By: Anna Winterfelt
I joined the Center for Global Justice Human Trafficking Clinic with the goal of being able to help make a small difference in people’s lives while also learning. I prayed that this would be an experience that I would appreciate for years to come. What I received from the year I spent with the clinic is something beyond my wildest dreams. I was able to see changes to the legislation surrounding post-conviction relief for human trafficking survivors in Virginia and see how a positive interaction with the criminal justice system could change someone’s life.
Legislative changes in Virginia
When I started with the clinic, the July 2025 updates to the vacatur bill had just gone into effect. The vacatur law allows human trafficking survivors who have a criminal record as a result of being trafficked to have their record cleared. The original law from 2021 only allowed two prostitution-related misdemeanor charges to be cleared. In July of 2025, that expanded to a much broader enumerated list, including one felony.
As part of my clinic work, I had the opportunity to be a small part of a group that lobbied the legislature to expand the law even further in 2026. This year, the law was expanded to include all misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. This means that most of our clients now have their records completely cleared in the state of Virginia, allowing clients to pursue a brighter future through greater access to stable housing and job opportunities as their records are no longer holding them back.
Positive Interactions with the Justice System
I believed that the most important thing I would do while working for the clinic would be getting survivors’ records cleared. I quickly learned that it was likely one of the least important things I would do. Many clients have never had anyone listen to them and believe them when they share their story. Over and over again, I got to hear from clients who said they felt blessed, not because of the work we were doing to clear their records (which was a bonus), but because we were helping them to heal by listening and believing them without judgment.
This is an important reminder as I head into practice. At the end of the day, results matter, but they are not everything. How you treat a client and how you make them feel are far more important. Every day is a chance to make people feel valued, not because of anything that they have done to earn it, but because they are image-bearers of God, and nothing could make them more valuable.
Conclusion
There are many ways to impact someone’s life. Society says that it is the big gestures that make a difference. The clinic reinforced the truth that God says that the small, daily steps of faithfulness are what really matter because you never know how God will use them to make a big difference in someone’s life.
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.