Marlee Liss
SOMATIC EDUCATOR, RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ADVOCATE & SPEAKER
Marlee Liss (she/her) is a somatic educator, award-winning speaker, author, social worker and lesbian Jewish feminist. She made history in the justice system when her sexual assault case became the 1st in North America to conclude with restorative justice through the courts.
Since then, she has coached thousands of women and non-binary folk in healing shame and transforming trauma. Marlee’s work has been featured in Forbes, Huff Post, Buzzfeed, the Mel Robbins Show and more. As an award-winning speaker, she’s delivered talks for: The US Military SAPRO, Vanderbilt University, University of Toronto, Trauma & Recovery Conference, Women’s Mental Health Conference at Yale and more. Marlee was 1 of 25 survivors on an elite panel for the National Action Plan to End Gender Based Violence informing federal policy and her story is currently being made into a documentary directed by Kelsey Darragh.
Workshop Two - Marlee Liss Restorative Justice for Sexual Harm: Why I Fought for a Circle, Not a Courtroom
In 2019, Marlee's sexual assault case became the first in North America to conclude with restorative justice through the courts.
She fought for the man who raped her to go to therapy instead of criminal trial and eventually they met in an 8-hour restorative circle. In this program, Marlee takes a vulnerable and educational approach to talking about this alterntive to the punitive system.
The focus throughout the program is to create a vision of justice that is synonymous with healing.
In an environment rooted in hope and empowerment, listeners learn about this justice pathway that breaks cycles of harm and ignites cycles of healing.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Attendees will be able to distinguish between punitive and restorative approaches to justice.
2. Participants will understand the transformative potential of a restorative justice process.
3. Participants will create a vision of trauma-informed justice that is a catalyst, not an obstacle, to trauma survivors healing.
4. Attendees will be able to define and implement practices of survivor-centred care and justice.
