POPULAR TRIBUNALS, LEGAL STORYTELLING, AND THE PURSUIT OF A JUST LAW

The current and historical realities of the U.S. legal system are best characterized by the contradiction between justice and order. Is this an irreparable rift? Have alternative forums for the pursuit of justice, contrary to the entrenched and formal legal system, emerged from community, political, or academic initiatives? What have been the social costs of the legal system's failure to deliver its intended good - justice?

What examples exist of alternative justice systems from other countries and other times, from which we can create a visionary mosaic of possibilities towards a more just and ethical legal system? Is there a role for the excluded voices of the oppressed and for legal storytelling?