From Court to Connection, An Oral History

By Wyatt Lim-Tepper

This year, we completed one of A Curiae’s most ambitious projects, an oral history, From Court to Connection, with Leah McGarrigle. I’m so proud to share the project, process, and accomplishment that have been in the works over the past two years. To start, check out the synopsis below.

Synopsis:

“Wyatt Lim-Tepper, founder of A Curiae, and oral historian Leah McGarrigle set out to document an evolving vision of justice rooted in connection, accountability, and healing. What began as an effort to capture the organizational history of a small nonprofit grew into something more expansive: a personal oral history of the people reshaping collaborative courts from within.

This collection offers a behind-the-bench perspective on alternative court programs through interviews with federal and superior court judges and reflections from Wyatt Lim-Tepper. The interviews describe the challenges and breakthroughs that emerge when the justice system departs from tradition and embraces a more human-centered approach.

From Court to Connection is both a record and a tribute—preserving the lived experiences of those who have reimagined the role of the courts, while serving as a resource for practitioners, policymakers, and communities seeking new pathways forward.”

I met Leah through the court after she attended a collaborative court graduation. I knew of her passion for her role on the Northern District Practice Panel and in the court community, but I had never spent time with her or heard about her oral histories. We set up a time to sit down and talk about what each of us does. She was curious, attentive, and genuinely interested in what I was building with A Curiae. Then she offered to volunteer her time to conduct an oral history on A Curiae and me. I was stunned. Her previous subjects included Thelton E. Henderson and William H. Alsup, two people who gave their careers to public service. I couldn’t see how I belonged on that list.

We kept talking about how an oral history could share the story and impact of A Curiae, and we quickly realized that interviewing only me would be limiting. Our conversation centered on the impact on the justice system, so we reached out to colleagues on the bench who had worked in collaborative court programs to ask about their thoughts, experience, and approach. What began as an interview of one person became interviews with six additional judges. After outreach and development, we settled on the structure of the final project and moved into planning.

I approached the interview guide with a public health lens, using structured questions that strived for succinct answers in a formal interview. Leah politely edited the questions to reflect a more casual conversation, bringing her experience with oral histories to the interviews. With our interview guide, the coordination and logistics of the interviews were the next step in the project. I knew little of what to expect or how the interviews would flow, but the judges were so gracious with their time, welcoming us into chambers to talk about their experiences.

My worries about structured interviews proved to be unwarranted. Each interview led to a level of depth about the interviewee’s legal career and professional development. There was an organic development of passion, concern, and accomplishment in their dedication to collaborative courts. Anecdotes about clients over the years were like a walk down memory lane of professional accomplishment. Throughout the interviews, there was a sense of excitement and achievement for an intervention in the justice system that is not often seen, as well as for the experiences, collaboration, and interdisciplinary view of its impact on the system.

After completing the interviews and countless hours of coding, reviewing, and reviewing transcripts, my colleague Jenee put an immaculate touch on the design of the book. From initial discussions to printing, the project took around two years. This project is truly an achievement I never would have considered, and the sense of pride and accomplishment it has brought me is immense. The book is insightful, beautiful, and an amazing recognition of the work done in problem-solving court programs.

There is still more to do, and the project warrants it. The interviews are recorded. Next, we want to interview a few graduates to document the client experience, and there is room to go further with community partners, attorneys, and officers. After that, all we would need is an editor to turn the oral history into a documentary. Who knows? It could air on KQED or NPR, or screen at a film festival. I’d love to see it shown at reentry conferences, law schools, and schools of public health, with a fireside chat with one of the interviewees. I never imagined I’d publish a book, which makes me wonder what else this story could become.

If you would like to support the documentary or learn more about From Court to Connection, please email info@acuriae.org.