By: Anna Norris
This summer, I had the privilege of interning with the Center for Global Justice (CGJ). My time was filled with research, client interaction, courtroom, and projects that will benefit the Center for years to come. Here are some of the highlights.
I got to help shape student research projects for the upcoming school year. I worked on narrowing topics into clear, focused questions so that students could produce strong, usable work for partner organizations. I also updated the student handbook that is used by student workers, including drafting a new AI policy!
The most memorable part of my internship was serving with the Human Trafficking Clinic. Early in the summer, I joined Meg Kelsey, the CGJ Director, and Lauryn, the CGJ Fellow, as they trained a specialty court docket on trauma-informed lawyering and best practices for working with trafficking survivors that are in the court system as a result of being trafficked.
That same day, I witnessed the first petitions for vacatur, a petition to clear certain criminal charges that are a direct result of being trafficking from trafficking victims record, be filed in Henrico County. Because the process was so new, there was not a clear procedure in place. Seeing it filed successfully was an unforgettable experience.
Throughout the summer I also got to meet with clients for intake interviews, research pardons and compensation options for survivors, and help edit a flow chart explaining the vacatur process.
The summer ended on a particularly high note when I watched Professor Kelsey represent a client at a successful vacatur and expungement hearing for the case filed in Henrico County at the beginning of the summer.
Beyond the Clinic, I updated the Center for Global Justice Handbook of human rights organizations, giving students an up-to-date resource for finding opportunities around the world for internships and jobs.
This post was written by a student 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.