Chief judge of the Newark Municipal Court, Victoria F. Pratt

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Photography: 
John Emerson

As the chief judge of the Newark Municipal Court, Victoria F. Pratt gained international prominence by promoting “procedural justice”—the idea that defendants and the court, in showing mutual respect during proceedings, can reduce crime. These days, Pratt LC’94, NLAW’98 is espousing the same idea as a professor of law at Rutgers Law School in Newark, teaching the course “Restorative Justice and Problem-Solving Justice.” Since its posting in November, her TED Talk, “How Judges Can Show Respect,” about her experience as the chief judge, has been seen by close to a million viewers. “The court can play a significant role in changing people’s behavior.”