Human Trafficking Legal Center

TO EMPOWER TRAFFICKED WOMEN, MEN, AND CHILDREN TO SEEK JUSTICE.

PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: HTLC'S WORK ON TRADE REMEDIES TO COMBAT FORCED LABOR IN SUPPLY CHAINS EXPANDED IN 2021. THE ORGANIZATION DISSEMINATED ITS GUIDE FOR ADVOCATES, IMPORTING FREEDOM: USING THE U.S. TARIFF ACT TO COMBAT FORCED LABOR IN SUPPLY CHAINS WIDELY, MAKING THE GUIDE AVAILABLE IN FIVE LANGUAGES. HTLC PROVIDED EXTENSIVE TRAINING ON SECTION 307 OF THE TARIFF ACT, A LAW THAT BANS IMPORTATION OF GOODS MADE IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITH FORCED LABOR. IN ADDITION TO THE TRADE REMEDIES WORK, HTLC CONTINUED TO CONDUCT TRAININGS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING CIVIL LEGAL REMEDIES AND STRATEGIC LITIGATION THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. HTLC WORKED CLOSELY WITH TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR-LEADERS TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR PRO BONO ATTORNEYS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS. HTLC ADVOCATED FOR MANDATORY RESTITUTION, WHILE PRESSING FOR REMISSION AND RESTORATION TO PROVIDE COMPENSATION FOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS. HTLC CONTINUED ITS STRATEGIC LITIGATION WEBINAR SERIES, "VOICES FROM THE LITIGATION FRONTLINES," WITH PARTICIPATION FROM LEADING LITIGATORS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE. HTLC JOINTLY PUBLISHED A NEW GUIDE WITH A PRO BONO FIRM, AUSTRALIA: EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM. FINALLY, THE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTED MULTIPLE CONVENINGS AND EVENTS ON STRATEGIC LITIGATION, INCLUDING AN EXPERT MEETING FOLLOWING THE DECISION IN THE SUPREME COURT CHILD SLAVERY CASE, NESTLE V. DOE.

REFERRALS OF TRAFFICKING CASES TO PRO BONO COUNSEL: IN 2021, HTLC REFERRED 86 CASES TO PRO BONO COUNSEL. THESE CASES INCLUDED CRIMINAL VICTIM-WITNESS, CIVIL, VACATUR/EXPUNGEMENT, TAX, IMMIGRATION, AND FAMILY LAW MATTERS. REFERRALS WERE CRITICAL IN CONNECTING CLIENTS WITH HIGHLY SKILLED PRO BONO COUNSEL. THESE REFERRALS LEVERAGED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FREE LEGAL SERVICES FOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS WHO OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD LEGAL REPRESENTATION. IN ADDITION TO THESE REFERRALS, HTLC HANDLED A SMALL NUMBER OF IMMIGRATION AND CRIMINAL VICTIM-WITNESS CASES IN-HOUSE, REPRESENTING CLIENTS DIRECTLY.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO PRO BONO ATTORNEYS: HTLC PROVIDES EXTENSIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND MENTORING TO ATTORNEYS HANDLING TRAFFICKING CASES PRO BONO. IN ADDITION TO A GENERAL RESOURCE LIBRARY, HTLC PROVIDES PRO BONO COUNSEL ACCESS TO DATABASES WITH CASE MATERIALS COLLECTED FROM COURTS NATIONWIDE. HTLC MAINTAINS A COMPREHENSIVE DATABASE OF FEDERAL CIVIL TRAFFICKING CASES. AS OF DECEMBER 2021, THE DATABASE INCLUDED MORE THAN 500 CASES. MORE THAN 1,000 PRO BONO ATTORNEYS AND ADVOCATES NATIONWIDE HAVE FREE ACCESS TO THE DATABASE. IN ORDER TO SHARE DEVELOPMENTS IN CIVIL LITIGATION UNDER THE TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PROTECTION REAUTHORIZATION ACT, HTLC PUBLISHED A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT, FEDERAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING CIVIL LITIGATION: 2020 DATA UPDATE. THE REPORT ANALYZED THE ORGANIZATION'S CASE DATA TO PROVIDE A STATISTICAL REVIEW OF LITIGATION IN THE FIELD.IN 2021, HTLC'S ATTORNEYS PROVIDED 539 HOURS OF EXPERT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS' RIGHTS ATTORNEYS, PRO BONO LAWYERS, CIVIL LITIGATORS, AND IMMIGRATION PRACTITIONERS. STAFF PROVIDED DOCUMENT REVIEW AND PARTICIPATED IN MOOT COURTS FOR ORAL ARGUMENT PREPARATION ON SEVERAL KEY CASES BROUGHT UNDER THE TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PROTECTION REAUTHORIZATION ACT. HTLC ALSO PROVIDED EXTENSIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO PRO BONO COUNSEL IN MULTIPLE RESTITUTION, RESTORATION, AND REMISSION CASES, RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT COMPENSATION FOR TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS.