When Haley Swanson started in the Restorative Justice Project (RJP) during her second year at University of Wisconsin Law School, she saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to facilitate conversations between harmed parties and responsible parties without the constraints of the criminal legal system.
“It was a chance to work with both sides,” said Swanson. “I think that’s something really unique, especially as an attorney, because usually you’re representing one side of a conflict.”
Restorative justice encompasses a broad range of practices and approaches toward addressing harm and conflict. RJP facilitates face-to-face restorative justice dialogues in the aftermath of serious and sensitive crimes such as homicide and sexual assault. The program was founded in 1987 as a mechanism to provide restorative justice services to crime victims and has a long-standing partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ Office of Crime Victim Services and Programs.
Swanson wasn’t familiar with restorative justice before entering law school. She became drawn to the practice because of how it centers the needs of those who have been harmed — sometimes by the criminal legal system itself — and hopefully serves as a healing mechanism.
RJP’s dialogue preparation process is intensive and can sometimes take years depending on the circumstances surrounding the harm and the parties. Preparation involves individual meetings with harmed parties and responsible parties during which RJP students exchange questions and answers between the parties to develop a potential shared narrative. RJP students spend time learning who the parties are, how the harm impacted them and how the needs that resulted from the harm might be addressed. RJP students then craft a detailed outline of everything the parties would like to discuss during the dialogue, and the outline is reviewed, revised and approved by both parties before the eventual dialogue meeting.
Throughout her year in RJP, Swanson worked on seven cases — five restorative justice dialogue requests and two apology letter assistance requests.
“By prioritizing empathy and understanding, I’m better equipped to craft resolutions that are not only legally sound but also genuinely responsive to the human aspects of each situation.” – Haley Swanson 3L
While each case was unique, patterns emerged from the stories she heard, such as a sense of being shut out by the legal system, which led many to feel misunderstood or voiceless.
“It really is just creating a space for people to share what they need and what they’ve gone through,” said Swanson. “That is the single most powerful thing that I think the clinic does. And I saw that come through in all my cases — that people needed the opportunity to share their story, ask questions and build context for why something happened, which often has very little to do with the crime itself. That’s such a simple thing, but it’s so overlooked.”
Swanson said she learned a lot of valuable skills through her work with RJP, including the value of building relationships, how crucial it is to approach every situation without judgment and the value of becoming a better listener, among other things.
“By prioritizing empathy and understanding, I’m better equipped to craft resolutions that are not only legally sound but also genuinely responsive to the human aspects of each situation,” she explained.
In essence, she said, the clinic experience reinforced for her the idea that “effective legal practice is not just about applying the law but about understanding the people it impacts.”
“It’s about creating spaces for healing and meaningful discussions,” she added. “By approaching each situation with an open mind, I’ve become a more thoughtful and compassionate professional, better equipped to navigate the complexities of human conflict and to support those who seek justice. Ultimately, the lessons I’ve learned in the clinic have made me a more thoughtful, responsive and effective legal professional, capable of fostering positive change both in my interactions and in the broader community.”
Swanson, now a 3L, is continuing her clinic work with RJP on two cases that haven’t yet gone to dialogue. Her work will also take her into the Madison Metropolitan School District to support restorative justice efforts in the school setting.
“I think when you get to the core of what somebody needs, that’s really where the true healing and restoration begins,” she said.
By Mika Doyle