Human trafficking is a dark subject. When you mention it in conversation, it often casts a shadow and creates a heavy feeling regarding the depth of the problem in our society. But I am happy to share that the experience I have been having this summer in the anti-trafficking fight has been encouraging and so rewarding.
There are many great organizations out there that are having a huge impact on modern day slavery. National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) and Shared Hope are two of these organizations. I have been a law fellow this summer working on several projects for these abolitionists.
With Shared Hope, Danielle Gallaher (See photo above/also a law fellow from Regent) and I are reviewing the 2013 legislative sessions of different states to help update reports for each state which are compiled in The Protected Innocence Project. Shared Hope provides these reports to each state to let them know how the state is doing in response to domestic minor slavery that is taking place within their borders. Over the past few years, following the project’s inception, there have been significant responses to the recommendations made by Shared Hope. I am so pleased to be a part of this great work!
With NDAA, I am reviewing federal and state case law to find out how force, fraud, and coercion are applied to domestic and international human trafficking cases. The work is fascinating, the teams we work with are exceptional, and the experience is invaluable! Working with these teams to fight human trafficking is certainly piercing the darkness of slavery, and I am excited to be a part of it! In my free time, I have been exploring The National Mall, learning much about the history of this great nation, and snapping photos of our historic landmarks to commemorate this experience!
