaching Restorative Justice
This three-credit course considers how restorative justice can be taught in a way that is in alignment with restorative values while preparing students to share restorative justice with others through effective teaching and training. Students will learn experientially through teaching a course on restorative justice.
7371/Youth Justice Reimagined
This three-credit course considers the shortfalls of current juvenile justice approaches and invites students to explore an alternative set of overarching juvenile justice goals, endeavoring to better serve the needs of youth, their families, and their broader communities and consider what practical strategies accomplish these goals.
National Center on Restorative Justice
In addition to our Center for Justice Reform on campus, Vermont Law and Graduate School is home to the National Center on Restorative Justice (NCORJ), which is a partnership shared between Vermont Law and Graduate School, the University of Vermont, the University of San Diego, and the U.S. Office of Justice Programs. The NCORJ is funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to educate and train the next generation of justice leaders and to support and lead research focusing on restorative justice and addressing social challenges to improve criminal justice policy and practice in the United States.
The purpose of the NCORJ is to:
- Educate and train the next generation of justice leaders on restorative justice to improve criminal justice policy and practice in the US.
- Support and lead research focusing on restorative justice and addressing challenges in the US criminal legal system.
To learn more about the National Center on Restorative Justice and access resources, visit NCORJ.org.
Center for Justice Reform Clinic
The Center for Justice Reform Clinic (CJRC) advances the Center for Justice Reform’s mission by empowering law and graduate students to think restoratively while equipping them with knowledge and skills to be agents of change.
The CJRC supports JD and master’s students for three semesters per academic year to repair harms caused by the punitive criminal and immigration legal systems.
As one of Vermont’s only legal service providers representing individuals in immigration court, the CJRC empowers students to develop professional habits and essential advocacy skills through judicial, administrative, and legislative advocacy; survivor-centered legal services; partner-driven movement lawyering; and restorative practices. CJRC’s services help migrants and their families understand their rights and protections under federal and state law, including advice about the immigration process.
Summer at the Center for Justice Reform
The Center for Justice Reform is excited to welcome students, lawyers, professionals from across other disciplines, and interested community members to learn about restorative justice during our Summer Session.
Restorative justice invites a different approach to harm and conflict, one that focuses on healing and repair. While as complex and unique as truly every human, a restorative process is equally as flexible and adaptable across situations and systems. Traditional justice outcomes often focus on punishment, where restorative justice allows for repair of broken relationships, an opportunity to address harm caused, and a chance for reflection, learning, and growth.
The Summer Session is a time to explore your interest in restorative justice and is open to students from other graduate schools, nationally and internationally, as well as non-degree students and professionals. Whether you are focusing on core required classes, exploring an area of interest through an elective or toward a Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice, our Summer Session offers a variety of options to meet your needs and interests.
CJR Speaker Series
To view the entire series, please visit our CJR Speaker Series page.
CJR Alumni Highlights
Delinda Passas MARJ’20
Delinda Passas MARJ’20 was among the first cohort of online Master of Arts in Restorative Justice (MARJ) students in 2018 and continues to stay an active part of the VLGS community through weekly conversations held for current and former restorative justice students. Delinda uses her background in restorative justice to share education on restorative practices and foster relationships within the community to support a restorative justice program within her judicial district in Colorado. Watch the video here to learn more.
Emily Severson MARJ’19
Emily Severson was among the first cohort of MARJ students in 2018 and is now working as a mitigation specialist for the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. Check out the video here to hear more about Emily’s story, and how restorative justice continues to impact the work she does today.
Amy Quinn
Q: How have you been able to apply the tools and practices you learned from the Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice in your career and/or personal life?
Completing this program has been rigorous, transdisciplinary, and powerfully compelling. It has changed the way I approach so many things: as an attorney, a parent, an advocate, a friend and a community member. I only wish I had found it earlier in my career. With this knowledge and experience, I’m excited to continue to grow, learn and make change, both inside and outside of my career, and I’m ever so grateful to the Adirondack Foundation and Vermont Law and Graduate School for this extraordinary opportunity as their 2021 scholarship recipient in this incredible program.
Michelle Bos-Lun
Q: How have you been able to apply the tools and practices you learned from the Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice in your career and/or personal life?
I am currently looking into legislative possibilities that might help expand restorative practices to schools around Vermont.
Q: Are there any insights or advice you would offer to someone currently considering applying for this certificate program?
The courses are very intensive, but very valuable. The professors are top notch and provide a wealth of knowledge and experience that can’t easily be encountered outside of a classroom.
Center for Justice Reform News and Events
Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Center for Justice Reform Launches Restorative Justice Webinar Series
February 18“Healing Communities to Heal the World” Will Provide Tools to Respond and Rebuild in the Wake of Community Traumas SOUTH ROYALTON, Vermont (Feb. 17, 2025) — Vermont Law …
Vermont Law and Graduate School Unveils Patrick J. Leahy House
April 12Lifelong advocate for justice reform and agriculture policy, a state’s attorney and Vermonter born and raised, Patrick J. Leahy now has his very own building on the Vermont …
Call for Papers: The International Encyclopedia of Restorative Justice, North America Volume
July 12Dr. Lindsey Pointer, the Associate Director of the National Center on Restorative Justice and the Center for Justice Reform, is serving as an editor for the North American vol…
International Restorative Justice Week at VLS
July 12November 18, 2020 Last month, the National Center on Restorative Justice (NCRJ) at Vermont Law School launched “Reimagining Justice,” a restorative justice art con…
Contact Us
Center for Justice Reform
at Vermont Law and Graduate School
164 Chelsea St.
P.O. Box 96
South Royalton, VT 05068
802-831-1264
justicereform@vermontlaw.edu
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