This fall, for the first time I taught a class on Victim Rights at American University. I had so much fun with our lively discussions on topics like victims as witnesses, what’s the point of restitution if we can’t collect it, and culpable victims like Epstein’s co-conspirators. We also had some incredible guest speakers like Office for Victims of Crime Director Darlene Hutchinson Biehl and human trafficking prosecutor Alessandra P. Serano.
My favorite, though? Seeing my students’ transformation over the semester. They wrote research papers and presented to the class on their topics. It was amazing to see them deftly managing the challenging research and practical applications of their topics, inviting in discussion from each other, and reaching new and intriguing conclusions (and sometimes finding new unanswered questions). By the end of the class I thought, “I’m not sure they need me anymore.” And that’s been the best part.