Honoring 25 years of Collaborative Courts in the Northern District
- Wyatt Lim-Tepper
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
By: Wyatt Lim-Tepper
A Curiae recently celebrated the Northern District of California’s Conviction Alternatives Program’s 10th anniversary and Reentry Court’s 15th anniversary—honoring the participants, stakeholders, and staff who have made these programs such a success.
One of the judges I work with suggested I read the foreword of Questlove’s Hip Hop Is History, where he describes planning the 50th anniversary celebration of Hip Hop,
condensed into a 10-minute Grammy performance. The performance was remarkable and captured decades of achievement—but the foreword emphasized the immense stress and pressure of distilling so many years of work, talent, and success into such a short moment. Inevitably, someone would be left out.
All we had to do was capture a combined 25 years of work from court staff and past and present participants, across three venues and two treatment courts… in a two-hour event. With the help of colleagues from stakeholder agencies, we formed a planning committee and met regularly to prepare, anticipate challenges, and ensure that everyone involved in these programs was recognized.
What began as an overwhelming task became an honor. We reached out to staff no longer in the court system, clients who had been off supervision for years, and invited speakers to share their experiences from both staff and participant perspectives. Along the way, we constantly wondered whether we were doing enough to represent everyone.
The days leading up to the event were full of challenges and anticipation, but the celebration proved to be an enlightening experience of gratitude and recognition. Attendees shared that it served as a powerful reminder of the importance of these programs. It was also a moment of joy—a rare opportunity for collaboration and reflection within a traditionally adversarial system.
For me, it was a proud moment to reflect on my own growth, the first three years of A Curiae’s journey, and 25 years of problem-solving courts in the district.
