Each year, the Douglass Fellows program has participants from elite law schools across the country. Throughout the year, Fellows are asked to organize and execute at least one advocacy event, which provides an opportunity for participants to highlight important conversations within the anti-trafficking movement. The events also create a way for Fellows to engage with leaders in the anti-trafficking community who can offer their expertise and knowledge to those in attendance.
The purpose of these events is to raise awareness about human trafficking; to provide accurate and compelling information to the community; and to inspire other to work to decimate the prevalence of modern slavery. This year’s advocacy events took on a verity of forms, from panel discussions to day-long conferences, and focused on a variety of different topics related to human trafficking.
This year’s events and guest presenters included:
- Pepperdine Law: a conversation about Labor Trafficking, Supply Chain Transparency, and Corporate Accountability, featuring the Institute’s Director of Government and Corporate Relations, Annick Febrey
- Stanford Law: a training series on how to combat human trafficking in one’s personal legal career, featuring Human Trafficking Legal Center President Martina Vandenberg and U.C. Berkeley Journalism Professor Andres A. Cediel
- Virginia Law: a debate about legalizing prostitution and the implications for survivors of sex trafficking, featuring the Institute’s Director of Victim Services, Marie Martinez Israelite, as well as Kate D’Adamo, a representative from Woohull Freedom Foundation; and Lisa Thompson, Vice President of Policy and Research for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation
- Notre Dame Law: a conference on the fight against online sex trafficking, featuring the Institute’s Director of Law Enforcement Operations, Dave Rogers, as well as other academics, advocates, and attorneys
- Harvard Law: a discussion on combating international human trafficking, featuring the Institute’s Founding Director and CEO, Victor Boutros, as well as U.S. Ambassador at Large, John Cotton Richmond
- Chicago Law: a panel on the impact of immigration policy on survivors on human trafficking, featuring Director of Victim Services, Marie Martinez Israelite, as well as Katherine Soltis, an immigration attorney at Ayuda and Cory Smith, VP of Policy, Advocacy and Communications at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
- Boston Law: a panel on working with trafficking survivors during one’s law career, featuring Director of Victim Services, Marie Martinez Israelite, associates from WilmerHale law firm, and Dr. Julie Dahlstrom, Clinical Associate Professor of Law at Boston University Law School.
“Advocacy events are an important part of the Douglass Fellowship because the provide an opportunity for fellows to facilitate meaningful discussions about human trafficking at law schools across the country and build their professional networks,” said the Institute’s Legal Advisor, Alyssa Currier.
The Institute’s Douglass Fellows program offers a unique opportunity for law students chosen through a competitive process to participate in a nine-month fellowship program focused on developing future leaders in the anti-human trafficking movement and providing resources to those currently combatting trafficking around the globe. Learn more about the program here.