02.25.24 — Restorative justice efforts are happening within the trial courts on the state and federal level, schools, workplaces and programs. To address related issues, the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Judicial Administration Section and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEIC) hosted a two-part program series that included expert observations by Professor Deborah A. Ramirez and Dr. Deborah A. Jackson, faculty co-director and managing director, respectively, of Northeastern Law’s Center for Law, Equity and Race (CLEAR). Ramirez and Jackson were featured in a session titled Repairing Harm and Rebuilding Communities, held on January 25, 2024.
Ramirez and Jackson spoke to the historical background of restorative justice, helping attendees better understand the benefits of this legal approach and how to implement restorative justice strategies. Remarking on her own history with restorative justice, Ramirez told attendees in the online webinar that her education in this field began when she witnessed Israeli trial courts and their “problem-solving” methods, as she described them.
“In the United States, I was accustomed to seeing judges in criminal cases fashioning punitive solutions which focused on how the defendant should be punished. In contrast, in Israel, a guardian ad litem interviewed defendants and reported to the court on why they had committed the crime, and how to address any underlying problems,” said Ramirez. “To me, this was an epiphany.”
The CLEAR directors were joined on the panel by program chair Shayla Mombeleur of Todd & Weld, and Susan Maze-Rothstein, director of the Center for Restorative Justice at Suffolk University. The discussion was moderated by attorney Theresa Coney, founder of Race Equity Solutions Consulting.
Ramirez discussed her collaboration with Maze-Rothstein, a former member of the Northeastern Law faculty, who pioneered the use of peacemaking circles as restorative justice tool within legal settings. With the support of the Chief Justice Ralph Gants Fund for Racial Equity and Access to Justice, Maze-Rothstein has also recently delivered a restorative justice training program for the first cohort of Massachusetts state court judges ever to complete such a program.
Northeastern Law School’s Criminal Justice Task Force’s development of the Massachusetts Reentry Directory was also discussed. Designed to help individuals struggling with reentry after a term of incarceration, this app, which connects users with vital public services, has a myriad of other uses and is a resource for judges, social workers, probation officers, defense counsel, prosecutors and others.
“The hope is that this new cadre of judges trained in restorative justice protocols, and this new resource app, will make restorative justice part of the criminal justice system,” said Ramirez.
The second session in MassBar’s series, Replacing “Punishment” with “Repair,” was held on February 8, and focused on making the case for restorative justice as an alternate disposition.
Both sessions in this series are available to watch on the Massachusetts Bar Association’s website, here.
About Northeastern University School of Law
The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,000 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.
For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu