Last month, several West Virginia University College of Law students attended the West Virginia Restorative Justice Summit from June 14-15 in Buckhannon.
From left to right: Greg Robertson, Rising 2L; Evania Baginski, Rising 2L; the Honorable Michael Aloi, Federal Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of WV; and Tristan Henry, Rising 3L.
The two-day event provided students with the opportunity to learn about the potential for restorative justice in our state’s schools, courts, and communities.
“The Restorative Justice Summit is extremely encouraging for young attorneys who want to serve others with their legal education,” said rising 2L from Charlottesville, VA, Greg Robertson. “As a set of practices and principles, restorative justice seeks to transform lives, thereby allowing for better accountability, healing, and reconciliation.”
“The opportunity to meet with and learn from so many intelligent and compassionate professionals is one that I am grateful to have experienced, and one that makes me hopeful.”
Robertson volunteered at the event with two other WVU Law students, Evania Baginski and Tristan Henry.
“I became involved with the West Virginia Restorative Justice Summit because of the Honorable Michael J. Aloi, Federal Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia,” said rising 3L from Elmer, NJ, Tristan Henry.
“Judge Aloi co-hosted the summit at his alma mater, West Virginia Wesleyan University in Buckhannon, WV. As a law student, I volunteered at the event helping set up the event halls, directing attendees, and above all learning from the presenters.”
Henry said that “instead of seeing justice as punishment, restorative justice defines it as repair to harm caused by the crime and conflict, while still holding the offender accountable for his actions.”
“Learning about restorative justice has been crucial to my development as a future criminal law practitioner and I recommend attending the West Virginia Restorative Justice Summit to all,” he said.
For more information about this year’s West Virginia Restorative Justice Summit and its speaker, please visit wvrjp.org/conference.
