Straus Institute Western Justice Center Peer Mediation and Restorative Practices Course Prepares Students to Transform Conflict
From Classroom to Community: How Students Are Transforming Conflict in LA Schools with Straus Institute’s Western Justice Center Peer Mediation and Restorative Practices Course
Straus Institute adjunct faculty member and alumna Rehana Jamal (LLM ’22) brings restorative justice to the forefront of education through her innovative course, Western Justice Center Peer Mediation and Restorative Practices. Offered through the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, the course blends academic theory with hands-on fieldwork, giving students real-world experience working with youth, schools, and community organizations across Los Angeles.
Designed in collaboration with the Western Justice Center (WJC), the course introduces students to the principles and practices of restorative justice with a particular focus on youth-driven conflict resolution. From day one, students are immersed in restorative models such as community circles and peer mediation. They are challenged to consider how these practices can be applied to promote healing, inclusion, and accountability in school environments.
WJC executive director Elissa Barrett and Straus Institute senior director Shaphan Roberts were instrumental in the course’s vision and experiential structure. Students not only study foundational texts and theory but also complete fieldwork alongside WJC practitioners, facilitating circles, coaching peer mediation programs, and helping design restorative curricula tailored to school settings.
For Professor Jamal, the goal of the course is not just skill-building but fostering a mindset shift. “I hope that students walk away with tangible skills of how to engage with self and community from a restorative lens,” she shared. “I want students to expand their understanding of conflict resolution and consider various contexts in which to apply these skills. I was able to see how the students last year shifted their perspectives around restorative justice and conflict resolution and learned to engage more deeply with their classmates. My goal is to teach skills and focus on a mindset shift for more inclusive and communal practices of conflict resolution.”
For Christian Parham, a JD/MDR student who took the course, the impact was both personal and profound.
“One moment from Professor Jamal’s class that really stood out to me was when we got to shadow a Kids Mediating Conflict session, where I spent half the day with elementary school students,” Parham said. “I was blown away by their intelligence, character, and kindness. One notable interaction I had was with a 4th grader, where she said that in conflict, we must understand how everyone has their own paradigms influencing their views. This eloquence and maturity in an elementary schooler gives me so much hope for not only their future but the future of our world as we use the skills taught in this class to develop peacemakers.”
Reflecting on the broader lessons from the course, Parham added,
“This course taught me that the most long-lasting form of peace occurs when we seek to understand the party we are different from. In the class, we learned the importance of peer mediators determining the underlying motives of a student’s actions. When students feel heard and understood, it is much more likely that conflict will be resolved for the long term.”
The course also creates a pathway for students interested in continuing this work beyond the classroom through externships with WJC and deeper involvement in restorative justice initiatives. By bridging the academic and the practical, Jamal’s course underscores Straus’s mission to train conflict resolution professionals who serve their communities compassionately.
As restorative practices continue to gain traction in education and justice systems, courses like this equip future leaders with the tools to lead transformative change.