By: Lauryn Eason, Legal Fellow
Even before law school, I knew I wanted to advocate for vulnerable people and victims of atrocity. Specifically, I wanted to be an international criminal justice attorney – whatever that meant. However, as I gained experience in law school and learned more about foreign sovereignty, the vision I had of advocating internationally seemed farther and farther away – until I learned about the Human Trafficking Institute. The Human Trafficking Institute (HTI) partners with existing governments to build capacity and support enforcement of the country’s own laws against human trafficking.
While in Uganda, I had the opportunity to work alongside HTI in their country office. HTI Uganda is embedded within Uganda’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (i.e., the equivalent of the U.S. Attorney General), and consists of a team of 3 former American prosecutors and about 30 Ugandan experts in law, law enforcement, and data analysis. HTI’s embedded experts advise and consult with prosecutors on cases, provide support, and host trainings throughout the country to equip and empower the Uganda to stop trafficking at its source – and it’s working. Uganda is on its way to becoming a world leader when it comes to prosecuting traffickers, as can be seen in the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report.
During my Fellowship, I was able to attend several trainings in various regions with HTI, conduct legal research for specific cases, and help compile trafficking in persons case law to be presented at a judicial training. I learned a great deal from listening and observing my Ugandan colleagues, who helped me to understand the cultural mindset around trafficking Uganda, and I enjoyed spending time with them and learning why they are so passionate about this work.
I’m thankful to Regent for sponsoring this opportunity and to HTI for fostering such an incredible Fellowship experience. I was not only privileged to work a dream job that I wasn’t sure existed, but also to be mentored by such an incredible team that began to teach me the ropes of navigating such a challenging, yet rewarding, vocation.
This post was written by an individual at Regent University School of Law. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.