The Criminal Law curriculum is doctrinally challenging, and, in many cases, intellectually interesting. But does it prepare future lawyers to think about the criminal legal system in imaginative ways? Does it train future lawyers to identify and understand the interests represented in the criminal court room? Does it interrogate the racialized, communal violence brought about via the criminal law and those who design and enforce it? The answer to all of the above questions is, unfortunately, no.

This panel discussion is designed to initiate a dialogue between those in the Greater Boston area, who are working on criminal legal issues in imaginative ways that transcend the defender-prosecutor paradigm, and HLS students. Employing harm-reduction and restorative justice frameworks, among others, these activists, lawyers, organizers, and scholars think about criminal law beyond the court room. The panel features Fatema Ahmad of Muslim Justice League, Makis Antzoulatos of Committee for Public Counsel Services/National Lawyers Guild, Samantha Calero of Mijente Boston, and Kaia Stern of the Prison Studies Project/Harvard Graduate School of Education. Hosted by CJPP and HLS NLG. Moderated by CJPP Student Fellow, Michael Banerjee. Dinner will be served.