A CONVERSATION WITH VERMONT LT. GOVERNOR MOLLY GRAY JD’14
DISCOVERY
NCRJ RECEIVES SECOND $3 MILLION GRANT IN FEBRUARY, U.S. SENATOR Patrick Leahy announced that the National Center on Restorative Justice (NCRJ) based at Vermont Law School (VLS) would receive a second $3 million grant from the Department of Justice (DOJ). “There was no doubt that when Vermont Law School and its partners like the University of Vermont were awarded the inaugural grant to establish the National Center on Restorative Justice, the Department of Justice found the right home for this initiative,” says Senator Leahy. “Prison reform cannot just mean changing how we house offenders. We need to rethink our approach to the entire justice system.” The National Center was launched in the spring of 2020 by VLS in conjunction with the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, and institutional partners, the University of Vermont and the University of San Diego. The National Center works to improve criminal justice policy and practice through enhanced restorative justice training and education for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as incarcerated people and those under court supervision, professional development, and rigorous research into the impact of broadened restorative justice education on justice systems.
LOQUITUR
The funding will be used to: expand access to restorative justice education; provide targeted training to public safety officials, other professionals, and communities; convene and coordinate a national conversation to identify best practice guidelines for use by justice systems and communities; and, conduct research to evaluate the efficacy of restorative justice education and the infusion of restorative justice practices in a replicable manner across the criminal justice continuum. Restorative justice, a non-punitive, relational response to harm that seeks accountability through expansive input from those who have been harmed, acceptance of responsibility, and amends, has ancient origins and broad applicability today. VLS is the first law school in the country to offer a Master of Arts in Restorative Justice in addition to the Juris Doctor degree. VLS also offers a nine-credit Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice designed to introduce restorative theories and practices to professionals from various fields. For more information about the NCRJ, visit vermontlaw.edu/ncrj.
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WHEN VLS ALUMNA AND FACULTY MEMBER Molly Gray JD’14 was sworn in as Vermont’s 82nd lieutenant governor, she became the fourth female in the state’s history to hold the position, and the latest in a long line of Swans who have put their legal training to use in elected office. Shortly after her inauguration, Loquitur had the opportunity to talk with Lt. Governor Gray about how her time at VLS prepared her for statewide office, how being lieutenant governor will impact her teaching, and what she hopes to accomplish in her new role, among other topics. Loquitur: How did your time as a VLS student prepare you to run for, and win, statewide elected office? Lt. Governor Gray: Much like law school, running for statewide office requires a lot of mental and physical discipline. You are constantly digesting information, listening, and engaging constituents and working to make your case. You are often on your feet and the days are long! During debates and press interviews, I often found myself harkening back to Appellate Advocacy and Moot Court at VLS. I recalled and deployed the tools we learned to remain calm and focused while at the podium, or in delivering a persuasive argument. Loquitur: Can you think of any specific memories, lessons learned, teachers, etc., at VLS that you will lean on during your time as Lt. Governor? Lt. Governor Gray: Of all the lessons I learned, I think most of what the VLS community fostered in terms of inclusivity, compassion, and accountability. In many ways, VLS is like a large law firm operating in a small village. Not only do you see colleagues in the café, library, and bookstore, but also at the South Royalton Market, Worthy Burger, and everywhere in between. Everyone is transforming together and with that comes compassion for the human experience, accountability for one’s actions and those of your colleagues, and an inevitable desire and responsibility to be inclusive. I think those values make for good lawyers as well as good leaders and elected officials. I carry close my time at VLS.
