The Human Trafficking Legal Center

Public education and outreach: htlc's work on strategic litigation and trade remedies to combat forced labor in supply chains continued to expand in 2023. Htlc launched The coalition against forced labour in trade, an international coalition of 16 member organizations in eight countries and regions advocating for import bans to combat forced labor. Htlc also continued to chair The tariff act advocates group, a coalition of u.s. Organizations advocating for enforcement of section 307 of The u.s. Tariff act. Htlc worked closely with Trafficking survivor-leaders to build The anti-trafficking sector, co-facilitating a working group for allies in The movement. Htlc conducted trainings on Human Trafficking civil Legal remedies and strategic litigation in The united states and abroad. In partnership with a pro bono law firm, htlc published a guide for practitioners, child sexual exploitation in travel and tourism: a guide to extraterritorial jurisdiction to hold perpetrators accountable in switzerland. Finally, htlc advocated for mandatory restitution, pressing federal courts to order and collect mandatory compensation for Trafficking survivors.

Database management: The database management effort supports The Human Trafficking Legal Center's work on criminal restitution for Trafficking survivors and technical assistance to pro bono attorneys on civil and criminal cases.

Referrals of Trafficking cases to pro bono counsel: in 2023, htlc referred 44 matters to pro bono counsel. Pro bono cases included criminal victim-witness, civil, vacatur/expungement, tax, immigration, and family law matters. Referrals were critical in connecting clients with highly skilled pro bono counsel. Htlc also trained expert witnesses and assisted pro bono counsel in identification of experts. These referrals leveraged millions of dollars in free Legal services for Trafficking victims who otherwise would not have had Legal representation. In addition to these referrals, htlc continued to grow its in-house representation for Trafficking survivors in immigration and criminal victim-witness cases, providing pro bono Legal services for twenty clients.

Technical assistance to pro bono attorneys: htlc provided extensive technical assistance and mentoring to attorneys handling Trafficking cases pro bono in 2023. In addition to a general resource library, htlc continued to provide pro bono counsel access to databases with case materials collected from federal courts. To facilitate technical assistance to pro bono attorneys, htlc maintains a comprehensive database of federal civil Trafficking cases. As of december 2023, The database included more than 800 federal civil Trafficking cases. More than 400 pro bono attorneys and advocates nationwide have free access to The database. In order to share developments in civil litigation under The Trafficking victims protection reauthorization act, htlc published a comprehensive report, federal Human Trafficking civil litigation: 2022 data update. The report provided a statistical review and analysis of litigation in The field. The organization also held monthly civil litigation calls to share case updates and build a community of anti-trafficking civil litigators.in 2023, htlc's attorneys provided 1,035 hours of expert technical assistance to victims' rights attorneys, pro bono lawyers, civil litigators, and immigration practitioners. Technical assistance to pro bono counsel covered issues of restitution, restoration, and remission, resulting in significant compensation for Trafficking survivors.

Training of pro bono attorneys: htlc has trained more than 5,000 pro bono attorneys at law firms and non-governmental organizations across The united states. Htlc provides these training sessions free of charge. The curriculum includes instruction for pro bono attorneys on criminal restitution for Trafficking victims, remission for Trafficking victims, civil litigation on behalf of Trafficking victims, strategic litigation, and immigration relief for victims. Htlc has reached thousands more attorneys through online training sessions, national webinars, and national conferences.

Advocacy: in 2023, htlc continued its appellate advocacy for Trafficking survivors, filing four amicus briefs in Human Trafficking cases pending in The appellate courts: one in The supreme court, one in The ninth circuit court of appeals, one in The second circuit court of appeals, and one in The California state court of appeals. Htlc conducted extensive advocacy with government agencies on Human Trafficking policy issues. Htlc's trade-related advocacy in 2023 focused on accountability under The tariff act for forced labor in global supply chains; eradication of forced labor of uyghurs and other minorities in xinjiang; rights for domestic workers trafficked by diplomats; and The right of Trafficking survivors to bring civil cases in The federal courts. Htlc staff testified before congress on forced labor and Human Trafficking on several occasions.

Trafficking survivor leadership program: htlc expanded The survivor leadership program, laying The groundwork in 2023 to launch The harriet tubman fellowship program for labor Trafficking survivors. The fellowship, founded by a survivor leader on The organization's staff, will launch in 2024 to provide leadership training, monthly stipends and tuition support for survivors of forced labor. The organization also continued to co-chair The forced labor subcommittee of The dc Human Trafficking task force. Survivor leaders on htlc's staff conducted extensive advocacy, speaking on forced labor at international meetings and pressing for survivor leadership at all levels of The movement. Htlc continued to have survivor-leaders at all levels of The organization: on The staff, on The board of directors, as consultants, and on The advisory board.