As a practicing American public defender, I knew relatively little about restorative justice before taking this class. But I knew after 19 years of practice that the adversarial system is failing on a fundamental human level.

This class has inspired me far beyond my expectations. I understand the history and philosophy of restorative and have seen examples of how it operates in different spheres like courts, schools, and organisations.

I have tools and ideas to bring to my professional world. But even more: the lectures and conversations in class and with my fantastic classmates have caused me to think about my personal relationships, the impact I hope to have on the world, and how to raise my children to be caring, healing adults.

The class experience has reinvigorated me to be a doer and a dreamer.