There's such a unique opportunity right now in our country to be a transformative leader. And one of the things that all of the students that come here strive to do is to somehow implement and affect change. It's exciting and inspiring to see these students get the tools and equipment that they need, so that they can go out into the world and make a difference. What's really unique about the Master of Arts and Restorative Justice is that it is here at a law school, preparing lawyers who will be zealous advocates. And it gives us this opportunity to analyze how we can actually respond to harm and conflict in a very different way. And recognizing the importance of human relationships, and human capital. A number of our graduates have used the Marje Degree as a launchpad into getting their JD. So they can get their Juris Doctor, they can become a lawyer here at Vermont law school. And they can also couple that with that master's degree. We also have a professional certificate. So if there are people that are already working in the field, or they're working in a field where they think they want to bring a restorative approach to the work that they do. Whether that's law enforcement, it's education, it's social work, or even working in the environment, this gives them an opportunity to specialize by getting nine credits in a particular area tailored to what they might already be doing. Having a Master of Arts and Restorative Justice in a place where people can learn to be advocates and learn about the system, but also learn about the importance of human connections and relationships. And how to build those in a very different way is a real shift in the paradigm of thinking in terms of what justice is. I sometimes ask people to visualize the words, criminal justice system, and I say, Please give me words or images that come to mind. And very frequently people will come up with jails or prisons or a courtroom setting lawyers, things of that nature. But then if I say just picture alone, the word, "justice", and then give me words and images. I get things like transformation, equity, fairness, inclusivity, and I asked people, why should we settle to have our criminal justice system, be one set of images and true justice be a different set of images?
