VLGS – Burlington Will Also Offer an Online Hybrid JD Program, Admissions Office, and Classes through the Center for Justice Reform and National Center on Restorative Justice
Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) today celebrated the grand opening of its Burlington location and the new legal aid clinic that will be housed there. Funded by a $975,000 federal grant secured by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) through the Fiscal Year 2023 Congressionally Directed Spending process, the new Center for Justice Reform Clinic at VLGS – Burlington will merge the school’s immigration assistance work and broader justice reform work to reduce recidivism, address mass incarceration, and improve community-based restorative alternatives at all intercept points, from pre-charge to post-conviction, across the state of Vermont.
VLGS – Burlington will also host the school’s fully ABA-accredited Online Hybrid JD program, an admissions office, and classes through the school’s Center for Justice Reform and the National Center on Restorative Justice.
“The American criminal justice system is profoundly broken and continues to fail Black Americans, people of color, immigrants, the poor, and working-class people again and again,” said Senator Sanders. “We must put an end to the prison-industrial-complex and invest in solutions that prioritize human life and real justice, not greed and profits. This new Center for Justice Reform Clinic is an important step in that direction, and I look forward to seeing all the good this clinic will do for Vermonters from every corner of our state.”
“The establishment of Vermont Law and Graduate School – Burlington reinforces our commitment to serving our Vermont community,” said VLGS President Rod Smolla. “It also advances our strategic plan by providing our Online Hybrid JD students the opportunity to learn in the state’s legal hub, with all the amenities Burlington has to offer.”
VLGS marked the grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house reception featuring “Cocktails with the Constitution,” a lecture by VLGS President Rod Smolla, a constitutional law scholar and litigator, who provided an update on recent Supreme Court decisions.
VLGS-Burlington is located at 126 College Street, Suite 410, Burlington, Vermont, 05401.
About Vermont Law and Graduate School: Vermont Law and Graduate School, a private, independent institution, is home to a Law School that offers ABA-accredited residential and online hybrid JD programs and a Graduate School that offers master’s degrees and certificates in multiple disciplines, including programs offered by the School for the Environment, the Center for Justice Reform, and other graduate-level programs emphasizing the intersection of environmental justice, social justice, legal studies and public policy. Both the Law and Graduate Schools strongly feature experiential clinical and field work learning. For more information, visit vermontlaw.edu, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.