In a heartfelt reflection at a graduation ceremony, restorative justice advocate Mika Dashman offered graduates more than just advice—she shared a life lesson shaped by both personal missteps and transformative discovery: relationships should always be your top priority.

Dashman, a lawyer turned justice innovator, recounts how a painful experience at a toxic law firm—and being fired—led her to discover restorative justice, a framework rooted in human dignity, healing, and accountability. Unlike the adversarial system she was trained in, restorative justice reframes harm as a rupture in relationship—and seeks repair, not punishment.

What does falling flat—literally—at a pedestrian crossing in leopard print heels have to do with transforming the legal profession? For Virginia Warren, it was the unlikely start of a soul-deep journey that would reshape how she saw law, conflict, and herself.

That tumble led to yoga. Yoga led to philosophy. And philosophy led to a profound realization: the legal world, while rich in intellect and argument, is often soulless. Practicing in family and probate law, Warren recognized how the adversarial mindset left little room for empathy, healing, or authentic human connection.

But what if law could be different? What if we began not with ego or winning, but with presence, creativity, and compassion? Today, alongside her role as a partner at Stidston Warren Lawyers, Warren brings soul into her practice—inviting clients to consider the impact of their decisions, to approach conflict with dignity, and to nurture themselves through emotional pain.

Her upcoming book aims to bring that same message to the broader legal community—with humor, heart, and a gentle nudge to remember: yes, even lawyers have souls.

What do a wilderness trail and a courtroom have in common? For Peter Borenstein, both are spaces where people face challenge and conflict—and both offer an opportunity to grow, not punish.

In 2014, Borenstein helped design the Neighborhood Justice Program (NJP) for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, creating a groundbreaking restorative justice alternative for low-level adult offenders. Instead of fines, jail time, and a court record for offenses like petty theft or public urination, participants meet with trained community volunteers to talk openly about what happened—and why.

What results is not a slap on the wrist, but a meaningful dialogue rooted in accountability, compassion, and healing. Participants work with the community to create personalized obligations like community service, A.A. meetings, or job counseling. If they complete them, the charge disappears—like the crime never happened.

With over 3,000 diversions, millions saved, and a recidivism rate under 3%, NJP is now the largest program of its kind in the country. And it works because it asks the deeper question: Why was the harm done—and how do we repair it together?

What drives human history—conflict, or connection? In his groundbreaking new book, The Desire for Mutual Recognition: Social Movements and the Dissolution of the False Self (Routledge Press), Peter Gabel offers a bold reimagining of liberation, grounding it not in class struggle alone, but in the human longing for authentic relationship and mutual recognition.

As restorative justice leader Fania Davis describes, Gabel’s work calls us to embed social-spiritual strategies into our movements—not only to confront injustice, but to heal the deep social fear that underpins it. This is not just a theoretical treatise—it is an invitation to co-create a more loving, conscious, and spiritually awake world.