The USC Gould Mediation Clinic has started a new collaborative project in restorative justice. Third-year law student Teodora Cupac initiated this collaboration with Centinela Youth Services, Inc. (CYS) to expand opportunities within the clinic for law students to work with youth in the justice system.
“Restorative justice for youth seemed to be the last piece that was missing from the clinic’s mission,” Cupac says. She joined the mediation clinic as a 2L, is now in the Advanced Mediation Clinic as a 3L, and also serves as Professor Lisa Klerman’s teaching assistant.
“It has been in our vision plan for many years to develop a restorative justice program as part of our work in the Mediation Clinic,” says Klerman, clinical professor of law and director of the Mediation Clinic. “It allows us to be able to address disputes in a uniquely impactful way, to the benefit of the youth involved, those who were harmed, the USC mediators who learn valuable skills in the process, and the community at large. I am delighted to see it come to fruition.”
Soon after Cupac contacted CYS, they trained her as a Victim-Offender Restitution Services (VORS) mediator. VORS helps youth who have committed a criminal offense and the victim of their offense with the goal of providing restitution for the harm caused.
“It is about bringing humility back into the criminal justice system,” Cupac says. “This restorative process creates reflectiveness for the youth, space to forgive, and helps the community heal.”
The Mediation Clinic hopes to expand on this collaboration with CYS so that future clinic students can gain the same experience with restorative justice.
“CYS has greatly appreciated having Teodora mediate with our Restorative Justice Program,” says Richard Deleon, Centinela Youth Services Assistant Program Director. “Teodora’s passion for the work is demonstrated in how well she’s facilitated mediations as well as her commitment to her own growth as a mediator. CYS looks forward to further collaboration with USC’s Mediation Clinic and welcomes any students with the same commitment and passion as Teodora has demonstrated.”
Cupac has learned from her work with Centinela Youth Services that helping young people deal with the adversity associated with exposure to the criminal justice system has its challenges but is extremely rewarding in the end. “Both parties [youth and victim] are heard and come up with a resolution,” Cupac says. “These victims are minors and should be treated that way. The mistakes made as a youth don’t need to follow them through their whole life.”
Cupac already knew she wanted to be a litigator when she started law school, so it was natural that she joined the Mediation Clinic at Gould. As a graduating 3L this May, Cupac will work as a litigator on the business trials team at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP in New York after she takes the bar exam this summer.
“I recommend involvement in the Mediation Clinic to any law student at Gould,” Cupac says. “Professor Klerman gives us opportunities that are unmatched with the cases we get to be involved in. This experience has taught me things that will stay with me after law school.”
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