In Becoming a Restorative Lawyer, attorney and scholar Brenda Waugh invites readers to reimagine the very foundation of legal practice. Drawing from decades in the field, she offers a powerful critique of the adversarial legal system, which too often prioritizes winning over understanding, resolution over repair.
 
Her vision is different: a return to the human heart of justice.
 
Rooted in the principles of restorative justice, Waugh redefines the lawyer’s role as a facilitator of connection, dialogue, and accountability. Through personal narrative, deep reflection, theory, and practice-based insight, she challenges legal professionals—and all justice-seekers—to rethink what justice means, and to begin practicing law in ways that center healing, dignity, and human connection.
More than a critique, this book introduces a new approach to lawyering—one that includes methods, skills, and techniques grounded in restorative principles. It’s not a how-to; it’s a why-now—an urgent call to transform how we think about and practice justice.
 
The book features original photography by Howard Zehr, a pioneer of the restorative justice movement. His images serve as visual metaphors, drawing the reader into moments of pause and deeper understanding—reminding us that how we see justice shapes how we seek it.
 
Becoming a Restorative Lawyer is for attorneys, law students, judges, mediators, paralegals, social justice advocates, and anyone ready to imagine—and practice—a more healing form of justice.
 
What might justice look like if it were designed to heal?