By: Monica Anelli
This summer, I had the privilege of interning with the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) in Washington, D.C. As someone who had never worked for a nonprofit before, I entered the summer unsure of what to expect. On top of that, as a rising 2L, my only prior legal experience had been within the state level court system of California, so I had very little familiarity with the federal system. What I found at NCOSE was a summer of growth, challenge, and leadership I will never forget.
The very first week I was at my internship, I had the chance to accompany my supervising attorney to a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, where she testified on the NO FAKES Act. That bill seeks to protect an individual’s right to their image and likeness while providing remedies for those whose rights are violated. As I sat there taking in where I was, who I was working for, and what we were working to achieve, I couldn’t help but reflect on where I had come from, everything I had endured, and the overwhelming love of the Lord that had carried me into that room. As a survivor, I still remember the feeling of crippling helplessness from experiencing the very thing I was now working to combat on behalf of other survivors. Sitting in that room, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and to be in awe of how many doors the Lord kicked down for me to be there.
For the rest of the summer, I had the opportunity to engage directly in NCOSE’s legal work. I partook in research for ongoing cases out of Nevada in the Federal district court system, suing several Brothels on behalf of Jane Does who had been trafficking by and through them. In another case, I was challenged to solve a complicated and unclear legal question on how to properly serve an international defendant who was nonresponsive, and who had been evading service for almost a year. I dove into international law under the Hague Convention and the laws of the defendant’s home country, ultimately determining how to successfully serve them. I also drafted motions and contributed to a brief in a high profile case involving an alleged sex trafficker.
Beyond litigation, I tried my hand at writing a policy analysis for three bills working through Congress, evaluating which ones were the most robust, and which still had gaps. The opportunities the attorneys at the organization entrusted to me sharpened my writing skills and allowed me to contribute to NCOSE’s broader mission in a practical way. Each assignment challenged me, but reminded me of why I wanted to go to law school in the first place. To use the law as a tool to advocate for survivors.
NCOSE is active in the legal field combating sex trafficking, so the team was invited to several summits on the topic. Because of this, I was able to attend the International Summit Against Sex Trafficking, The WorldWE Conference: “Building the WorldWE Want,” and the WorldWE Virtual Realities: “Sexual Exploitation OnlineYouth Coalition Summit on Digital Sexual Exploitation. Each event offered a unique perspective on the global and generational fight against exploitation. Being surrounded by survivors, advocates, and professionals who were all united in this cause gave me a powerful insight into how prevalent this issue is, but also gave me hope to see people taking notice and getting involved in the fight.
However, my favorite memory of the entire summer took place the last weekend of the internship. All the interns gathered for a capstone moment together and watched Sound of Freedom, a movie depicting the true story of Tim Ballard, a former US government agent who embarked on a mission to rescue children from sex traffickers in Colombia. Sitting together as a team, reflecting on the reality of trafficking, but seeing an example of how when God puts something on your heart, and you accept the call, all things are possible. It reminded us all that this work is not simply a job but a calling, and it reminded me of what I felt that first week when I sat in the halls of congress in awe of His plan and purpose for my life.
As I reflect on my time at NCOSE, I am again overwhelmed with gratitude. This internship gave me skills I will use throughout law school and beyond, a newfound confidence in both my writing and research abilities, but above all else it gave me a renewed sense of purpose in this work. I am thankful for the mentors who guided me, for the colleagues who welcomed and supported me, and for the chance to be part of an organization doing such meaningful work. My time at NCOSE confirmed for me that this is the kind of work I want to devote my career to, and I will always treasure the lessons I learned during these months in Washington.
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.